Tag: Feedback

Feedback Is Best Served Warm

 

Effective leaders understand the benefit of liberally providing both positive and corrective feedback. Positive feedback demonstrates appreciation for the effort and value for the person. Corrective feedback, when done well, demonstrates the desire to help the team member to grow and develop.

Here are 12 tips for building the habit of giving feedback and doing it well:

Focus on performance, not personality. Always deliver feedback in reference to specific actions or behaviors, either by expressing appreciation for an action and the resulting benefit, or discussing an action or behavior that you want to see improved. “You’re so smart” is not nearly as valuable as “I really appreciated the way that you helped the team come to that conclusion.” With the latter, the person understands the action and the benefit to the team. Regarding corrective feedback, a statement such as, “The project was not delivered on time, which resulted in a big cost penalty from our customer” can lead to a discussion of reasons and corrective action. On the other hand, “You really messed up that project, as usual” is likely to simply prompt a defensive reaction.

Emphasize facts, not feelings. “We have received seven complaints about missed deliveries” has more value than, “You really disappoint me.” Facts verify the reality behind the discussion and, again, keep the discussion from becoming a personal matter.

Focus on the individual effort. Often the workplace includes team efforts. If the feedback is about the team’s results, the discussion needs to include the team. If the feedback is for an individual on the team, the discussion needs to focus on that person’s specific actions or his/her specific contribution to the team’s effort. Unless there is evidence that one person single-handedly impacted the team’s results, it is unfair and disheartening to be confronted with the team’s performance.

Feedback is best served warm. In other words, provide feedback as soon as possible after (or even during) the activity. The longer the time gap between the action and the feedback, the harder it will be for the recipient to tie the two together. The impact or benefit is much reduced if the person has difficulty recalling all of the facts regarding the action due to lapsed time.

Be clear, direct, and specific. A discussion that is focused on specific action or behavior and the specific results leads to a more productive analysis of the cause and a better definition of the specific action plan required to improve. Speaking in generalities ends with little understanding and minimal impact on the future. Feedback takes an investment of time and attention to develop value.

Focus on the future. The goal of feedback is not to criticize a person or to gather a history. The goal is to help the recipient to grow and improve. The discussion of the situation or the past history is just to establish the need for an action plan. Therefore, the discussion should be weighted in favor of the future, with positive expectations for improvement and growth.

Be intentional. It is too easy to move quickly from one meeting to another, or from one interaction to another. Leaders need to develop the habit of noticing. They must keep their eyes open for opportunities to recognize positive actions and behaviors and to correct undesired actions and behaviors.

Use your words wisely. Feedback should be a respectful, professional discussion aimed at producing a positive outcome. Our language and behavior should be in line with this objective. Better to use the word “I” in demonstrating the impact and refrain from using the word “you,” which can sound judgmental of the person rather than the behavior.

Provide feedback in digestible doses. If you expect your feedback to have an impact on future performance, it is better for the recipient to walk away with one action item regarding one issue. Storing up several items for discussion results in a confusing mess for the recipient to sort out after the discussion.

Make it a two-way conversation. With a goal of developing an action plan for future performance, the feedback session needs to be a dialogue, not a monologue. People are more likely to implement an action plan that they have developed than one that is forced upon them. Therefore, once the issue has been identified and agreed upon, the feedback discussion works best when the leader moves to a coaching role, helping the recipient to identify and own the cause of the problem and the action plan for improvement. It goes without saying that feedback is done best face-to-face or at least person-to-person, never via text, email, or letter.

Balance negative or corrective feedback with affirmational or positive feedback. People respond more strongly to negative than positive statements. That’s why relationships are stronger when positive statements outweigh negative statements by a factor of 5:1 or even 8:1. Even when giving corrective feedback, the leader should find some positive things to say about the other person: the part of the process that was done correctly, a belief in their ability to improve, etc. When a person only hears negative comments or criticism from a boss, they lose heart and look for the door.

Develop the habit of providing feedback. Feedback is the tool with which we nudge the actions and behaviors within the organization to conform with our desired culture and vision. It takes many of these nudges to achieve the results that we hope for. We need to continually and liberally provide effective feedback.

