Among the responsibilities of leadership are the development of the team and enabling the development of team members. Providing effective feedback is a crucial part of this growth and development within an organization. Feedback provides the means of encouraging and increasing positive behaviors and actions and discouraging or eliminating negative behaviors and actions. In a previous article we described the Three Steps of Effective Feedback as the following:

• Identify the specific action, behavior, event, or process.
• Describe the impact of the action.
• Set the expectations for future action, behavior, events, or processes.

We often think of feedback as something that we present to the recipient in the form of statements or critique. But feedback in the form of powerful questions can be just as effective or even more effective when done well. Using powerful questions as feedback has the advantages of –

• Prompting reflective or deep thinking regarding actions and behaviors on the part of the recipient.
• Drawing these perceptions out of the recipient into the light of day and into conversation.
• Developing ownership of the impact of these actions and behaviors and the action plan on the part of the recipient.

On the other hand, feedback in the form of powerful questions can be challenging. Providing feedback well is a skill that must be developed. Asking powerful questions is also a skill requiring significant growth in most people. Putting these two together, effective feedback and powerful questions, now represents a formidable development process for many leaders. Yet, the benefit can be well worth the effort required to learn and build these habits.

To demonstrate, let’s look at a possible feedback session after a team member has presented to the group. The conversation might look like the following:

Leader: “Thanks for the presentation. I appreciate the effort that you put in on this project.”

(Always good to start with some affirmation to build rapport.)

Leader: “Could we process together how this presentation went? Do you have some time now or should we schedule some time later today?”

(Good to give the recipient some decision-making power but still making it clear that we are going to have a feedback conversation.)

Leader: “What were some of the most effective parts of the presentation?”

(Start with the positives. Notice that we don’t use “you” or “your,” we are examining the presentation and then, perhaps, the process.)

Leader: “What else?” or “What was effective about that?”

(Depending on the recipient’s proclivity to think deep and share those thoughts, we want to find several good elements and the impact that they made. The answers to powerful questions should often prompt curiosity and more questions, such as “Tell me more about___.”)

Leader: “I thought that the three slides on ___ clarified the decision for me and I thought it brought the team together.”

(Good idea to provide some affirmation in the form of impact. The feedback session need not be only questions, but includes also some conversation.)

Leader: “What worked well in the process of putting this presentation together?”

(Here we are looking for some critique of the process of gathering information, preparing the presentation, or organizing the meeting, if it hasn’t already been mentioned.)

Leader: “What in the presentation might have been handled differently?”

(Looking for areas for improvement without coming across as too judgmental.)

Leader: “I am curious, for you personally what do you see as victories and challenges about this presentation and the process of preparing it?”

(In a climate of growth and development, we can ask a personal question to identify the growth achieved and the development needs that cropped up.)

Leader: “How will this presentation and the process of preparing affect the next time, when you are faced with a similar opportunity?”

(Just as in a feedback session where the leader is providing the feedback, the goal of feedback is always about shaping the future. If the recipient doesn’t see the same needs regarding future behavior, the leader may need to make them clear in the form of statements, since powerful questions cannot be leading or manipulative.)

Leader: “In the future, how can I support you in projects such as this?”

(Without taking responsibility for the tasks of others, express support and availability for future efforts.)

Such a feedback session shouldn’t come out of the blue. Feedback always works best when in the context of periodic conversations and when built on a relationship of trust and respect. These fundamentals are true for a coaching relationship also. When done well, a feedback session based on powerful questions further builds this relationship of trust and respect. It is a part of a team effort between the leader and the recipient to further the growth and development of the team member.

What other questions might you ask in such a feedback session or how might you word them differently? What skills are you developing to provide this type of feedback?