At the start of a new year, I always ask my clients, “Where do you want to be on December 31st?” Knowing where you want to end up helps you align your actions toward a goal.
But it’s hard to define the end goal. You sense something needs to change or feel there’s more for your company, but you don’t know how to describe it, let alone start moving towards it.
This is when you need feedback from your team. Here are 3 questions to help you move forward with purpose and intention:
- What are we getting right?
This is a big-picture question. It makes you pause and consider the good. It’s easy to focus on the problems. But knowing what you’re doing right is also important so you can keep doing those things.
Too many times I hear employees say, we used to do “X” and I loved that. But for some reason, we stopped doing it. Leaders had no idea that “X” meant so much to people. Because no one mentioned they liked it, leaders assume no one cares, and they unintentionally end programs that are working.
So ask your team what they like, and what’s already working. And use those things as a starting point to build on.
- What frustrations are you currently facing in your role?
It’s easy to avoid this question because you fear the response, but it’s important to get honest feedback from your team. You need to know the good and the bad.
You can’t improve the company if you don’t know what individuals are struggling with daily. It is easy for there to be a big disconnect between what leadership is asking the team to do and what the team is experiencing on the playing field.
Be brave and ask the question. Don’t take the answers as personal attacks on you.
Do you have to create the perfect work environment for everyone? No. That’s impossible.
And not every person is a fit for every role. It’s important you know the challenges your team is facing. This feedback is essential for growth.
- What opportunities do you see for us in the future?
You want your team to think about the possibilities. The range of answers might surprise you. Sometimes employees have a very limited perspective and can’t see much in the future if they’re overwhelmed and exhausted.
But ideas for growth come from looking ahead. Every person in your organization has a different viewpoint, and you need to gather them all to see things from a higher perspective.
Once you’ve asked these questions, it’s time to get into the Crow’s Nest.
In football, there’s a group of coaches that sit high up in the stadium so they can have a different perspective of the entire playing field. It’s called the Crow’s Nest. From this vantage point, you can see opportunities you wouldn’t see otherwise.
Take all the ideas generated from the 3 questions above and categorize them.
And then, within each category, you can start prioritizing. This is a powerful way to start the year with a solid game plan and ensure everyone knows their role and is on board.
Revisit your goals each quarter, even monthly if it helps. You’ll be amazed how easy it is to end up where you want to be by the end of the year.