Otherwise, fear is bred in all corners of the company.
You can find companies that claim their commitment to people and their people’s development on paper.
I often wonder what evidence is used as a measure of that commitment.
What is the source of input that verifies leaders are lifting their teams to succeed? What are the examples of success in this area?
The Impact of Unfulfilled Leadership Commitments on Employee Morale & company values
At a leadership town hall, I attended some years ago, challenging questions were raised. The one that topped the list: How do we hold our leaders accountable to our company's values?
Following the event, there were hundreds of anonymous comments posted internally. It was a hot topic then.
And it remains a hot topic because the question remains unanswered. What does this say about the company values?
Empowering Change: The Need for Upward Feedback in Company Leadership
There are fantastic leaders within many companies at all levels and around us. There are also leaders scattered throughout companies who do not exemplify the core values and commitments espoused by the companies they represent.
The stories and concerns around these less-than-stellar leaders carry throughout employee hallways. These stories are not intended to create mistrust or breed rumors; instead, they often come from a place of fear or shock, a place of trying to understand how to move forward.
This is where fear is bred.
Don’t get me wrong; The goal is not to stop these stories from being shared. Only through speaking the truth and hearing a story from another can it resonate with our experiences, and we can truly understand the breadth and scope of the issues. We can see that speaking these truths is not a one-off example of bad days or missteps.
Instead, they are essential gaps in understanding and living the company’s values.
These stories bring us together and are evidence that we are not alone. They confirm where issues are present because they are more than a single incident.
I know colleagues who need help interacting with their leaders. They have gone to HR with concerns only to find a lack of support or direction. They go to counseling services only to be told there is nothing to be done and that if they have a problem with their leader, they must leave the team.
Why is this the answer? Do we not bleed out talent with this approach? Why is there no accountability?
Those leaders who are not fulfilling their mandate should be given the chance to change, and if they don't, they must leave.
People want to be heard, seen, understood, and respected. The lack of accountability around poor leadership behavior within companies leaves the people the leaders serve lacking in all respects.
Ultimately, it will drive those who are experienced and talented, as well as the newcomers, out the door - potentially into the arms of a competitor.
Upward Feedback
Ultimately, an upward feedback process needs to be embedded in work practices. A process through which team members share insights and experiences with their direct leaders and those higher up the chain.
That would be the game-changer.
Whether anonymous or open, that kind of feedback would reveal some of the more overt actions. It is also essential that this process is not informal but formalized in the regular team processes. Small concerns can be brought to light before they become more prominent. It should be facilitated and inclusive. The effort of sharing feedback should not add substantially to someone’s plate (i.e. It provides the room to bring a concern forward because of the channels and the process involved.)
Giving feedback must come from across the board and be open to employees at all levels to participate as it makes sense. This means, executives of your company must also receive their feedback.
After all, if we can pick and choose from whom we receive input, will we not be able to filter the feedback we fear may be more insightful? For example feedback that may impede our goals of promotion and career advancement?
When upwards feedback is a regular process, questions around leaders living up to the company values will no longer top the 'hot topics' list.
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