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.

  

Cross / Up Skilling

How many of you, have changed your job recently… OR how many of you   within the same organization and changed dept….

OR at least in the recent past , up skilled / cross skilled yourself OR  took additional  responsibilities ? 

Earlier , we wanted a job for our life…  Most of us were happy  to  work in the same job , for  the same organization until  retirement

But that is changing now  -  workers are considering or actively  seeking  further education and  training. What is driving this ?

Workers are up skilling in  order

• ·         to  gain  a promotion 
• ·         to  make an advancement with a new employer
• ·         to  enter a new field of work.

The responsibility  of skill development is shifting from  employers to  employee.

The good news for employers do invest in training and education ,  and  this investment is a key  motivator for  the valuable staff to  stay.

Highest  Return on  Investment is from  retention of your  people  and it is NOT  from  hiring off the street.  Because we are investing in people , whom you  know and people who  know your organization.  If you  have limited amount to  spend, and there is an opportunity to  train some body , will drive more value to the organization.

Cross training also  helps to  make your  employees  feel  more  valuable, because they  can perform different task. It also  add challenge to a job that is fairly  routine  or repetitive task.  For  physical  work  task, cross training can also  help to  avoid , repetitive strain injury.

By  investing the time and energy in cross training your  team , you  will  end up with most flexible and capable  work group. That will  help  us in  hitting the target numbers more consistently and reduce your stress level . Having a flexible work group, that adapt to  fluctuation in work load will make it easier to  schedule and complete the work.

10 20 70  rule of Cross Skilling

10%  class room  based training by efficient trainers.

20%  special project , seminars,  mentoring /coaching

70%  learn on the Job

Advantages  for the employees.
1)    Cross training your employees  allows them the ability to  understand the scope of your business.
2)    Building employees confidence, while teaching them new skills and developing strong team relationship.
3)    Cross training your employee will  boost their moral and motivation

Advantages for the Employer.

1)    Stability, flexibility , efficiency and value is what you receive from your employees.
2)    Cross Trained staffs creates less issues
3)    The company  will  not have to  hire a many  new employees.
4)    Having a staff that knows  the company’s DNA , makes  it easier to  promote  from  within.

When employees are NOT cross Trained
1)    Their motivation begins  to  decrease
2)    Daily  tasks becomes monotonous.
3)    Employees begin to  lose interest and  feel disconnected with the company.
4)    When employees are NOT cross trained, your company  lacks sustainability.

Forcing Cross skilling , initially  confuses people.  The person who  is best is doing something, felt the most threaten, when he/she  was asked to  do  something different.   Cross skilling forces people   to  come out of your comfort zone. When  you  disturb the status quo  , there is always going to  be some discomfort  and disruption for you  and for the trainees.  If you  continue that, they will  settle  into  the new normal.😏

If there is refusal  to  do Cross skilling -  what happens , use the dictator approach, "you  are fired" 

First  we need to  check  our own reaction….  Who  are you  to  refuse the thing that I  have asked you  to  do.. instead stay  calm in  that situation…  and say " that is an interesting reaction"

One way to  force Cross skilling at Junior level  is -  if your  skill  does NOT change your  pay does NOT change. Instead of tenure driven pay program, we can enforce a skill driven pay program.

Continued skill  development at all  levels is absolutely important.  We need to  create a learning organization -  To  have a learning organization , we need to constantly  grow and achieve the targets, we need to  have learning employees, everyone needs to  be constantly  growing, right from  the Senior Leadership. At senior level ,we can push more
E-learnings, exposure driven curriculum.

The world of work is constantly changing and evolving  and it is really  important to  stay  informed no matter what job or what industry that you  are in....   be looking at relevant  publications, podcast , ted talks, video… Take 10  or 15 mins a day  and dedicate towards it.

Cross skilling your  staff and expanding their knowledge is always a good  practice. But  in this  uncertain economic  conditions , it is an insurance policy for  the future.

Note: As a Director of Operations for the CDB-AIA Practice, have been implementing this  initiative since 2015.  The success rate is 70% , 30% of the associate are NOT patient enough  to complete the cross skilling  and learn  on  the job. After signing up for  cross skilling, they  drop  off and go  back  to  their  original  skill set. Due to  operation regulation, could not force them  complete their  cross skilling. But for now happy  with  the 70% Success rate. 🙂

Everybody is a Genius

Most of  you  must be wondering, what happen to  Suchi, why all  of  a sudden  she started blogging…

I  am member of the local Toastmaster club for more than 2 years.  As I work remotely from  home, do  not have the opportunity  to  step  out of my home much. Hence in order to  improve by  public speaking and presentation  skills joined the club, to  deliver prepared speeches twice or thrice a month. It also  gives me an opportunity  to  dress up 😎 and interact with  other  toastmasters. 

