Feature Articles
From 2012, we now list our articles in our Blog. Read the latest here
07/04/2009
Feedback- why do we seek it and how can we get more?
Why is it that we seek feedback? There are many reasons that businesses seek feedback, and many sources that we seek it from.
It can be argued that there are two main groups that will determine the success of our business:
· Our clients and external stakeholders; and
· Our employees.
It stands to reason then, that we should be interested in what these people have to say about us and how we can better meet their needs. In particular, we should be looking for feedback that provides us with additional information to:
· help make better decisions and plan for the future;
· measure our performance; and
· help identify new markets or the likely success of new ideas.
Feedback can be gathered in a variety of ways, from a general or “corridor” conversation to a formal and structured survey or focus groups. Each of these has a place but total reliance on one over another may jeopardise the veracity of the information gathered. Given that business decisions are often premised on feedback, this presents a substantial risk.
In a recent survey of accounting firms in Australia[1], only around a quarter of the respondents conducted regular employee surveys, but in the top performing firms, almost half did and in the worst performing firms usage of employee surveys was closer to 10%. This demonstrates the importance of gaining valid and reliable feedback.
Why don’t we seek formalised feedback?
There are many reasons why we shy away from seeking feedback:
· It makes us vulnerable- providing your employees or your clients with a forum where you actively encourage feedback can be confronting. Often, people expect a much worse result than is actualised;
· Negativity bias in ad hoc feedback- the old adage that if you have a bad experience you will tell 10 people, but if you have a good one you will be lucky to tell one, can be true. As a whole people will probably complain to you more often than they will congratulate you on great service- unless you seek this feedback from them;
· Time and Cost- setting up and conducting a formal feedback arrangement can be time consuming and costly in taking focus away from the productive elements of the business. However, there are several ways that this can be overcome. A regular survey, which adds additional value over time, becomes easier to manage than the first one; and finally
· What do you do with the information gathered- Often firms have tried using a survey previously and once they gathered the information, a nice report was produced which then sat in someone’s draw and was never looked at again. The value of feedback is in how it can help you to shape the future, not just what it tells you about the past. How can you use the information to shape your business processes, new products or services, coach staff or generally shake things up.
So, once you have pulled your head out of the sand and decided to seek feedback, how do you ensure that the information gathered is the best it can be? Probably one of the easiest and most cost effective methods is to use a survey instrument.
Inhibitors to Response
Just as there are many reasons why we shy away from conducting formalised feedback, often, survey invitees shy away from providing responses. Some of the most common reasons are:
· Information Overload- we all get so much information these days that we struggle to keep on top of it all. Often this results in “unimportant” items being deleted or delegated based on first glance;
· Time Poor- Everyone is busy. Therefore, if there is no perceived direct benefit to the respondent, the survey will often be ignored;
· Sensitivity and Trust- people often shy away from telling you what they really think for fear of retribution, or damaging the relationship going forward. In some cases, they may consider the information commercially sensitive and therefore be reluctant to share; and
· Waste of Time- the number of market research firms seeking feedback on all manner of issues from washing detergents to credit cards means that some people may see a request for information as intrusive and unlikely to deliver any real change. Besides, someone else will fill it in won’t they?
So, how do you overcome all of these inhibitors?
To do’s for surveys
· Keep it simple- the most important thing to remember is to keep the survey instrument simple and easy to use. There is a balancing act, particularly the first time around between the information that you would like to have and too complex a survey that will impede the response rate;
· Ease of access- know your response base and match the survey medium to their preferred technological approach. Are they more comfortable with email or regular post?
· Sell the importance- before they get a chance to delete (or bin) the survey, make sure you let them know why you are seeking their feedback and how you will use it;
· Reassure them- sometimes it is best to provide respondents with the option of completing the survey anonymously. This is a judgement call dependent on how you are seeking to use the information gathered. If you want to be able to discuss issues raised more fully this may not be an option. If you do offer an anonymous response option, don’t then use other questions to identify respondents and then revert to them to gain more information as this will undermine trust;
· Keep Information Confidential- reassure respondents that you will only use the information internally and will not sell it or share it with others outside the organisation;
· Follow up- a gentle reminder, perhaps in the context of other discussions, which reinforces the value of the feedback, why you want it, how much you appreciate it and how it will benefit the respondent, can boost a flailing response rate; and
· Share the results- Providing (suitably sanitised) results with respondents can do wonders in building response rates over time. Perhaps share with your potential respondents the new initiatives or changes being introduced as a result of their feedback.
Conclusion
We can shoot in the dark about what our clients and employees think about us and are looking for from us, and base critical business decisions on these assumptions. Or, we can actually ask them.
Seeking feedback is not new, it is not rocket science, but there are a range of new tools that make it easier and there are a number of tricks that help to produce better results. So even if you have had a bad experience previously, it may be time to reconsider and get out there again.
[1] Profiting from People Management: What really works in Accounting Firms?, John Shields and Sue Cunningham, awaiting publication.
Sue Cunningham, the principal of Futurity Solutions has 20 years experience in medium and large organisations. Sue has worked across a wide range of businesses, from major infrastructure projects, health, and media, to small business. Her focus has been strategy development and implementation including capital and business investment decisions, sourcing of client, stakeholder and employee feedback, business restructuring and linkage of human resource to corporate strategic plans.
Important Note: These articles have been prepared for general circulation and are circulated for general informational purposes only; these articles should not be regarded as business or investment advice. The articles represent the views of the writers and are subject to change without notice. Additionally, while every care has been taken in the preparation of the articles no representation or warranty as to accuracy or completeness of any statement is given. An individual or organisation should, before any business or investment decision is made, consider the appropriateness of the information in this document, and seek professional advice, having regard to objectives, situation and needs. This document is solely for the use of the party to whom it is provided.
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