Friends, everyone tells you to accept feedback graciously – because feedback is a gift and there are elements in there that will help with self-improvement.
So here is what constructive feedback looks like.
- Practical and Actionable. When the feedback is gathered from multiple examples – and is practical and actionable. For example, “In all our marketing Steerco sessions, you don’t set out the agenda at the beginning. This means people aren’t always on the same page”. See, easy to address.
- Objective – not subjective: When it is not tied overtly to one person’s opinion. “I found you to be a very fast speaker, but that could be me. Do you want to check with others? If you slowed down others (like me) would have time to process your ideas.”
- Intent: When it is given with the intent to help. “Love your presentations, do you think you could send out the pdf prior so it can be reviewed before the session please?”. Simple. Actionable. Neutral.
- Cognitive Assonance. It’s easier to explain this by showing what cognitive dissonance looks like. Example: We love it that you are laid back and easy going, but you need to be less laid back and easy going. Or, “we like it that you are demonstrating how to ask courageous questions, but your questions are too courageous”.
Feedback will look like criticism when:
- it does not have explicit – remedial – actions.
- when there is cognitive dissonance.
- when there is only one data point from someone’s opinion.
So, two things here friends.
- Be wise about how you give people feedback. If it’s not constructive by being actionable and insightful, it becomes meaningless.
- Be very aware of your intent when you give feedback. Smart people will pick up on your agenda a mile off.
#leadership #feedback