When done well, both positive and corrective feedback can feel like positive interaction that is beneficial to the recipient and result in growth and improved performance. Done well, they both identify the behavior that is valued and expected. And they show the value that the leader places upon the team member and the desire to assist in building their future.

Do you continually watch for opportunities to provide feedback? Are you motivated by the desire to develop the people that you lead?

 

(This article was previously published in IndustryWeek.)

Feedback for the Team

When we think of feedback, we generally think of those one-to-one conversations in which we, as a leader, seek to nudge the performance of those around us towards some desired or expected model or standard of performance. Feedback is also appropriate and beneficial for teams.

Feedback for a team has the same characteristics as feedback for an individual. First of all, it requires that we pay attention and notice actions and behaviors. It has the same three elements: 1) it recognizes specific actions or behaviors, 2) it identifies the impact of those actions or behaviors, and 3) it sets an expectation for the future for more of, less of, or a continuation of those actions or behaviors. In most ways, feedback for a team follows the guidelines that we use for individual feedback.

There are a few specific additional guidelines that apply to feedback in a team setting. Those are mainly in regard to differentiating between individual and team actions and behaviors.

First of all, provide feedback regarding the team’s performance to an individual only when that individual is responsible for the specific action or behavior. Of course, it is always good to provide affirmation to the individual, such as “Thanks for being part of that team” or “You all did a great job on that team.” And if the specific individual is responsible for specific actions, behaviors, or results of the team, then it is appropriate to give feedback individually. For example, if one person was asked to lead the team but failed to do so, they need feedback regarding their leadership. Or if one individually was clearly responsible for generating the results of the team, recognizing that and encouraging continued results might be appropriate.

On the other hand, providing feedback, especially corrective feedback, to one individual for the joint effort of the team will often be seen as unfair and discouraging. Whenever the actions or behavior that we want to discuss is a team performance, the feedback needs to be given to the team.

The benefits to providing effective feedback to a team fall into three categories, as follows:

  • Just as in one-to-one feedback, feedback for a team provides guidance for the team as to the behavior that we wish to see more of, less of, or continued in the future. The feedback should prompt the team to adjust the way in which they work together or in the results that they jointly produce as they proceed.
  • Feedback for the team will have an impact on the future performance of each individual team member.
  • Feedback for this particular team will impact the performance of future teams as the various team members find themselves in other team efforts and spread the expectations and advice received.

Providing effective feedback to a team may require a bit more effort. As an outside party that is watching over or responsible for the team, some keen observation is necessary to understand the dynamics in the team and to identify when certain individuals are solely or primarily responsible for the identified actions or behaviors. And there is a danger in attributing things inappropriately, either in giving credit wrongly or in placing responsibility on the team when an individual is the culprit or vice versa. An extra level of effort may be required to accurately assess and apply feedback appropriately for the team and team members. But the results can be of great benefit for the organization’s future.

Are you providing enough feedback to teams under your oversight? Are you appropriately distinguishing between individual and team actions and behaviors?

Correction vs. Criticism

The two words, correction and criticism, may sound similar but they can often result in very different results. Correction provides the opportunity to build up while criticism often tears down.

To begin the explanation of the difference between correction and criticism, I will provide a personal illustration. I was raised in a family in which love and acceptance was conditional based on how well or quickly the assigned chores were completed. After I married, my father-in-law demonstrated a different pattern. I recall two occasions when my actions made him angry and he confronted me. In those discussions he clearly pointed out the error in my actions. While addressing my actions, it was quite clear that his love for me and acceptance of me was beyond question. His focus was on the actions that he considered out of line and in need of correction.

This is the essence of the difference between correction and criticism. Correction flows out of care for the other in an effort to improve the future behavior. Criticism too often becomes, or at least can feel like, a personal attack that harms pride or ego.

Since leadership is built upon a relationship of mutual trust and respect, criticism damages such a relationship. On the other hand, correction has the opportunity to further build up the relationship of trust and respect.

Correction, when done well, has the following traits. To demonstrate, we will imagine a scenario in which we are on the factory floor and happen upon an associate that is assembling his or her product in an inefficient manner.

