Feedback
Happy November - the month of gratitude, a time for family and community, an opportunity to connect and reflect. I’d like to offer some thoughts on feedback and hope that you will receive them as a gift which I hope supports you personally at work and at home.
Direct - Provide direct (rather than oblique/indirect) feedback and align your intentions to meet that impact.
Transparent - Be transparent about how your feedback will benefit the team or organization. Hide no agendas.
Authentic - Courageously speak with sincerity, vulnerability, and honesty, armed with data and details.
Respectful - Respect the receiver of the feedback by considering the intellectual, social, political and emotional impact they may face upon receiving the feedback.
Clear - Be clear about the feedback, providing specific examples and guidance where appropriate. Oftentimes this means being more detailed in your explanation than what initially feels necessary.
Curious - Be curious before and while delivering feedback. If you seek to understand the larger context for a particular behavior, attitude or action, you will have a better chance of creating long term change for the better.
Kind - Consider the possibilities that you are missing pieces of the full picture or that you have no idea what someone may be going through. Deliver feedback with empathy and grace from a place of humility.
Productive - Provide feedback with the intention of supporting the receiver and the team in being productive.
Timely - Provide the right feedback at the right time in which all parties benefit optimally.. Find a time in which you can have 100% of the receivers’ attention so your message is fully received. Ideally they are relaxed, open, and undistracted.
Positive and Celebratory - Frame feedback around how current successes and progress are benefiting the program/team/project and how additional words/actions/strategy would produce improved results for all.
I hope that you give and receive much valuable feedback in this month of appreciation. Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.