Feedback: What, Why, and How

Feedback started as a term used to describe the signals sent from a rocket back to earth in order to determine the accuracy of the rocket's course. By tracking speed and trajectory, ground crews could determine when and where to make corrections.

At some point in time, the term Feedback was incorporated into business language as a way to talk about performance. And, as in rocket flight, it has been determined that the best way for a person to stay "on course" is to assess where one stands at any given moment in relation to the task or goal at hand.

Here's the really important point: The chances of impacting performance increase with frequency and timeliness of feedback. That implies the need for ongoing "How are we doing?" conversations. It's our best chance at knowing whether we're on track or not.

What Gets In The Way?

1. Let's face it: few of us enjoy hearing about those areas of worklife where we're coming up short. It's human nature. The flip side is that managers are people, too, and they have the same thoughts and feelings. So it's not exactly a peak experience being the proverbial "messenger" even though it comes with the job.

2. The term "feedback" has morphed into "Here's what you need to correct" instead of "Here's how I think we're doing."

3. Feedback has been institutionalized to the point where it is often done at yearly or semi-annual performance reviews. That's usually too far away from the actual performance for a person to make the kind of changes that will alter an outcome. So it's almost like a "Gotcha!"

4. It takes a relationship built on trust to have meaningful conversations about performance.

Trust comes from a series of interactions where people have made agreements, talked about how things were going, and then lived up to what they said they would do. And if something goes wrong, one person points that out to the other. They talk about what to do differently. And they learn that, even if something does go wrong, they care enough to bring it up and do something about it. I've said this before: The people you trust the most are the people who tell you the truth--good and bad. If it's good, they offer encouragement. If it's bad, they offer ways to work with you to sort things out.

5. Lack of ongoing, natural conversation about work life gets in the way of building relationships that breed the level of trust we need to have ongoing, natural conversations. It's circular.

What You Can Do

1. Managers: Start the conversation from Day 1.

Set the tone for the future early on by asking, "How are things going with project x?" What didn't we anticipate? What's going well? What isn't going well, so we can find out how to get it on track?

Then make sure that both of you do what you say you'll do.

2. Employees: If there isn't a conversation, start one. Turn the questions in #1 into statements. For example, "Here's how project x is going." "Here's what we didn't anticipate."

Sure, maybe your boss doesn't like bad news. Here's a secret: Surprises are worse than bad news.

If you start the conversation, you have a better chance of putting your boss at ease with the whole idea of "How are we doing?"

3. Keep talking about having conversations, not feedback.

Language conveys feeling. The whole notion of feedback has degenerated to the point where the word contains more negative connotations than positive. Why? Maybe because it was never meant to be associated with the human condition in the first place.

From the time we're kids we have conversations. We talk about "What's going on" and "How are things going?"

Start having ongoing "How are we doing?" conversations. Start now. 

I absolutely guarantee you that two people of goodwill can increase their combined performance and reduce their stress-inducing baggage by having regular, honest talks about their progress and the factors impacting it. These kinds of talks are the foundation of every good relationship, on and off the job.

Bonus Thought: The longer you wait, the larger the "negative" becomes and the more difficult it is to discuss. Regular, frequent conversations mean that the problem areas will be smaller and easier to talk about.

 

Comments

[Mgrs_that_care]

Steve, your comments are spot on. I believe the conversation should go a step further, beyond what are we doing at present, to what are we doing well, what would we like to do better and what needs to be in place to enable that to happen. Effectively an Appreciative Inquiry framework. Managers need to develop effective workplace coaching skills where the focus, has you rightly say is on conversational relationship. It's very difficult to have a conflict with someone you know and understand.
John Coxon
www.johncoxon.com.au

[Steve Roesler]

Hello, John

I like the emphasis on the enabling question; that's where the action will take place or, in many cases, barriers will be identified that the manager can help remove to allow the right level of performance to happen.

Indeed, it is more difficult to have a nasty go-round with someone whom you you've developed a relationship. Perhaps we should lobby for some type of official "Have a Real Conversation" month.

Thanks for the addition, John.

[Preston Seifer]

How true this post is about feedback. There's no way we could grow or improve without feedback. It's part of what makes us great. I use it a lot in my career of public relations. Keep up the good posts and I hope you take this comment as good feedback.

[Steve Roesler]

Preston, just a little encouragement goes a long way. Pleased that you took time to stop by and weigh in.

[web design London]

I believe the conversation should go a step further, beyond what are we doing at present, to what are we doing well, what would we like to do better and what needs to be in place to enable that to happen. Effectively an Appreciative Inquiry framework. Managers need to develop effective workplace coaching skills where the focus, has you rightly say is on conversational relationship..

[Steve Hopkins]

Related to your point #2, "feedback" is too often construed to mean "criticism". I believe this comes from an ineffective delivery, and perhaps from how it was used on us as we grew up.
Presenting and receiving Effective Feedback, like all skills, takes practice. And a great way to introduce it to your team is to simply start. It may well feel awkward but the goal of natural conversation is worth it.
Great historical definition too, thanks.

[leadership that gets result]

I've never been a fan of feedback as a consumer, but this article has given me new insight. Thanks so much.

[Andrea G]

Steve,

I was so glad to see an entire blog post focused on feedback. This is a key part of leadership that is frequently overlooked because sometimes it can be humbling to receive negative feedback. The best leaders and managers know that the only way to achieve positive progress is to constantly seek and give feedback. Thanks for the great post!

[Steve Roesler]

Steve

indeed, ineffective delivery sure gets in the way of hearing something that may be important to our performance/career. And you are dead-on about how "feedback" and "criticism" have become synonymous. Based on 30+ years of organizational observations, I think there is a good reason for that. Many (way too many) managers only discuss performance when something is wrong. As one of them once told me, "Why should I spend time telling people how good they are? That's what they get paid for."

Appreciate your thoughts. . .

[Steve Roesler]

HI, Andrea

Thanks for the encouragement re: the topic of 'feedback'. You bring up a point well worth stressing, Andrea: Successful people "seek out" feedback. They know that "no news" is not "good news"! They want to know exactly how things are going and what they can do to reach and/or maintain high performance.

Appreciate you weighing in.

[Steven]

A rocket ship leaves earth at a speed of 3/5 c. When a clock on the rocket says 1 hour has elapsed, the rocket sends a light signal back to earth.
When was the signal sent according to clocks on earth?

[leadership that gets result]

This has given me a whole new insight into feedback. Thanks.