I just arrived in Leeds, UK, and for the first time, I’m working for a public service broadcaster. It’s very different to a commercial one. It was all very scary. I was afraid to put any foot wrong and sometimes even considered not walking in through the front door.
But I’d been hired to make a change, so I decided not to shy away from the challenge. So picture this: I’m a fresh-faced radio station manager trying to lead a team of seasoned pros. After all, I was the outsider.
Spoiler alert: It wasn’t going well. I felt like I was in one of those escape rooms where there was no exit.
My team viewed me with the same enthusiasm as a root canal appointment.
Every suggestion I made was met with eye rolls so epic I thought their eyes might get stuck that way. Trust? Ha! We had about as much trust as my cat, Walter, does for my vacuum cleaner.
I tried everything. Team-building exercises? Check. Open-door policy? You bet. I even brought in doughnuts every Friday. (Side note: Never underestimate the power of glazed goodness.)
But nothing worked. I thought I’d have better luck teaching my goldfish to tap dance.
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Then came the plot twist. I was venting to my long-suffering coach, Annalie, over coffee when she asked, “Have you tried reverse feedback?”
I blinked. “Is that like when you accidentally put your shirt on backward?” She didn’t laugh. It was one of her quirks when she meant business.
“It’s when you ask your team for feedback on your work instead of always giving them feedback.”
Crikey, I thought. The next day, I gathered my team. I could hear their internal groans, “What is this?”
I took a deep breath and said, “I need your help. I know I’m new at this, and I want to improve. Could you give me feedback on my performance as your manager?”
The silence was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Then, slowly, the floodgates opened.
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They told me everything.
My ‘open-door policy’ felt like a revolving door of micromanagement. My ‘suggestions’ seemed like thinly veiled orders. They felt I didn’t trust their expertise.
It wasn’t easy to hear.
My ego took more hits than a piñata at a kid’s birthday party. But it was exactly what I needed. I listened — really listened. There was no defensiveness, no excuses, just open ears and a willingness to change.
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And you know what? It worked like magic.
Overnight, the atmosphere in our team changed.
It was like someone had flipped a switch from “Hostile Work Environment” to “Dream Team.” My team started coming to me with ideas. They began to trust my decisions because they knew I valued their input. We became partners rather than opponents.
All because of a straightforward hack: reverse feedback. So, all I’ll say is this. Swallow your pride, ask for feedback, and be prepared to listen. It might initially sting, but trust me, it’s worth it. And hey, if all else fails, there’s always doughnuts or pizza — well, up to a point.
Phil Roberts is the author of The Imposter Syndrome On Audible and a Radio Presenter at Cheshire’s Mix 56 who offers career and social advice.
