Striving for Transparency - A Case Against Anonymous Feedback
When requesting feedback via polls or surveys at work, I am generally1 against anonymity as I don't believe it does any good.
First, by providing the option of anonymity, you implicitly signal a need for protection from yourself. You effectively say that respondents require a shield against your reaction to their honesty, undermining whatever effort you may be putting into establishing a psychologically safe space and culture of transparency and trust.
Second, anonymous feedback is low quality as there is no way to dig deeper. It is impossible to mine for actionable value through follow-up questions if you don't know who to ask.
Third, anonymity removes accountability. We all have a responsibility for our opinions and must be able and willing to defend them, but this is where it gets tricky. You can challenge feedback and retain accountability without anonymity, but you can also enter perceived (or actual) persecution mode if you push too hard, and it is precisely this risk of persecution that underpins the case for anonymity in the first place. We find ourselves in a Catch-22 situation: we need openness to establish trust, but we need trust to feel safe enough to open up.
This brings me to my fourth and final argument against anonymity. The point of feedback is to gain insight into your organisation where you don't have visibility. Knowing that open critique cannot be safely delivered and that people feel the need for anonymity is insight. The trust issue in this scenario must be addressed as a priority, and anonymity will only perpetuate the status quo.
So, remove anonymity from your feedback process and be patient. If you don't yet have trust, accept that the majority of feedback you'll receive in the short to medium term will be useless, but, whatever you get, discuss it openly. Celebrate those with the courage to ask the pointed questions or shine light into the uncomfortable corners. Act on the feedback you receive. Consistently. With integrity. And over time, trust will be established.
I can envision situations where anonymity may be required, e.g. where feedback is requested where no personal relationships exist between parties.