Feedback at Work
“You totally blew that presentation!”
Imagine yourself saying that to someone on your staff. The thing is, you might be right; they just may have completely messed it up, either by not being prepared, not presenting their facts and conclusions accurately or compellingly, or for any number of reasons. Your assessment may be entirely accurate.
You are right in that the presentation was blown, but are you “right” in saying so that directly?
Fast forward in our story a few weeks. This same staff member has to make another presentation – how well do you think they’ll do this time?
Feedback is vital to our development and growth, both as professionals and in our personal life. But harshly negative feedback, especially from a superior in the workplace, is only rarely effective, and can cause employees to fear speaking up, stop taking chances, spread resentment among others, or find a new job.
A misstep is a prime teaching opportunity. I know you already have a few alternative phrases in your head that you think might have been better, along the lines of “well, I don’t think that convinced them, let’s talk about how you might present that more effectively”. Perhaps they need presentation skills coaching, guidance in sourcing appropriate data, or help in the organization of a presentation. This individual is very aware that the presentation bombed and will be highly motivated to learn, so that negative experience won’t be repeated.
One of the primary responsibilities of your job as a leader is to help your people to learn and grow, benefitting them individually as well as the organization – a rising tide lifts all boats, right?
I would also like you to consider how much more effective kindness might be than blunt honesty. Popular culture has become increasingly polarized, with deeply personal attacks the norm. But the culture you create in the workplace does not need to reflect that norm. You have the opportunity to create a positive, accountable culture, which builds knowledge and character in your staff, not tear it down.
“Being right is massively overrated, especially at the expense of being compassionate and kind.” Scott Stabile
Fundamental 4: GIVE UP THE NEED TO BE RIGHT
Keep your ego, your personal agenda, and your judgments out of the way of doing what’s best for the team or the customer. Don’t let being right interfere with being able to hear others and see possible new solutions you haven’t seen before.
