What do staff think of their manager?
All managers have blind spots, or places where, unbeknownst to themselves, their employees view them negatively. For that reason, a staff survey is a good idea.
But a manager should survey in person, not on paper. People will say a lot more than they will write. All that’s needed are two questions:
1 Tell me something I’m doing well that is working and that I should continue to do.
Limit it to one thing. “Tell me what I’m doing well” is too broad.
2 Tell me one thing I could do that would make me more effective.
That asks, “What can I do in the future?” as opposed to, “What is my greatest weakness?”
Staff are not going to be honest about telling the manager what the weaknesses are, but they will recommend something to do in the future.
