Continuous feedback from customers makes for a healthy, responsive business that is continually trying to improve. The same goes for small business owners and leaders. Create a culture of continual feedback.
Establish your openness to learning and improving
By being open to hearing about how you are performing from colleagues and customers, you’re taking a big step toward improving. You can’t address any issues or problems until you know about them. Begin by letting people know that you want to hear the truth about how the company – and you as the leader – are doing.
Shed your ego and get others to do so as well
Successful leadership is built on inspiring others to do their best and to collaborate effectively. Egos can get in the way. If you can shed your ego or manage it well, you can model that key behavior for others throughout your company. Practicing humility could take your business a long way.
Model giving and receiving feedback
Giving and receiving feedback is a skill. As the leader, embrace 360-degree feedback. This includes hearing from customers, partners, vendors, investors and fellow employees who are anywhere in the company hierarchy. You can create a continuous feedback loop through various processes, but largely through your own attitude and behavior. Give feedback to others regularly, constructively, sensitively and honestly. Then invite the same from them. Try to take that feedback to heart and respond productively.
