FEEDBACK

FEEDBACK

Happy New Year !  with  the year end you must have had year  end appraisal for  yourself and done the same for  your reportees….

Yes, it is an art for both giving feedback  and receiving feedback.  ..  It does NOT mean it is easy  and  comes  naturally  to  most of  us.  But it can be learnt too. We always  think  both receiving and giving feedback  is a challenging / intimidating process. 

What happens  when you  drive , sometimes on  the shoulders in a freeway ? We hear rumbling sound / vibration. Why? It is because of  the Rumble Strip…. Yes it is an instant feedback -  Suchi you  are NOT in  your  lane and we immediately  straighten our car and be in  the lane.

Feedback  need to  be considered as a positive tool, to  help  in improving the performance and create a cycle of continuous development.  

Have you  heard about Dunning – Kruger effect ?

Each of us think, we are a little  smarter than we REALLY are. If the gap is bigger, the worse we are. Sometime most  of us fail  to  recognize our own  incompetence.

Let us uncover the below

• ·         Fear of getting feedback
• ·         Giving Feedback Effectively
• ·         Feedback  Reaction
• ·         Importance of  Feedback

Fear of getting feedback

Most of us have fear in getting feedback.  The main reason is, the way others see a person was  more different from  the way  one sees him/ her self.  Due to  this  fear, we try avoiding people.   People will misread this fear as arrogance. However prepared we are for the so  called ‘ one on one’  discussion, all  of  us are very  anxious about  the  feedback  session.  Do you  remember  -  heart beat increases ,  throat goes  dry.  Do  you feel  like getting exposed, yes it is like actual uncovering.  We hear a version of ourselves, which we are mostly NOT aware of.

Also  person providing feedback  cannot be a person who  gazes and  gives feedback. Instead his version  of feedback  should be like a mirror holder , showing  the image of  the person for  whom  the feedback  is  given.

There is lot of difference in  both

Gazer	Mirror Holder
It could  be different version,  based on  who  provides the feedback.	In  this there is only  1 version
Feedback Provider is someone in power	Feedback Provider is a partner /Peer
Discuss ‘ what is  broken’	Discuss resolutions
Fear driven	Giving Joy
Force Change	Provide an insight

Giving Feedback Effectively : As per Research only 30%  of the feedback  that you  receive or provide , is put into action, so  give feedback  accordingly.

1)      Sandwich formula -   This is a known formula to  most of us. Positive + Negative + Positive. Start the feedback  with a positive note and then  bring in  the area of  improvement and you  close  it with a Positive note again. When you  start with  Positive note, the reportee is motivated to  listen more. When you  address the negative point, he /she will  be tuned to listen to the improvement you  are looking for. The last positive points , will  make him/her to  work  on those improvements.

2)      Be Specific -  When giving feedback need to  be more specific , than being general.  Say for  eg  you  are expecting the team member to  participate in  any calls , instead of saying you  need to  be speak up  in  the calls , just tell  him / her to  share at least  1 or 2 pointers in  each  calls.

Also  point out 1 or 2 improvements, if many , the reportee may think  he /she is targeted.

3)      Be Immediate  -  In  this fast world, we tend to  get occupied very  quickly , hence it is  recommended to  have the feedback  session sooner , than to  wait for  quarter / year end appraisal. 

4)      Keep  it private -  We all  know ,  Recognize in Public , but criticize in private.

5)      Actionable – As I mentioned only  30% of the feedback  discussed is actionable , hence have a  to  do  list , at the end of the feedback discussion. 

Feedback Reaction  :  When we listen to  feedback there is 3 set of  negative actions

·         Deny

·         Deflection  -  blame away from  yourself towards someone else

·         Irritated

Lots of possibility to  react…. The opportunity  is to  take in  the feedback and react to  it.

The best way  to  react  no matter what is being said  -  Swallow, breathe  and say thank you.

Feedback  can be  effective, when you are open  to  change.  You must be interested and engaged in the conversation , so  you  can start working on the improvements. You should start asking questions to  analyze /deconstruct   the  feedback,  keeping your emotions at bay. I know it is tough…

When couple of incident is reported, we can try  to  justify. But try  to  listen  to  their version, if you  feel  convinced -  immediately apologize. This  help  to  resolve the issue and show that you are willing to  adapt and  grow.

Use the positive comments to  uncover your natural  abilities… It could be a norm  to  you, but treated as a special  skill  by others.  This helps  to  motivate and make you feel energized and more empowered too.

Importance of Feedback.

1)      When managers give feedback, it keeps  your team more engaged. Engaged employees are more Productive.

2)      When you  energize them with  feedback, their performance is at peak.

3)      When NO  feedback  is given , the employee feels ignored and  he /she is less engaged and hence less productive too.

4)      Giving negative feedback is better than NOT giving feedback.

Although  the feedback  is considered to  look  at  our past , let us consider it has something which  is going to  help  us to  have a better future. That Future is a place of promise  /potential change  / opportunity.

Feedback  is a 2 way street. You  need give  it effectively  and receive it  constructively.  It helps  our  work place to  be more pleasant and productive.