You're struggling to get your team to give you feedback. How can you encourage them to be honest and open?

1 Set clear expectations

Before you start working on your design, communicate your goals, scope, timeline, and criteria for feedback. Explain what kind of feedback you are looking for, how you will use it, and how often you will ask for it. This will help your team understand the purpose and value of feedback, and avoid confusion or frustration later on.

2 Ask specific questions

Don't just ask your team to give you feedback, ask them specific questions that guide them to focus on the most relevant aspects of your design. For example, you can ask them how well your design solves the problem, how user-friendly it is, how feasible it is, or how it compares to other solutions. You can also ask them to rate your design on a scale, or to rank different options. Specific questions will help your team give you more concrete and actionable feedback, and also show that you respect their expertise and input.

3 Create a safe space

Your team might be hesitant to give you feedback if they fear that you will take it personally, or that it will create conflict or tension. To avoid this, create a safe space where your team can express their opinions without fear of judgment or retaliation. You can do this by giving feedback yourself, acknowledging and appreciating feedback, and acting on it. Model the behavior you want from your team by giving them regular and constructive feedback on their work. When your team gives you feedback, thank them for their time and effort, and acknowledge their points. Show your team that you take their feedback seriously by incorporating it into your design, or explaining why you decided not to. This will demonstrate that you respect their feedback, and that it has an impact on your project.

4 Encourage dialogue

Feedback should not be a one-way communication, but a dialogue that allows you to exchange ideas and insights with your team. Encourage your team to give you feedback not only at the end of your design process, but throughout it, so that you can iterate and refine your design together. You can also invite your team to give feedback to each other, or to collaborate on solving design challenges. This will foster a sense of ownership and involvement in your project, and create a more collaborative and creative environment.

5 Celebrate successes

Finally, don't forget to celebrate your successes with your team. Whether it's a milestone, a prototype, a presentation, or a final product, acknowledge the role of feedback in your achievement, and thank your team for their contribution. This will reinforce the positive outcomes of feedback, and motivate your team to keep giving and receiving feedback in the future.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?