Create an atmosphere of trust
As the INSEAD Knowledge website states, your subordinates will never provide honest and beneficial feedback if they sense there is a bad atmosphere or mistrust in the team. The first step therefore is to create a healthy team atmosphere, based on trust, where everyone feels they can express their opinions freely.
Do not respond negatively to criticism
If you do not want your subordinates to tell you only what you want to hear and keep to themselves anything you don't want, you need to let them know you are able to accept negative feedback. So if someone is critical or says something you did not expect or would rather not hear, you should not react negatively. Do not start making excuses, defending yourself or refuting the subordinate's opinion. On the contrary, take the comment to heart and cherish it all the more because you know the subordinate had to be quite courageous to say it to you.
Meet regularly one-on-one
The only way to get valuable feedback is to create space for people to give it to you. Do not expect them to appear out of the blue and start making comments about your management style. Regularly meet with your subordinates in individual sessions and give them the opportunity to offer you honest feedback without an audience present.
Give effective feedback to your subordinates as well
The last piece of advice is also the most important. Effective feedback must always work in a reciprocal manner. If you want your subordinates to give you continuous and authentic feedback, you must do the same for them. Show them in practice how beneficial good feedback is and how even negative feedback can be communicated in a constructive manner. This will make giving feedback a norm in your team. And your subordinates will give it to you automatically and naturally.
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