  • Instructional – Correction explains the better action or behavior and the difference between what has been observed and what is preferred. For example, we might tell the associate that, in our experience, we have found putting the parts together in a different order is easier.
  • Practical – Correction doesn’t require a lot of information, just the basic facts communicated in a way that is easy to understand. For example, we might roll up our sleeves and demonstrate the way to assemble the parts.
  • Devoid of ego – Correction is best offered when we are on equal footing. This is communicated by our words, by our tone of voice, by our facial expressions and body language, and so forth. For example, as we explain the assembly technique, we might mention that we also struggled with understanding how those parts should best go together when we first saw them.
  • Personal – Correction is best received in a context of caring communication. For example, as part of the discussion with this associate, we might ask about family or other interests.

Correction has the potential to accomplish two important purposes, to improve future behavior and to build the relationship of trust and respect that is foundational for leadership. Therefore, correction is an investment that pays dividends.

Have you developed the habit of providing correction that is devoid of pride and ego? Have you eliminated critical words and attitudes from your interactions with others?

Empty Praise Has Empty Value

Praise or affirmation is often confused with feedback, but they can be quite different. Praise or affirmation is generally a statement meant to pick someone up or make them feel appreciated. Praise is often something like “Atta boy/girl!” or “Nice job!” Praise can be like the slap on the back that a coach gives a player in the midst of the game. There may be little time for anything else, but it is a bit of recognition. Praise can have more to it than just a simple affirmation statement, growing towards real feedback. Before it can be called feedback, however, it must have these three elements:

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

Surely there are times when a simple affirmation or “Attaboy!” is called for and is sufficient, just as the coach in the middle of a game. The danger comes when that is the extent of the recognition that is provided. One quick affirmation statement now and then when part of a context of clear communication and effective feedback is fine. Maybe two in a row is OK. But when that is all that is provided, those praise statements can soon be seen as empty. And when they are empty praise, they have no value. In fact, the habit of empty praise can soon become an anachronism or an irritant.

Empty praise as a habitual pattern communicates some mix of the following to the team member:

  • You’re not noticing my contribution. If the praise is simply an “Attaboy!”, one must wonder whether there was any recognition of a certain behavior that is being called out. Or is it just words that are said out of habit and without meaning. Do you actually see me?
  • You do not care about performance. If the praise is simply given in passing, it might not communicate the impact of the behavior, either personally or organizationally. Am I part of the team?
  • You do not care about my development or growth. Real feedback is always focused on the future, providing guidance for both the performance and the development of the person. An empty bit of praise provides little in terms of direction. Do I have a future here?

Sometimes we can be in such a hurry that we rush past the need to communicate. Empty praise takes little time and little thought. Providing effective feedback is a form of strong communication and takes some effort. The result of providing effective feedback, however, is a stream of dividends.

Are you taking the time and making the effort to communicate and develop your team members?

Powerful Questions as the Feedback Process

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?

The Focus of Feedback

The purpose of feedback is to identify specific actions or behaviors on the part of a person or group in order to encourage more of or less of that action or behavior in the future so that we might mold future actions or behaviors toward a vision or goal for the future of that person or group. In other articles we have discussed the importance of feedback and described what feedback looks like. In this article we will describe the specifics of those actions and behaviors that should be the focus of feedback.

A simple “thank you” or “nice job” can have great value, but if that is where you stop, then you have missed the opportunity to shape the future. People appreciate affirmation; they might appreciate challenges. But general statements, while generating some emotion, don’t have much impact on future performance. Feedback, to be effective, needs to identify specific action or behaviors. We might identify specific actions or behaviors to be repeated or discontinued or we might identify these specifics as examples of the sorts of actions or behaviors that we want continued or corrected. Either way, pointing out specifics clicks a switch, so to speak, in the recipient’s brain, as opposed to a general statement that tends to float in and out.

We often say, “Feedback is best served warm”, meaning that the more immediately it is provided, the better it is recognized and internalized. For example, identifying the specifics of a particular presentation as the meeting ends or as you walk out the door with the presenter has much more value than feedback a day, week, or month later. Again, it is a matter of what sticks in the brain. Immediate feedback can easily be recognized and linked with the action or behavior in the mind of the recipient rather than searching the mind for a recollection of that specific thing.

