☝🏻 Ask For One Thing
Hello! Adam Thornhill here. ‘The Podcast Guy’ saving you 10 hours a week.
Enjoy the 124th Podup, with special thanks to ChatGPT Consulting.
Today, we’ll dive into the best insights and ideas from The Tim Ferriss Show.
Leadership can be a lonely place. As you climb higher, you often find yourself receiving less feedback, despite its critical importance for learning and development.
In today’s post, Sheila Heen emphasizes the power of the ‘one thing’ question in soliciting valuable feedback from team members and fostering a culture of personal growth.
The ‘one thing’ question
‘Do you have any feedback for me?’ is a terrible question for a leader to ask team members because giving feedback ‘up’ can feel very risky and fraught.
Leaders must excel in both receiving and inviting feedback. To do that, try asking a ‘one thing’ question. Examples include:
What’s one thing I’m doing or maybe failing to do that’s getting in the way?
What’s one thing I can do that will make a big difference to you?
What’s one thing we can do to make our morning meeting more efficient?
By asking for feedback, you’re saying you value it and you’re looking to improve. You signal you’re still learning, and you want them to be receptive to coaching as well.
Sheila Heen
Why it matters
The ‘one thing’ question shifts feedback from optional to obligatory. You’re essentially telling your team, ‘Hey, I need this single thing from you.’ There’s no room for them to back out or feel overwhelmed.
‘One thing’ questions also make giving feedback easier. Your team doesn’t have to rack their brains for a laundry list of things to say. Just one thing – that’s all. It’s a small ask, but it can reveal big insights.
The best bit? ‘One thing’ questions can be woven into casual conversations. This approach makes feedback more frequent, reduces the perceived stakes, and encourages more open communication.
Next steps
Practice the ‘one thing’ approach. Regularly ask your team focused, specific feedback questions.
Create a safe environment. Foster a culture where giving and receiving feedback is normalized and valued.
Act on the feedback. Show that you take feedback seriously by implementing changes based on the insights you receive.
Encourage reciprocity. Encourage your team to ask you for ‘one thing’ they can improve on, promoting a two-way feedback culture.
Reflect and adapt. Continuously reflect on the feedback and adapt your leadership style accordingly.
Your thoughts?
Thanks to ChatGPT Consulting for making this post possible…
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