When was the last time you asked someone else for their opinion?

Better still when was the last time you asked someone else about how you were doing in their eyes?

These may seem like odd questions considering we live in a world that stresses individuality and a ‘what’s in it for me’ attitude. But that is all the more reason to ask those questions.

Let me give you an example. A woman has been married to her husband for 10 years. She finds that things are becoming routine. Due to this she decides that it is time for her to end the marriage and find someone who is exciting to be around. After a year or two of this she has had many relationships that started off right and then ended up becoming routine. She becomes very frustrated with her life, and realizes that she should have had many conversations with her former husband about what she could do to help their relationship grow. It is too late for that now as she has burned the bridge of a possible reconciliation.

How does that relate to you in business?

If we are not communicating about how we are doing at our work from another person’s perspective, we all lose. The loser’s are the employee, to the supervisor to the manager right up to the owner of the organization.

Why can I say that? Because if the employee feels as if they are being taken for granted their work ethic will slip, thus their effectiveness will decrease. When effectiveness decreases the bottom line for the company also decreases. Thus bonuses or increases in salary will not be there.

What can you do today that will help you find out how you are doing in someone else’s eyes?