Feedback that identifies specific action or behaviors with clarity can provide great benefit, but only when we also identify the impact. This impact might be positive or negative. It is best if the impact includes both your personal reaction and the link to a larger vision or goal, either an organizational vision or a vision for the feedback recipient.

Now, finally, to the focus of the feedback. As we talk about feedback, we continually refer to specific action and behaviors. The best way to demonstrate the focus of feedback is to provide some examples, including some poor examples and some better examples. Here I will focus on making it specific, with the assumption that in actual practice the identification of the specific action or behavior is the first part of a sentence or a discussion that goes on to describe personal impact and organizational impact as well as expectations for the future (see Three Steps to Effective Feedback for more on the content of the process).

Not poor feedback but rather better feedback by being specific.

Not “nice presentation” but rather “the logical flow of your slides” or “the way that you laid out the last three slides” or “the confidence in your voice” or “the stories that you told that captured our attention”, etc.

Not “your presentation left a lot to be desired” but rather “the ‘hmm’s’ and ‘ugh’s’ as you speak make you sound unsure” or “slides 3 and 5 had too much info to digest” or “it seemed like you steamrolled over Tom’s questions”, etc.

Not “nice job” but rather “I saw the way that you were careful in packing that customer’s purchase” or “thanks for spotting that out of spec part and stopping production” or “your production is up by 25%”, etc.

Not “you have a bad attitude” but rather “I noticed that you spoke to Mary in a demeaning and disrespectful way” or “I noticed you rolled your eyes when I spoke to you” or “you seem to be angry lately”, etc.

Not “you have a good attitude” but rather “I appreciated that you were the first to volunteer to stay late” or “I saw the way that you encouraged the rest of the team” or “the way that you engaged with that customer brought a smile to their face”, etc.

The more specific that we are in feedback, the better the recipient will understand the actions or behaviors that we are hoping to encourage or discourage. Specificity also makes it obvious that we are noticing and that the feedback is sincere. Therefore, our feedback will be more effective, assuming that it includes the other two steps of identifying the impact and setting expectations.

How effective is your feedback? Are you noticing and identifying specific actions and behaviors?

The Motive for Feedback

Providing and receiving effective feedback are essential elements of leadership. On the receiving end, feedback helps a leader to learn about strengths and weaknesses or what they are doing well and where they can improve. Among the traits of effective leaders are that they are lifelong learners, they are self-aware, and they have a strong desire to grow and develop. Receiving feedback feeds all of these traits.

By providing feedback well, a leader accomplishes much in terms of both building a leader/follower relationship and guiding actions and behaviors to align with long-term vision and goals. We know that feedback can accomplish much when done well but what should motivate the practice of providing frequent feedback? Here are our top five reasons or motivations for providing frequent and effective feedback to those around you in every part of your life:

#5 – Establish and reinforce a practice of communication. Certainly, communicating freely, openly, and frequently with each of your team members and with many others is important. It is impossible to have any sort of relationship without communication. The quality of our communications is a major definer of the quality of our relationships. And feedback, when done well, is one of the best and most important means of communicating. Positive communication, of course, affirms the recipient. But corrective feedback can demonstrate the value that we place in the other person. And so, communication should be part of the motivation for providing feedback.

#4 – Build a relationship of mutual trust and respect. The leader/follower relationship is built upon a relationship of trust and respect. A person might take direction or commands from a superior, but they only willingly and wholeheartedly follow a leader when that leader has demonstrated his/her worthiness or trust and respect. Providing feedback well goes a long way in demonstrating this worthiness, so this should be a part of the motivation for providing feedback.

#3 – Encourage positive actions and behaviors. Of course, one of the primary purposes of feedback is to mold actions and behaviors to fit with or achieve a longer-term vision or goal. It is easy to spot negative actions or behaviors and provide feedback. In the hectic activity of a day it is easy to overlook the positive actions or behaviors. Leaders need to develop the habit of noticing both the negative and the positive and then provide feedback. Offering positive feedback is an expression of affirmation or appreciation, and that positive feeling encourages repetition of the positive action or behavior. Naturally we want to encourage the positives, so this is part of the motivation for feedback.

