Sometimes is best to just keep your mouth closed. Let me explain. Being new to a company is a very difficult thing. You are fresh blood, you see things with a different perspective. Oftentimes, upon meeting you, a senior leader will pull you aside and ask you directly, “so what do you think? What kind of changes do you think ought to be made?” And that’s a problem. Even though constructive feedback is supposed to be constructive, it’s often not.
Giving Constructive Feedback is Difficult
Criticism is never easy. I know, it’s all about focusing on specific issues and giving positive feedback, but at the end of the day, it is still criticism. Some employee’s take it very badly, especially from the new person.
On four separate occasions in my career – when I was the new person – a senior leader asked me for my feedback after observing a field operation. The first time I answered and gave her what I thought was an honest, well-thought out constructive feedback. She thanked me for my insight and went on about her business.
A few days later I found out that my response had angered an entire geographical region of the company. You see, the senior leader had used my response to go back to the region and lambast the existing leadership team. I didn’t make any new friends that day!
Listen and Learn
After that first occasion, I eschewed the question when asked and kindly deferred to a time in the future when I would have a better perspective. It never happened to me again. Why? Because I decided that in the future I would listen and learn before spouting out my opinions.
It’s okay to be the new employee. It’s okay to have a fresh perspective. But it is not okay to offer what you feel is constructive feedback, without knowing all the particulars. In my case, I didn’t understand the distribution model well enough, yet I still criticized it, believing that my way would be a better way. Unfortunately, after sitting down with the region’s vice-president, I was given a full understanding as to why my approach wouldn’t work in the way that I had presented. Her exact quote to me was, “You think you’re the first smart person to come along with that idea?”
Offer Feedback Sparingly and Carefully
It took me a lot of time and timber to rebuild that bridge. But I did. I apologized to her and told her that I was caught off guard by the question, and eager to please a senior member of the team, I opened my mouth without having a full perspective of the situation. And from that day on, I worked her to prove to her and to the team that I was only interested in helping others and improving the business in the best way possible.
Become a Valued Team Member!
So, if you are faced with this question pause and take the time to learn before you criticize. Approach the situation with patience and humility so that you can truly understand the business model. Get to know the people that are running the business. Find out what they do and how they contribute on a daily basis. Ask them what they would do to improve the operations. More importantly, roll up your sleeves and go to work. Become a valued member of the team. Earn the respect of others. They find it easier to take constructive feedback from someone they trust and respect than from the new guy they believe is just trying to make a name in the organization at their expense.
