Last week I had the opportunity to co-facilitate a workshop on story-telling as a business strategy. It is amazing how people say they want feedback, but only with a certain focus. Though I try to maximize performance by the feedback I provide, I have finally learned that I've got to change my language so people will hear what they need to do to be successful.
In the session we started by training participants on how to create and tell the best business stories. Subsequently we trained them to be trainers in their respective regions. Within the process we required them to "teach back" what they had learned from us. As the "expert" they wanted me to give them feedback on how they did. I identified what they had done right and encouraged them to continue to do what they were doing. Their comment at the end of the day was "We wish we had more critical feedback."
Why do people only think that feedback is valuable if it is critical; not just critical, but negatively critical? The studies point to maximizing success by identifying what is going well, identifying why it is going well and making sure more of the success factors happen. All of that feedback is about good news. Yet it seems difficult to hear it. Our ears don't hear positive feedback as "critical" and yet it is critical to success. Just focusing on what is going wrong only promotes average behavior. The highest achievement comes from analyzing and maximizing successes.
So, two things have to happen. The first is that all of us, myself included, have to start hearing positive feedback as critical; it is critical to optimum success. As for me, and those of us asked to give feedback, I'm going to start telling people "This is critical. You're not doing enough of (fill this in with the successful behavior). Start doing it more." Maybe if I say the good news as bad news, they might listen to the feedback and do something different. Or not.
2 comments:
There is a great place to learn and practice giving feedback in a constructive way (that does not insult) ... your local Toastmasters club.
For those unfamilar with Toastmasters, it is a non-profit organization made up of local clubs dedicated to helping people improve their communication and leadership skills. Part of every meeting is the "Evaluation" portion where prepared speeches are publically evaluated. Of course the person who gave the original speech learns from the evaluation, but the rest of the audience does as well. It is a great way to learn how to "offer suggestions" vs. "finding faults".
To find a club near you, visit www.Toastmasters.org.
Thanks Dave. Good idea and nice plug. We always recommend Toastmasters.
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