Embrace the Feedback
“Prickly. That’s the word I would use to describe my relationship with feedback. Or, at least, it used to be. I didn’t always take feedback easily — sometimes I thought I knew better and it irritated me when somebody suggested changes, from comments in a google document to critiques on my approach to delivering a pitch or presentation. Furthermore, as a Spontaneous Motivator, at times I have struggled with being emotionally attached to my ideas. All of that said, I have been working hard to develop a habit of tapping into my strengths of humility and hope — both when asking for feedback, and when receiving unsolicited advice. Humility makes it possible for me to see my solution as one of many, and hope helps me embrace the notion that collaborating with others will likely lead to a better outcome. So, now I like to ask, ‘How would you make this better?’ and open myself up to feedback. Then, I tap into my strengths of love and gratitude to extend a warm and genuine thank you for their help.”
- Amy Neuman, Connection Labs Co-Founder
Giving and receiving feedback is essential for supporting a culture of collaboration -- a pillar of psychological safety -- and necessary for successful relationship building. As bestselling author Ron Carucci explains in his article Build Your Reputation as a Trustworthy Leader, “People naturally trust others who care enough to graciously bring them hard information that others won’t.
Did you know?
96% of employees want to hear feedback regularly, and 92% agree that “negative (redirecting) feedback, if delivered appropriately, is effective at improving performance.” Most people want your feedback!
Feedback is also vital in the workplace and beyond. Employees regularly communicating with managers are three times more engaged than their peers, and managers who receive feedback on their strengths have shown 8.9% greater profitability.
As Amy Edmondson, professor of Leadership and Management at Harvard Business School, and Per Hugander, a strategic advisor on leadership and organizational culture, tell us, “Achieving performance in knowledge-intensive work relies on integrating the ideas and expertise of multiple people, which requires a willingness to speak candidly in a timely manner….If participants hold back important yet sensitive or uncomfortable information, the dialogue won’t produce results.” They are describing a culture of collaboration, one of the key pillars of psychological safety we discuss in our workshop.
Awareness, Context, Intention
Building Awareness: How does your NOLS leadership style influence how you give and receive feedback?
Considering Context: Do you give and receive feedback more effectively with certain colleagues, or in particular work settings? Does your workplace provide adequate psychological safety to foster a culture of collaboration and feedback? Use this great tool to assess your team’s norms around psychological safety.
Creating Intention: What is one plus of your leadership style you can tap into to better give and receive feedback?
Tap into your strengths…
We encourage you to use your strengths to give and receive feedback effectively.
When giving feedback:
Combine honesty and social intelligence to provide the truth in a thoughtful manner
Use love and kindness to foster a culture of openness and caring
Use leadership as you positively influence others
When receiving feedback:
Use curiosity to delve deeper and ask questions
Use bravery to face your flaws head-on and hope to believe you will do better
Use gratitude to appreciate the information you’re receiving and the person giving it