Don't Ask, If You Won't Act
I don’t think there are too many things as frustrating as being asked for your opinion, only to have it ignored. Am I right?
Let’s take for example the classic annual company engagement survey. Every year you’re asked to rank your leader and organisation on such things as demonstrating company values, showing integrity and effective communication. You fill out the online survey, provide comments and feedback and then what happens? ………. Absolutely nothing. (well, hopefully not in your organisation!) The same can be said for feedback forms, team Q and A sessions and one on one meetings.
As a leader, don’t bother asking for people’s opinions, if you’re not going to listen, really listen and take action. If you have no intention of doing anything different, if your mind is already made up on a course of action, then simply don’t ask. It’s BS. It’s manipulation. It’s insincere and inauthentic. And it’s the one sure fire way to peeve people off.
By asking and not acting you:
Break trust
Lower engagement and commitment
Stop future meaningful contribution
Negatively impact your reputation
Stifle creativity and innovation
Waste everyone’s time
So, why do we continue to do this as leaders?
Well, maybe your intention is to be known as a leader who is highly collaborative, empathic and inclusive. You want your people to feel like they have a voice and you want their buy-in on new initiatives. All very good reasons – great intention. However, when you don’t follow through with action, what started out with the best of intention, results in a very negative outcome.
As a leader, people want you to be honest, real and authentic. In business, just like in parenting, not everything is up for discussion. Don’t allow your people to think they have a choice when in fact they don’t. As a leader, some decisions will be yours and yours alone to make.
If you’ve made your decision and there’s no room for movement, just communicate it, explain your why and move on. Your people will thank you for it. There will be other times when you want their opinion, their experience and knowledge. Great, ask for it, listen deeply to it and then act accordingly, always keeping them in the loop.
Sometimes your leadership will need to be highly directive and at other times highly facilitative. It’s your role to know when and how to lead to get the very best from your people and make them feel valued, trusted, supported and appreciated.
As a leader influence rather than manipulate. Keep it real and build your reputation as an honest and authentic leader who people trust and respect.
Midja x