How can you prioritize feedback from all departments on your monthly performance report?

1 Identify your main goals and audience

Before you solicit feedback, you need to have a clear idea of what your report is trying to achieve and who it is for. Is it to inform, persuade, or inspire? Is it for senior management, clients, or colleagues? Your goals and audience will determine the tone, style, and format of your report, as well as the key messages and metrics you want to highlight. Write down your main objectives and target readers and use them as a guide for your feedback process.

2 Collect feedback from multiple sources and channels

You don't want to rely on a single source or channel of feedback for your report. You want to get a diverse and balanced perspective from different departments and levels of the organization. You can use various methods to collect feedback, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, online platforms, or email. The method you choose will depend on the size, availability, and preference of your feedback providers. Make sure you explain the purpose and scope of your feedback request and give a reasonable deadline.

3 Categorize and prioritize feedback

Once you have collected feedback, you need to sort it into different categories and prioritize it according to its relevance, importance, and urgency. Some feedback may be more aligned with your goals and audience than others. Some feedback may be more critical or actionable than others. Some feedback may be more timely or valid than others. You can use a simple matrix or framework to rank your feedback based on these criteria. For example, you can use the Eisenhower matrix to classify feedback into four quadrants: important and urgent, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and not important and not urgent.

4 Evaluate and implement feedback

After you have categorized and prioritized your feedback, you need to evaluate and implement it in a systematic and transparent way. You need to weigh the pros and cons of each feedback and decide whether to accept, reject, or modify it. You also need to consider the feasibility and impact of implementing the feedback on your report. You can use a checklist or template to document your feedback evaluation and implementation process. For example, you can use the STAR method to describe the situation, task, action, and result of each feedback.

5 Communicate and follow up on feedback

The last step is to communicate and follow up on the feedback you have received and implemented. You need to acknowledge and thank your feedback providers and explain how you have used their feedback to improve your report. You also need to share your updated report with them and ask for their confirmation or comments. You can use a summary or report card to highlight the main changes and outcomes of your feedback cycle. You also need to keep track of the feedback you have deferred or rejected and revisit them in the future if necessary.