Courageous leaders give feedback

After facilitating a one day workshop on giving and receiving feedback I want to re-iterate the importance of giving feedback to the people who work with, for and around you. It is a gift that ensures everyone can be working at their optimal best. It ensures we certainly untap the true potential of all people within the business.

Today revealed that most people fear the reaction of the person they are giving the feedback too, coupled with the problem of making the time to engage in such a conversation.

This conversation is one of those difficult ones that only the truly courageous have and then reap the benefits from. Quite simply the courageous leader makes the time and creates the discipline to observe the people they want to develop. Observe them in action in meetings, as they walk through the office, as they talk to others in the office, as they delegate work to others, as they interact with customers/clients - all facets of their work life. As you do make sure you gather evidence - this is the critical piece that is so often missing when leaders go to give feedback.

Courageous leaders base their feedback on the evidence they have gathered and they deliver it by describing the specific behaviour and action and then sharing the impact it had on them - so they own the feedback and do not resort to "labelling" someone as a "poor listener" or even a "great listener". Do this and the reaction is not as defensive. Much more effective to describe the behaviour and the impact on you so the person receiving the feedback can decide if they want to repeat or alter their behaviour! They are less likely to feel judged and more likely to take the feedback on board.

Courageous leaders make the time to observe

A potential client has asked me to provide insight into what kind of programme I can deliver to enhance their managers capability to give feedback. While summarising what I can deliver it got me thinking again about the importance of observation skills.

It is impossible to truly give feedback unless you gather evidence to populate your feedback conversation - and like the good auditor I was when I first started my career I continue to appreciate the importance of evidence. I know that to give feedback I need to observe and gather evidence that covers the basic CAVE principle I used when.auditing financial reports for organisations. The evidence needs to be COMPLETE, ACCURATE, VALID AND actually EXIST.

In my experience far too many managers give feedback based on hearsay, judgement and even 'gut instinct' and they end up "labeling" the person to whom they are giving feedback. For example they might tell them they are a poor listener or they might tell them they are a great listener - either way it is nothing more than a label they can wear across their forehead.

Feedback must provide specific information about the behaviours the person used and the impact these behaviours had on you (as the giver of the feedback) and then it is up to the person receiving the feedback to decide if this was a good impact or not.

Courageous leaders make the time to observe so they can gather evidence and then they gather the courage to share the feedback in a constructive conversation.