The higher position you hold in a company, the less likely you will receive constructive feedback. You know, no one want to make you upset... So, one day you can find yourself in isolation where a lot of interesting ideas will pass you. An article from the Best Practices series on the Harvard Business Review website advises:
Remember the fear around you
Understand that people around you are afraid to criticize you and explain them clearly that they do not have to worry about it. Emphasize that you need their feedback to develop.
Actively ask for feedback
Ask your surroundings regularly for feedback on how you could improve and ask for specific examples.
Learn to read between the lines
Deal with the fact that you cannot always get honest feedback. You must therefore learn to detect how to identify the problems the people around you try to point out to gradually. You can start by asking more people the same question.
Find trusted people
If the peope in your organization are not likely to be open and honest to you, find a few trusted individuals. It could be anyone who has access to the right data and communicate with people you in daily contact with. However, be careful that they do not say just what you want to hear.
Try starting anonymously
If it is too difficult for the people around to really open themselves, try one of the methods of collecting anonymous feedback, involve the 360 degree feedback or an external coach.
Adjust your behavior according to the feedback
Once you manage to get feedback, act accordingly. Do not let your surroundings see that it makes no sense to tell you something. Give thanks and draw conclusions from the feedback to improve. And do not limit yourself just to words.
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