Most of  my  topics are based on organizational  behavior. The other toastmasters liked my subject and the speeches that I delivered. They ask  for the soft copy  of  my  speeches. Although  the title  says everybody is a genius, need to brag myself a little -  I  do  take lot of  time and effort to  prepare my  speech…. Hence wanted to create a repository and came up with blogging….

Apart from prepared speech, we do  have  ‘Thought of  the  day’  in  our agenda…. Shared an interesting thought - Everybody is a Genius! – by  one of the Tamil greatest poetess Avvaiyar.

Everyone in the world is great in something or other.  Even a small Stick is useful -  it is used to  prick our teeth, when needed.

Avvaiyar  -  3^rd century  poetess elaborate this further… she talks about the small living creature’s miraculous work, which  cannot be  replicated by us, humans too…

Who  taught  the tailor /weaver bird  to  make its nest? It makes its nest with only with his beaks…. Careful  enough  to  pick  the green grass , which are more  pliable than the dried ones. Also the female picks her male bird only after inspecting the nests he builds. 💡

Next, who  taught the  termites to  build  their mounds…. They build with  their antennae ONLY. They construct their mounds with separate quarters for the royal King & Queen , nursery and workers. They are the pioneers for the nowadays realtors -  selling apartments / flats. 

 

Honey bee is next -  who taught this insects to  store a liquid nectar up in the beehive…

Spider spins its web and comfortably catches its prey in it too…. smart but sticky strategy.

Just for  the benefit of  my followers,  who  know  Tamil 

வான்குருவி யின்கூடு வல்லரக்கு தொல்கரையான்

தேன்சிலம்பி யாவருக்கும் செய்யரிதால் -யான்பெரிதும்வல்லோமே என்று வலிமைசொல வேண்டாங்காண்எல்லார்க்கும் ஒவ்வொன் றெளிது!

Everybody  is a Genius.  Tap into  yourself , and find the genius in  you….🔨

Work Life Balance

Have you  ever thought , I should wind up work  today 30 mins earlier and take care of couple of errands  or go home and prepare kid’s favorite  dinner….

Yes , for  every  working person  their work ALWAYS  takes  precedence.  Some say  they give priority  to  their  health  and go  to  gym or  do  exercise for  1  hour  a day…  Is physical  health  the only one in  priority after work? What  about  personal  / emotional  and spiritual   needs?

Work  Life balance  is just NOT just dividing the hours  by 2.  It is neatly dividing your active hours by  having the flexibility  to  get things done in  your profession  life , while  you  still  have  the time and same  energy  to  enjoy your  personal  life.  Flexibility here means some days -  like  you  have an audit  /  delivery  to  be completed -  so  we stretch a little  at office and we compensate that over the week ends.

My few pointers  to create a better work –life balance

1)  Accept that there is ‘NO PERFECT’ work  life balance.

Everyone knows that there is NO perfect schedule -  some days we  focus more  on our work. Some days we focus on  personal priorities.  Balance is achieved over the time and NOT each  day.

That is the reason we have  vacation  days /  paternal leave  where we focus more on personal fun activities  than NOT  to  think  about  our work. 

One tip  here  -  be your 100%  wherever you  are…. If you  are in the office /at work -  focus on work  ONLY.  No  social media / personal calls/emails….  If you  are with  your  family -  do  not  look  at the work  emails  on  your  phone.

2)  Do the job that you  love or  try  to  love the job  that you  do.

Most of us  need to work  -  it is a societal  norm.   Work is NOT just for getting money  ,  need to  have the soul  satisfaction  factor too.

Passion  is THE energy. For a surgeon,   who is very  passionate about  his  work -  can conduct a surgery for  hours together and never feels  tired and  never complains of lack  of stamina.  But  once when he returns back  home  and if his  wife  ask  him  to  accompany  her for  shopping  -  then  he needs REAL  stamina. 🙂

3)  Prioritize your health.

