Listening, whether to our family members or to our stakeholders in business, provides us with the feedback we need to get along with each other or to improve our organizations. But like anything else, to truly be proficient at getting stakeholder feedback it takes the correct approach and considerable effort to get it right.
We help our clients listen to their stakeholders, whether business partners, customers or employees. To do this effectively, there are a number of best practices, or rules, to consider. While there are a plethora of rules to help you listen well, here are my top five:
- Tune into the best channel. Carefully consider the best way to collect the feedback you need. This could include automated feedback programs (such as register receipt survey invitations), focus groups, social media sites or web surveys. Listen using the right channel and you may gain valuable insight. Choose the wrong channel and you will only hear static.
- Include only what you can act on. Never ask a question that you can’t do something about or don’t plan to address. For instance, many companies include compensation questions on employee surveys yet they are not in a position to change anything. This will only lead to irritation and potentially even anger when nothing is done to address compensation after the results come in.
- Construct questions carefully. Make sure you are asking for feedback the right way. If your questions are biased or leading, the findings will be questionable and not useful.
- Respond to respondents. Create a means to get back to those who take the time to give you their feedback. By doing this you will set your organization apart from the many who never respond to their respondents. Further, the most successful organizations find a way to track and document responses to ensure issues are resolved.
- Don’t complain about complaints. Complaints are often the most valuable feedback you will receive. By treating them as a positive, you have the chance to fix what is wrong and make things right for those involved.
While these are just some of the many rules to consider when listening to your stakeholders, it is critical to carefully assess how you can get the most value from your efforts. By following these and the many other valuable feedback rules we’ve outlined, you will be well on your way!
