The ultimate purpose of a mirror is to help you see what you otherwise can’t see. 

Vehicles have mirrors strategically located on each side so that the driver can see what is in their blind spot so as to avoid accidents. Likewise we strategically position mirrors in many places to provide important information so that [accidents can be avoided and] better decisions can be made.

People can also serve as mirrors to give valuable feedback provided you are willing to receive the feedback. That is why the best leaders maintain a healthy level of humility and actively request others to speak truth into their lives, even when it’s hard to hear. 

Unfortunately, human nature tends to avoid conflict and shies away from providing valuable feedback even when the feedback is requested. Further, for fear of retribution most people will not speak unless the environment feels safe. 

Surveys were originally created as a way to provide anonymous and confidential feedback in a conflict-free environment. Unfortunately, in many cases they have lost most of their value due to the amount of survey coaching that often takes place…usually for the purpose of getting higher scores.

Coaching surveys is like bending mirrors—it distorts reality and renders the information useless for improvement purposes. It’s like the reflections we used to laugh at in the house of mirrors as children. The reflections were funny because we knew they did not represent reality.

Coaching surveys also has a negative impact on customer retention. Customers not only see our behavior as disingenuous, but we lose the “mirror” value to help us improve the customer experience. For more insights refer to the article Four Keys to Eliminating BAD Customer Surveys, Forever.

Great leaders recognize the value of accurate feedback. Hence, they humbly actively engage mirrors so they can see what they otherwise cannot see so that they can tweak their situation until the reflection matches the image they are trying to create. 

Herb Mast is a Leadership Coach and Employee Engagement Specialist. Learn how he can assist you in implementing the principles and concepts presented here.