Here's how you can foster honest feedback from your employees as an executive manager.

Building trust for an honest feedback from one´s team is crucial for us. From the very start we have shared with the team what we, as management, could have done differently and we encourage our team members to contribute and tell us what they feel is being done wrong and what they believe should be done differently. By doing this we have been able to obtain great feedback that, as a startup, is invaluable to our growth.

I'm reminded of the approach taken by the #TATA group, which has lived by the ethos of 'Leadership with Trust.' They have been able to foster human relations successfully. Seniormost executives like Ratan Tata personally commit to the TATA code of conduct as a genuine practice of their values. They prioritise comprehensive training and a 360-degree feedback system, making employees feel valued and heard. At the #ECCO group because of their human-centric approach that encourages Innovation among the employees and values them some families have been known to work with them for 2-3 generations. Now if that isn’t trust, I wonder what is? Employees are more engaged and proactive, clearly reflected in the robust performances of these groups.

Encourage a culture of transparency and trust, lead by example by soliciting feedback and acting on it, create safe spaces for open dialogue, provide anonymous feedback channels, actively listen without judgment, and show appreciation for honest input. Regularly communicate the importance of feedback and its impact on growth and improvement within the organization.

Driving to Chandigarh many years ago, I was stopped for over-speeding. The officer showed me a sign, hidden behind a tree, that showed a sudden drop from 90 to 60 KMPH—a trap! I paid the Rs. 400 fine, rejecting my colleague’s advice to bribe our way out. I later sought reimbursement since I was on official duty and anyone could have fallen for that ploy, leading to a showdown with the Business Head. However, I insisted and was ready to take the issue higher up to the Principal Ethics officer (also the Group Chairman), if denied. Once reimbursed, I donated the money to the office peons, making a clear statement about the ethical stance, and It did wipe that smirk off the BH's face. It was a lesson in integrity for my team.

Remember that facilitating dialogue is about creating a safe environment for people to share thoughts and ideas, it’s not about creating an opportunity for you to speak. When you create a safe space of mutual trust and respect, you’ll end up with more than simply facilitating feedback – you’ll create a culture of communication that is substantially more meaningful and durable over time.

Consider using someone else at your company to help you get feedback, if you are afraid that your employees might be reluctant to give feedback directly to you. Could be a manager in another department, could even be a more experienced member of your team that you know is well respected