[00:00:00] Hi and welcome back to Reflect Forward. I'm your host Kerry Siggins and I'm so glad you are here today. Today, I want to talk about the power of asking your team for input. So
[00:00:19] I just saw how powerful this really was. It wasn't a high stakes decision but something that led to incredible collaboration and phenomenal team building and I wanted to share this with you today. Every year we bring all of our global employees to our headquarters
[00:00:35] here in Joringo and we do a multi-day training session, collaboration session and then we have a big picnic on a Saturday where everybody's families can come. So it's a very intense week, it's a very fantastic week and it's really important that we get it right because
[00:00:54] we're spending a lot of money to fly everybody into Joringo. We are making the best use of our time and the past few years we've done things a certain way and there's been
[00:01:03] lots of good feedback that came from it about this is good and this we can improve upon. And so this year I decided that instead of a couple of people, particularly senior managers or executives making the decisions on how the flow would go for the week, we should
[00:01:22] just ask the teams what they want. Let's get all of their feedback. So we built out a general outline and then I took it to the sales organizations and to the engineering organizations and to the branch organizations and customer service and said
[00:01:36] what do you think that we need? And so we collaboratively built this phenomenal schedule that allowed for teams to really cross collaborate across departments and to learn from each other and to dive into new products because we're a product leadership company so everybody
[00:01:51] wants to know about the latest and greatest products and when they're coming out and do training around it. We wanted to do a big company-wide team building session that really mixed everybody up into groups where we could break down those silos or the
[00:02:06] comfort zone that people are in when they're like, I know my team even though I don't know all these other people. And we built out this fantastic three-day agenda that brought all these teams together and really honed in on exactly what the team wanted. And
[00:02:20] the feedback that we got was fantastic. It was the best week that we've ever had. We've been doing this for years and by far this was the best one. It really was a joint effort. When we asked everybody what do you want and we let them
[00:02:34] co-create what this week would look like, it turned out to be exactly what they needed and exactly what they wanted because that's what they said that they wanted. And I am a huge believer in asking my team for input. I always do.
[00:02:48] We lead a very collaborative company here. When we say we collaborate, we mean it. It can be a little bit messy but it is so incredibly powerful when you just ask people what do you want to see and then you make it happen.
[00:03:02] And so while this is a rather non-risky way to ask for input, it empowered people. They could see that when they spoke up and they said, this is what I like from the past. This is what I didn't like from the past. Here's what I would like
[00:03:16] to see changed. Here's what I really want to get out of this week that it mattered. And we were able to put together something that was very meaningful and that everyone bought into and everyone was very engaged in up
[00:03:29] until Friday at five o'clock even though everybody was exhausted. And I wanted to share this with you because it's such a good reminder that when you ask your team for input, you make better decisions.
[00:03:40] When you ask people for input and then you act on it, you're allowing them to develop. You're giving them a voice. You're building that team and you're shaping your organization. This might seem like a minor example, building on an agenda for three days
[00:03:56] worth of collaboration and training. But the ripple effect that it will have on relationships, on our strategy, on our product roadmap, on our sales and marketing plans is huge. We gathered so much feedback from it
[00:04:10] and it was because we had every single person here fully engaged in what they're doing. So this is how you ask for input and really drive success across your company. And while the final decision may rest with you as a
[00:04:25] leader, I mean, the buck does stop with you and ultimately you have to take responsibility, the process of involving your team's voices is really a great way to build that engagement and to build that buy-in. It helps your decision making process and that really fosters
[00:04:40] that culture of collaboration, trust, innovation and engagement, which is what we're all looking for, right? So that's what we're going to talk about in this week's episode. We're going to explore why it's essential to ask your team for input,
[00:04:52] how to effectively gather their insights and what to do if you choose not to incorporate their suggestions into your final decision because let's face it sometimes that's what's going to happen. So let's dive in. First, let's talk about why it's so important
[00:05:06] to get your team's input. Seeking input is not just a process, it's really a strategy. It's a strategy that brings several benefits. First, your team comprises of individuals with very diverse backgrounds, experiences, expertise and it can provide a much
[00:05:23] broader range of solutions and ideas that you might not have considered. I have seen this all the time. I come into my executive management team meeting and I've got an idea and I think it's great. We pick it apart and we add on to it
[00:05:36] and sometimes we walk out and we say, oh, that wasn't such a great idea. And sometimes we walk out and saying there's so much better than what was initially proposed and I've seen that over and over again.
[00:05:48] So don't be afraid to ask for input and to get those ideas. People want to share their opinion with you. They want to be part of the process. They want to be part of coming up with the solution. So ask, what do you think about this?