This  does NOT say only  about your  daily  routine exercise that is needed. Also  when  you  are sick  -  take enough rest / medical  help  and recover early than  to worsen  the situation  and take  number  of sick  leaves. 

A day  or 2 away, helps  in faster recovery  and  also  NOT to  spread the germs with  other  co-workers. 

Also  when  you  are sick  you  are less productive.  Remember you  are NOT your 100%.

4)  Don’t be afraid to  unplug.

We live in  a connected world  that never sleeps.   So  be prepared  to  give some space for  other  thoughts and ideas….  I  like  to  use an analogy  here.

When  we fill say  a small  packet of  quinoa into  a container….  When it is  about to  come to  the brim , we all  stop the filling and try to  give a  tap and  some quick shakes to  release any  air and make  the grains settle more closer  so  the container can accommodate more grains.  The tap  and shake  is  compared  to  the unplugging.  

If you  work  from  home -  just  go  to  the mail box, to  collect the mails /  pick  the kids from  the bus stop.  If at office, go  to  the break  room -  get a cup  of coffee /  cool  water. Or  check  on  a colleague, who  was sick last week. 

Once you  return  back  to  work  -  you  will  have  definitely  a better solution  to  the problem -  you  were looking into.

5)  Take a vacation.

There is a saying -  All  work NO play makes  Jack a dull  Boy.

The vacation  can be 1 day  or 2 weeks -  this  helps  you to  recharge / revitalize.

But plan your vacation  with  proper  notice so  you  need NOT be concerned about   taxing  your colleague when  you  are away  or worry  about  the work  load after you return. 

6)  Set goal  and priorities.

We are all passionate people  and hence all  our aspirations are very  HIGH. But we need to  set SMART goals -  for our  career , health  and relationship.

·       Specific

·       Measurable

·       Achievable

·       Realistic

·       Timely

Start small and build from  there…  If  you  are trying something new in  your  life -  say  walking daily  -  you  cannot  aim  for 5 miles from  day 1.  You start with  2 miles and gradually  increase  it.

To  conclude -  Work  life balance will  mean different  for  different set of  people -  but we all  have commitments.  Neither   the government nor  the corporate  that you are working  for  can regulate this -  it is an individual’s responsibility.

 It is important -  you  remain  flexible and constantly assess,  what cap  to  wear -  when, where , and for  how LONG.

                                                            Good Luck!

P A S S I O N

Passion -  what do you mean by  this word….. ardent affection , deep interest , strong liking /desire.

Eg of Passion -   

1. For some of us , cars  are  passion…. 

2. For some of us , keeping our body fit is a passion....

3. For some of us , our day  to  day  work  is a passion -  LUCKY !

- Want to apply all of their skills and all of their energy into their passion.

For  my  daily  walk - Stop , kindly do  not put me in above category #2... 🙂

People who  have seen / worked with me or know me very well,  might graciously put me in category #3👍

Due to the  health  reasons, I force myself a rigorous walking in our neighborhood  for  45 to  50 mins, at least  3 or 4  times a week, even when the temperature outside  is 30°F . I  prefer walking outside than the elliptical at  home. 

I  do invite various Tamil motivational  speakers  virtually  for  my daily  hike...  Suki Sivam, Parveen Sultana, Illangai Jeyaraj....  I  heard an interesting  short story  on passion from  Parveen Sultana. 

                                                         

Happy  to  share the fictitious fable ...

A group  of ants and a grass hopper were  neighbors…. As we all  know the characteristics of the ant – ‘Save for the Rainy days’ … they  worked every day without rest. But our friend grass hopper was a fun loving person, playing his  guitar passionately all day.

The ants warned him - start working and save grains. But the grass hopper thought that it was not  his  cup  of tea…. But continued to  play  his  instrument….

As he was doing this,  he noticed  the ant's  characteristic. So he called the queen of ants for a discussion.

Grass hopper said  "As  I  play  my  guitar , I see  your ants are gathering more grains than when I  am NOT  playing the guitar. So  in some way I  am helping your  team to  produce more, so  you  have to  pay me , when I  am playing and your team is working…." 

Grass hopper managed to negotiate  a deal  with the queen -  so  he continues with his passion of playing the guitar and also  get paid by  the ants.

The best feeling in the world is getting paid to do , for what you love….  

Manage to  make your  Job as  a passion….. or find one...

Skills are cheap , but Passion is PRICELESS.