KISS Your Team for Better Results

I’m not a big fan of 360 feedback. Having said that, feedback from your colleagues is crucially important. If you don't have feedback from others you only have yourself as a reference point. That’s great for maintaining safety, but not very helpful to your growth and effectiveness. It’s also not a very accurate view of what's really going on. What you need to do for progress sake is get interested in how other people experience you.

So let me qualify my first statement. I’m not a fan of anonymous 360’s that have a ton of questions and take ages to fill in. They are just too heavy for everyone. I am however a big fan of seeking feedback. Effective leaders focus on removing obstacles that hinder their team's productivity. 

One of those hindrances is going to be yourself as the leader. To facilitate improved performance through feedback you can use the KISS method: Keep, Improve, Stop, Start. KISS can be applied to both engaging conversations about what you can do differently as the leader, and challenging team members to boost their own performance.

1. Keep: Start with what's working

Leader asks something like, "What current practices or support from me help you perform at your best?" This question helps to identify and reinforce the actions and behaviours that already contribute positively to the team’s productivity.

2. Improve: Explore what could work better

To uncover areas for improvement, you might ask, "What can I do to make you even more productive?" This fosters a dialogue about potential enhancements in leadership support, encouraging team members to share specific ways the leader can better facilitate their work.

3. Stop: Get out of their way!

Make an enquiry like, "What do I do that makes your work more difficult than it should be?" This question helps identify any actions or behaviours from you as the leader that might be inadvertently hindering productivity. Your ability to listen to this feedback without the need for defence or justification will demonstrate your character.

4. Start: How could I be more helpful to you

Finally, you might ask, "What could I start doing to make your job easier?" This opens the door for team members to suggest new initiatives or support mechanisms that could further enhance their productivity.

Now it's time to guide feedback the other way. This turnaround often jars a team member because it shines the light on them. Now it's their turn to take responsibility for reflecting on their role and their performance. The fact that you started with seeking feedback about yourself in the interest of their success supports and permits them to do the same. KISS for your team member goes something like this…

1. Keep: What's working?

Encourage team members to reflect on and maintain their effective habits by asking, "What do you currently do that helps you stay productive?" This helps team members recognise and continue their successful strategies.

2. Improve: What could you do better?

To encourage self-improvement, leaders can ask, "What can you do to make yourself even more productive?" This question prompts team members to think about ways they can refine and enhance their own work practices.

3. Stop: What would it be helpful to stop doing?

Challenge team members to consider, "What do you do that might be hindering your productivity?" This encourages them to consider behaviours or habits that negatively impact their work.

4. Start: What could you start doing?

Finally ask something like, "What new practices could you start to improve your productivity?" This question helps team members think proactively about adopting new strategies or habits that could boost their efficiency and effectiveness.

The KISS method for both leaders and team members provides a shared language and approach for giving and receiving feedback. It makes conversations about productivity and performance safer and constructive.

Good leaders curiously explore the obstacles team members face and help them to eliminate, explore, and reframe them. They understand that obstacles don’t stop anyone from being productive, but addressing them can elevate performance and create a lasting bond between leaders and team members.

Top performers never allow what they can’t do to thwart what they can do, and the best leaders remind their teams of this while working to remove any impediments in their way, including themselves!