The best way to get actionable feedback from your team

Published about 2 years ago • 1 min read

Hi there!

How many times have you tried to ask for feedback from your team and all you got back was a lukewarm “it’s all right”? Well, that doesn’t really help you grow or support your team better, right?

When I was first starting out in my career, I faced similar challenges. I knew I needed to find a way to get honest, actionable feedback, but the trust within the team wasn’t quite there yet. So I had to get creative.

In my upcoming book, I share a tool that’s been super helpful for me and many of the leaders I’ve worked with. It’s designed to help you get the real, unfiltered feedback you need—even when trust is low.

The Anonymous Feedback Method

Here’s how you can implement it:

Anonymous Notes: During your next team meeting, ask your team members to write anonymous notes answering questions like:
- What do we need to change to be a better team?
- How can we better support each other?
- What’s the one thing stopping us from being the great team we can be?
Offline or Online: You can do this offline using paper cards or online using a virtual board. Make sure you also write your note answering the same questions.
Shuffle and Distribute: Shuffle the cards and randomly distribute them among all team members, including yourself.
Advocate for Points: Ask each team member to read what’s written on a card and be an advocate for that point. Other team members can chime in if they feel it’s important.
Vote and Action Plan: After everyone has read their points, vote for the most important ones and create an action plan to address them.

This method not only helps you get honest feedback but also starts the process of transforming your team into a high-performing unit.

Try It Out!

Give this a try with your team and let me know how it worked for you. I’d love to hear your stories and insights. Feel free to send me a message or share your experience on LinkedIn.

Take care and keep pushing forward,

Daria

PS - I share articles, tips, and business & career advice on LinkedIn. Let’s connect there! And if you haven’t already, subscribe to my YouTube channel for interviews with fascinating business thinkers.

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