Giving and receiving feedback is an essential aspect of personal and professional growth. As an executive coach with over two decades of experience, I have encountered numerous challenges when it comes to feedback. In a recent coaching session with Coaching.com, we delved into three common feedback challenges and explored effective strategies for addressing them.
Effective Feedback Delivery: Techniques That Transform
- Positive reinforcement feedback is just as valuable as constructive feedback. It is important to acknowledge and appreciate positive behaviors and their impact on achieving positive results.
- Utilize the keep, start, and stop doing framework to focus on specific behaviors and their impact rather than criticizing the individual.
- When delivering feedback, focus on the situation at hand, the behaviors exhibited, and the impact of those behaviors on organizational and personal goals.
- Timeliness and privacy are key when delivering feedback. Ensure that feedback is given promptly and in a private setting to foster a psychologically safe environment.
- Feedback should be conversational and observational, making it a normal part of doing business rather than a sporadic or traumatic event.
- Follow up on feedback by circling back later to reinforce the key messages with real-life examples, highlighting positive behavior change and its impact.
Receiving Feedback: Mindsets and Approaches That Transform
- It is essential to have a growth mindset when receiving feedback. Embrace the opportunity to improve and reach your goals by actively seeking feedback.
- Ask for examples that illustrate the feedback received to gain a better understanding of your strengths and areas for improvement.
- Solicit action step ideas from colleagues who have regular insight into your performance, and implement those suggestions to drive meaningful change.
- Start with action steps that are relatively easy to implement and likely to make a difference, building momentum for further improvement.
- Recruit accountability partners to support you in implementing feedback and changing perceptions about your behavior.
- Understand that perception change may lag behind behavioral change, and actively engage others to accelerate their perception change through feedback.
Building a Feedback Culture: More Than Just the Annual Review
- Creating a culture of feedback within your organization is essential for promoting a growth mindset and adapting to a rapidly changing world.
- As a leader, role model the behavior you wish to see by seeking feedback, being transparent about your learning, and actively engaging colleagues in the feedback process.
In conclusion, feedback is a powerful tool for personal and professional development. By implementing effective feedback delivery techniques, adopting the right mindset for receiving feedback, and building a feedback culture within your organization, you can create a positive environment for growth and success. Embrace feedback as a valuable opportunity for learning and improvement, and watch as your personal and professional growth flourishes.