Behind the scenes

«I don’t do drama»

8.9.2020

Translation: Veronica Bielawski

In school, it was clear: the teacher hands out the marks. At Digitec Galaxus, the situation is reversed. Here, the employees rate their boss. But the rating isn’t random – it’s based on our company values. We spoke to Nikola Matic, our Customer Care Leader, about this approach.

The office is quiet as I meet with Nikola just after our lunch break. But looks can be deceiving: Nikola and his 17 coworkers are responsible for customer enquiries that are more complex than usual. Since the coronavirus outbreak, the number of customer enquiries has gone up so much that Nikola plans to almost double his team in the upcoming weeks. Despite this, Nikola makes time for our conversation.

Ideally, we’d all give each each other honest feedback regularly. Is management evaluation even a necessary tool in that case?
Nikola Matic: Definitely. I’m convinced that we need the evaluation. Especially in the business operations unit, we struggle to find time to share our thoughts. If you’re working a shift, for example, you just want to go home at 11 p.m. Daily business leaves very little time for feedbacking. And yet, it really doesn’t take much: as a team leader, you need to listen, reflect and, importantly, not try to justify yourself. The management evaluation reminds those of us on the business operations side to make time for feedback.

In many companies, the team leaders evaluate their team and hand out marks. At Digitec Galaxus, the situation is reversed. How did you feel after your first evaluation?
Astoundingly normal. While I do love talking, I’m also used to listening. In addition, I consider myself to be very open to criticism, so I wasn’t scared of the result. That’s despite knowing that there is bound to be some feedback I would not get to my face. I was also especially happy to get the highest rating in customer service in the very first round. It really is rewarding to see on paper that my team is happy with me.

The survey is not anonymous. How did your coworkers react to having to disclose their name on the evaluation?
There were people on both sides of the fence. A lot of my coworkers know that I never use direct feedback against anyone. Others were a bit more cautious. I was able to reassure them in some face-to-face conversations. Often, new employees are no strangers to management evaluation as a company tool. Still, they tend to be surprised by just how open we are to all feedback. In particular, employees who previously worked for a bank or insurance company often choose their words very carefully at first.

How do you deal with negative feedback?
I read every feedback carefully whether it’s positive or negative. If the reasoning behind the negative feedback isn’t clear, I ask the person for clarification. I want to understand the criticism and come up with ideas for improvement. Like this, my coworkers can use these «pressure points» to keep me accountable. I make them a promise and they have a say in it.

And what do you do with the feedback you get from your team? Do you share the results with them?
Of course! That’s a key part of the process, to me. If I have any questions, I first try to clarify them individually and share the results with the team afterwards. If that leads to a discussion in the team, all the better!

How has your relationship with your team changed because of the management evaluation?
Our relationship hasn’t really changed – I had already made it a priority to get feedback before. But I do notice a change in the relationship to the company. The management evaluation sends an important message to our employees, namely: we set high expectations for our team leaders and take the feedback we get seriously. This strengthens our credibility and does wonders for our team spirit.

And what mark would you give yourself as a team leader? (on a scale of 1 to 10)
An 8. You can talk to me about anything. I stand behind my team and am always prepared to take the fall for them. And my coworkers always know where they stand with me. What counts for me is honest and direct feedback. I don’t do drama or backdooring. But sometimes this honesty gets in the way. When a certain line is crossed, I can be very direct. Not everyone can take that. To get a 10, I’d also need to have more time for my coworkers. And further training in psychology (smiles).

19 people like this article

Norina Brun

Senior Communications Manager

norina.brun@digitecgalaxus.ch

News aren’t enough for me – it’s the stories behind the news that capture my interest. Curiosity is my constant companion and the reason why I spend Saturday afternoons in my favourite café, eavesdropping on city stories while planning my next travel adventure and creating new event ideas. Zen meditation can wait.

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