Resource Edge   

“Feedback is the breakfast of champions”
– in house magazine article; Feb. 2011.

I would be a wealthy woman if I had asked for a 100 czk every time a client had complained about a boss, peer or team member and when asked the question “have you told them,” there was a shake of the head and the eyes hit the floor. Nearly everyone I meet in business agrees with the famous quote “feedback is the breakfast of champions” (Ken Blanchard). But the reality in organizations is often different. I ask people I meet to count on one hand the number of times they got any feedback, good or bad that week, irrespective of the feedback quality. Usually, 1 or 2 fingers get counted. There is then usually a discussion on the lack of good feedback in the organization. I then ask them to count on the other hand, the number of times they have given good quality feedback that week. Usually, 1 or 2 fingers get counted! Why are we so reluctant to ask for and give feedback? Often people avoid feedback as they are frightened that it won’t be accepted, it will be challenged or it may make a situation awkward or they don’t know what to do with the feedback.

I am no different. Having to give a colleague what I perceive to be a tough feedback message, can make me highly creative and think of a 100 reasons why the timing is not right to do it. What helps me get over this block is to think of feedback as just another conversation. Every day, we give feedback to people, our kids, even the family dog and we don’t even think about it. We just need to get into the habit and have the conversation in the moment; Catch people doing things right and tell them. Notice and share our observations. Ask people what they can do to be even better?

1. Have the discussion. Sometimes it can be simply that people have not understood what was expected of them.

2. Feedback is 2 way; think about how to create a climate where people can give feedback up and down the organization and if that is not possible, start and role model with your own team. Listen to feedback and suggestions. The Harvard Business Review states that 65% of executives have been trained or coached on speaking and presenting but less than 5% on effective listening. Listen – as people see things and experience things differently and these insights need to be captured, discussed and maybe acted upon and not “swept under the carpet”.

3. Be constructive not destructive. I overheard a manager telling someone in their team, “the problem with you is……..” Maybe the manager felt better getting his anger out of his system, but the team member sure didn’t! Such criticism is one person’s judgement of another person, or their work. It does not help a person to solve the problem. Feedback has to have a helpful purpose - the giver aims to help the other person be more effective, next time or reinforce what is working well.

4. A simple model for any feedback.

• Think about why you are giving feedback; is it more about you and your agenda, because maybe you are annoyed or are you having a conversation which will help another person by reinforcing something they are doing well or helping them to think about redirecting a behaviour that is not working for them?
  
  
• Find an appropriate time and place and agree what you are going to focus on.
  
  
• What’s gone well?
  · If you start with something positive (genuinely) you are more likely to gain their interest and get a less defensive reaction.
  · Ask, what went well. Then add, what you think went well and the reason and its impact. “ I like the creative approach and energy you have when completing task X, because....
  
  
• What could be improved? Look forward not back.
  Concentrate on what there is to learn from the situation, how to avoid unwanted situations arising again.
  Ask, what could be improved. Then add, what you think could be improved. “The one thing you could change would be to double check the final report for errors, because.... “
  
  
• What specifically could we do differently in future?
  Produce an action plan, identify next steps. Agree in detail who and what will be done differently in future. “This would raise the overall quality of the report and produce work, consistently that I know you are capable of achieving and the impact for you/the business.....”

Being able to give effective feedback on performance in both formal (e.g. appraisals) and informal settings is one of the key skills of a manger. However, the principles of feedback are the same: a good conversation, where the intent of the person giving the feedback is to help the other person receive the feedback message. Making sure it is heard and understood. And, the conversation should include ways to help the person reflect and take responsibility for their future learning and development.

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