[00:06:01] Is this a good idea? What would you do to make it better? And as leaders making well informed, well rounded decisions is part of our job and by tapping into this knowledge, you can do that. Additionally, when employees feel like their opinions matter
[00:06:16] and that they're valued, their engagement and job satisfaction increases leading to higher productivity and lower turnover rate, which is what we're all looking for. So let's just take my example. While this seems like it's not that big of a deal.
[00:06:30] Yes, it was a big agenda and it required a lot of coordination and collaboration and people engaging in it. It's going to lead to better decision making going forward. We're going to make different decisions about our sales strategy and our product development strategy.
[00:06:47] And so I could see that by involving everybody in this process, it boosted their involvement, it boosted their morale. And we saw a huge commitment to our organization's goals. And that's what we want.
[00:07:01] We want people who are saying, yes, I am going to go to the ends of the earth with you because I believe in what we're doing. And they only are going to say that if they're involved in things.
[00:07:11] I love this example because we got their input on how to set it up on what they wanted to see from it. And we set up the conversations and the discussion to really be able to foster that type of feedback and that type of dialogue.
[00:07:23] And it really is going to make a tremendous difference on the company. So I wanted to share that with you because that involvement increases morale, increases engagement, and it helps people commit to the path forward and asking for this input really pays.
[00:07:38] I found this statistic on Gallup, my favorite. A study that Gallup did said that companies with high employee engagement outperform those with lower engagement by 21 percent in profitability. So you are going to be more profitable if you have engaged employees
[00:07:52] and the only way to get engaged employees is to engage them in decision making, ask for their input. And the last point I want to make is that by inviting your employees to give input, you foster a culture of innovation
[00:08:05] because employees are much more likely to share the creative and out of the box ideas when they know that their suggestions are welcomed, even if they seem far fetched. That's where some big ideas come from. And this can drive your business forward and it can help
[00:08:19] it be competitive in all of this craziness where things are changing so quickly and you have to innovate to stay relevant. And again, when you have employees who are creative and thinking out of the box and speaking up, it pays. A study done by PricewaterhouseCoopers found that 61 percent
[00:08:37] of CEOs consider innovation as a key priority for their companies and organizations that promote a culture of innovation where employees' ideas are valued and considered are 5.5 times more likely to be high performers. And that's what you want. You want to high performing companies.
[00:08:53] So by asking for input, you demonstrate your value to your team's insights and show that you are willing to listen to strengthen relationships and encourages that collaborative environment where everyone works towards a common goal, hopefully winning in your industry,
[00:09:09] which really does reinforce the power of asking for input. All right, so let's dive into how to effectively gather input from your team. I'm going to give you five things that I do that have allowed for this type of input to flow freely here at StoneAge.
[00:09:24] The first thing that we do here is we create an open environment. We want to foster a culture where team members feel comfortable sharing their feedback without fear of judgment. So we encourage open dialogue and we assure people that their
[00:09:35] contributions are valued even if we don't implement them. That psychological safety is really important. Do this by asking questions. Hey, I've got this idea. I'm not sure if it's good. What do you think? Hey, I want to make this better than what it was last year.
[00:09:47] So it's really engaging for you. What would you do if you were me? How would you go and design this? That makes it safe for people to share their feedback because you're asking and you're really fostering that sense of collaboration and input.
[00:10:01] The second thing that we do is we create various channels so different team members may feel comfortable sharing input in different ways. And it also depends on how risky the feedback that they're giving you might be. We use multiple channels for that feedback, such as one
[00:10:15] on one meetings. That's really the easiest way to deep dive into a topic with somebody and get their insight and suggestions. We do group discussions like I just talked about in these sales meetings and engineering meetings and customer service
[00:10:27] meetings. We walked through what they would want to get out of it and how they would structure the day. You could also use surveys, both anonymous or nonanonymous surveys to get people's feedback. But really what you want to do is you want to ensure that
[00:10:39] everyone has a chance to voice their opinions and do it in a way that allows them to feel comfortable. I tend to believe that nonanonymous is the best when you get anonymous insight and feedback. It's really hard to do something about it because you don't
[00:10:53] know exactly where it came from and what the context is. But if that's how people feel safe or a little bit of information that way is better than no information. So create those various channels. The third thing that we do is that we're really clear about the purpose.
[00:11:05] You need to communicate why you're seeking input and how their input is going to be used. This is important because if you just ask a question and you don't give that context, people might misunderstand why you're asking and feel less comfortable for sharing.
