Let's Be Candid

Brigg Patten writes in the business and tech spaces. He's a fan of podcasts, bokeh and smooth jazz. His time is mostly spent learning the piano and watching his Golden Retriever Julian chase a stick.

  Communications Management   Leadership   ProjectsAtWork  

Candor, the art of honest feedback, is something most companies desire but rarely get. Why is that? It’s often not the fault of the people involved, but the way the company is structured that hampers communication at its most basic level. When a business seeks to promote candor and transparency in their work operations, it means that there must be safe and effective routes for that type of communication to take place without fear of reprisals.

Here are five ways you can make sure your team members provide the feedback and get the feedback they need to excel.

1. Look to hire authentic people

An organization is only as good as the people within its walls. If you want more candor and honesty to surface, seek to hire people who are authentic and genuine in their dealings. The traits they bring will automatically surface without much work on your part. By deliberately hiring those who are more likely to be diplomatically honest, it creates the opportunity for it to occur spontaneously.

2. Make time to talk

To create a space for honest feedback, consider setting up weekly meetings or immediate feedback on employee training and development programs. Meet with your employees one on one at times, not just once a year at a formal review, as a way to check in. CEOs may want to have their own social media profiles set up so that they can interact online. If not, create…

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