#2 – Discourage or eliminate negative actions or behaviors. This is often some people’s strongest motivation for feedback. They want to stop negative actions or behaviors that lead to wasted time or money, lead to discord in the workplace, or generally detract from the mission. And, of course, we want to get people off the wrong track and on to the right track.

#1 – Help the people around you to grow and develop. By far the best, we might even say the only proper, motivation for feedback is to offer it in the hope of helping people develop. The best leaders are altruistic; their desire above all is to help those with whom they come in contact to become better versions of themselves, to grow and succeed in life. Yes, the best leaders know that focusing on the development of others has side benefits such as drawing people into the leader/follower relationship, helping them understand and pursue the longer-term vision, and so forth. But the focus and the motivation of the best leaders, first and foremost, is to help others grow and succeed. When this is the motivation, it is generally perceived by the recipient of feedback. This motivation makes it easy for the recipient to accept and take to heart our feedback, and not just the positive. When this is our motivation, to help the recipient grow and succeed, even corrective feedback, of course offered graciously, is valued by the recipient.

What is your motivation for offering feedback? How well is it delivered and how well is it received?

First Step for Feedback: Notice

Providing feedback is an important part of leadership. Feedback aligns the actions and behaviors of team members with the vision for the organization. Team members long for feedback. Affirmation and appreciation are good but people welcome corrective feedback when it is presented well. People want to know how they are doing.

Feedback is more than a leadership skill; it is a life skill. Feedback is an important part of any relationship. Feedback is an especially important tool for parenting.

We should be providing feedback many times each day to all of the people with whom we interact. But here is the first problem: we are in such a hurry, moving from one project to another, running from one meeting to another, or just focused on all of the things that we need or want to accomplish, that we do not take the time to notice the actions or behaviors around us. There are constantly actions or behaviors happening right in front of us, but we are moving on to the next thing. So often we are too busy to notice the actions and behaviors that are taking place around us. We don’t take the time to notice and give feedback.

Another human weakness is the general behavior of not noticing all of the things going right; only when things go wrong (and often only when badly wrong) do we pay attention.

Take a moment to think about some of the many recent things that deserved feedback, but none was given. Maybe you just came from a meeting where someone gave a great presentation. Did you give some feedback that identified the best specific parts of the presentation? Or maybe the presentation lacked something. Did you identify the shortfalls, so that the presenter can do better next time? How many reports did you read today or this week? Did you provide some specific feedback to the authors? As you walk around the organization you see people doing work, some well and some not so well. How many times have you given them feedback? Are you noticing what is happening in your organization?

Let’s think now about feedback outside of work. How often do we see parents who only complain about or criticize the behavior of their children? Often it is not even what we would call feedback, but just general criticism. How much better would the parent – child relationship be if the parent gave feedback, both for the things done well and for the specific actions and behaviors that they wish to see improved. But they aren’t noticing much of the behavior.

Personally, one of the things that I try to do is to provide feedback or express my appreciation to those attendants or custodians who keep the roadside rest stops clean. I appreciate clean restrooms and there seem to be two alternatives for keeping them clean. One is to clean them myself (a task that I would certainly not prefer), the other is to encourage those attendants to continue doing the job well. So I make it a point to notice and express my appreciation for cleanliness in order to encourage him or her to keep it going.

As mentioned earlier, people crave feedback. They want to know how their performance is perceived. They want to know that they are valued, and they want to grow and improve. Feedback guides actions and behaviors towards a longer-term vision. Perhaps most importantly, feedback, when done well, can build the relationship of trust and respect that is the foundation of leadership.

Providing effective feedback is more than a quick “Great job” or “Keep it up.” Feedback involves identifying specific action or behaviors, describing the impact both to you personally and to the organization or at a higher level, and set the expectations for the future in terms of more of, less of, or keep it up. See the articles “Three Steps of Effective Feedback” and “Ten Tips for Effective Feedback” to learn more about giving feedback that makes a difference and builds your relationships.

But the first thing we must do is to open our eyes and to build the habit of noticing.

Do you have the habit of noticing, both of the positive and the negative? How many times have you given effective feedback today?