Giving and Receiving Feedback

Asking for feedback

Feedback
A process to help you get better, continue what you’re good at, and build better relationships.

Gather Feedback

• People you trust
• Stakeholders who can help you move forward
• Those you admire
• Someone with skills you’d like to develop

Ask for feedback in a specific area.  Consider how the feedback will be delivered.  Be gracious and grateful for feedback.  Thank the person for sharing the feedback even if you don’t plan to use all of it.  Ask multiple people for feedback.  Look for indirect feedback, like nonverbal feedback.  Be objective.

Creating a growth mindset with feedback

Fixed Mindset
Belief that people are born with a set level of competence, intelligence, and skill.

Growth Mindset
Belief that ability can be developed, talents can be learnt, and strengths can be enhanced.

Always focus on getting better.  You can see challenges as an opportunity to become better.  

Feedback Facts

• It helps you improve
• You’ll make mistakes
• You won’t always like it or agree with it
• You can choose how to interpret and use it

Productive Feedback
Specific, useful, and delivered with the intention of helping you develop or improve.

Unproductive Feedback
General, unhelpful, or delivered without positive intent.

Wait for the emotion to settle and then ask the question.  Was the feedback specific, helpful, and delivered with positive intent?

Managing emotions during feedback

Our thoughts and feelings create the story we tell ourselves.  Appreciate feedback and use it constructively, without fixating on it.  We all make mistakes.  We can all improve.

• Take time to process
• Don’t fixate
• Separate opinion and fact
• Focus on the future

Making changes with feedback

1. Decide what to take from the feedback.
2. Set a goal.
3. Consider how to achieve your goal.
4. Choose how to measure progress.

Following the five feedbacks steps

Providing Feedback

• Prepare your message
• Tailor communication
• Focus on your tone
• Explore facts and concrete examples
• Listen well

Minimize bias when providing feedback

It takes 6 instances of positive feedback to counteract 1 piece of negative.  Balance what’s gone well with opportunities for improvement.  Be mindful of your delivery.  Don’t assume you know the answers.  Don’t shy away from difficult feedback.  Don’t offer feedback when you don’t have any.

Providing simple and effective feedback

Informal Feedback
Unplanned advice and suggestions about what someone could do to move forward.

Make informal feedback part of everyday conversation.  Keep feedback positive.  Focus on intention.  Use an approachable tone.  Be honest and constructive.  Make it a habit.

Creating a feedback strategy

Provide feedback periodically to:

• Your direct reports
• Project team
• Mentees
• Interns
• Colleagues
• Manager

Schedule time to meet with the person to provide feedback, ensuring you don’t cancel or postpone this time.  Do you need to follow a specific format, like a performance review or can it be informal, like over a cup of coffee?

Be clear on your intention.