[00:11:18] So what we do is we let our team know the scope of the decisions and the specific areas where we need their insight. We share with them what the outcomes are going to be. We really share that why when you share the why and give
[00:11:32] them specific information, you help them provide more relevant and focused feedback, which only helps you. So don't be afraid to give the why. Otherwise, in the absence of information, people tell themselves their own stories and typically those are negative stories and then they might feel like
[00:11:48] holding back when it really might be that you just want some insight on something that's relatively benign. So be clear about the purpose. The fourth thing that we do is listen actively. When gathering input, you really have to listen. Pay attention to what's being said without interrupting.
[00:12:04] When someone's giving you their ideas, let them finish what they're saying. Ask clarifying questions. Dig in deep. Make sure that you really understand what they're trying to say and then always acknowledge the contributions that they're making. Say, hey, I really value those ideas. Thank you so much.
[00:12:21] This shows that you genuinely value their input. And then the fifth thing is follow up. Always, always, always follow up. Again, in the absence of information, people think that you're not doing anything with the feedback that you're giving. We just had this happen recently where one of our
[00:12:38] phenomenal sales professionals gave our marketing and website teams feedback on the website to make it better and he didn't hear anything back for them for like two months. And so he assumed his feedback didn't mean anything and that nothing was being done, which was definitely not the case.
[00:12:56] Our website team was doing phenomenal things and building the next phase of the website based on this feedback. And when they circled back a couple of months later and said, hey, we want to show you the improvements that we're making based on the
[00:13:08] feedback that you gave us, he was blown away. He said, I thought they just ignored it or didn't do anything with it because I haven't heard from them for so long. Well, this just shows you the power of following up and checking in.
[00:13:19] You can say, hey, I really appreciate that feedback. It's going to take us a couple of months to go and implement this. If we have questions, we'll come back to you. But as soon as we're ready to show you the changes that we've made, I'll let you know.
[00:13:31] And then you set those expectations about what the follow-up is going to look like. So always, always circle back, whether you're implementing their suggestions or even if you're not. People want to know, did what I say mattered.
[00:13:43] And the only way that they know that it did is if you follow up with a conversation about what actions you are taking or are not taking. So those are my five tips on how to effectively gather input from your team. Relatively easy to do.
[00:13:59] You can start doing it today. So if you decide that you don't want to incorporate your team's input, you've got to handle the situation with transparency and respect. First, tell the truth about why you're not using their suggestions. Explain the factors that influenced
[00:14:13] your decision-making process and why you chose to go in a different direction. This helps maintain trust and it shows that their feedback was an important part of the process, even if you decided not to use their suggestions. Additionally, you should always express
[00:14:29] gratitude for the time and effort your team invested in providing their input. This acknowledges their contributions, even if their ideas were not implemented. This reinforces their value to the organization and encourages them to continue sharing their ideas in the future. Okay, but the management didn't take my idea
[00:14:45] this time. That's okay. But I know why now, but because they followed up, I'm going to be more willing to share my thoughts. That's what you want your employees to say. You can also offer constructive feedback on why certain suggestions were not feasible or
[00:14:58] aligned with the final decision. And that helps your team understand the decision-making process better so that they can refine their input for future opportunities. Feedback is really important. It helps us grow. It's okay to say, hey, we didn't take this suggestion and here's why.
[00:15:13] It didn't really fit with the outcomes that we were looking for. This is more of the path that we wanted to go. That's helpful for people. It helps them improve the quality of their thinking. So share that why. Give them that.
[00:15:27] And finally, you always want to keep lines of communication open and encourage that open dialogue. Let your team know that their input is always welcome even if you don't ask for it. I think that a lot of leaders think that I didn't ask for it.
[00:15:39] I don't want it or a lot of people think if my leader doesn't ask for it, he or she doesn't want it and that simply isn't true. Dialogue matters. So always foster that open communication. Welcome that open communication so that they participate when there's future
[00:15:54] opportunities to contribute to the decision-making process. And this helps keep your employees engaged and invested in your organization's success or your team's success. And that's really important. So that wraps up my episode for today. I hope that this gave you insight into how
[00:16:10] asking for your team's input is not just a courtesy, but it's a strategic move that can lead to better decisions, higher engagement, more innovation and a more collaborative work environment. If you create that open environment using various channels to gather input and be
[00:16:25] transparent about your decisions, you can really harness your team's collective intelligence, which is really important to do to drive your business or your team towards greater success. Remember that the key to effective leadership lies in valuing and leveraging the strengths of those who you lead.
[00:16:42] All right, that's it for today. I hope you enjoyed this podcast and had those great takeaways. If you like this podcast, please write a review, share it with a friend, subscribe to it on your favorite podcast platform or on my YouTube channel. You can search Carrie Siggins.
[00:16:55] I really appreciate it helps with the algorithms and it gets hopefully these helpful leadership tips out to the broader world. Thanks so much and we'll see you next week.