It's easier to procrastinate when giving feedback. But this cheats the person who would receive the feedback out of the chance to grow, and everyone on the team pays the price. In order to cultivate leaders your team needs healthy feedback.
Building a culture of healthy feedback is one of the critical roles of a leader. And it begins with how well you, as the leader, give and receive feedback. You set the tone and the pace for feedback. This post will focus on those two aspects exploring the quality and frequency of feedback.
Think about a time when you've said someone gave you "good feedback." What were the characteristics of that feedback? When I think about the quality of feedback, three factors stand out.
When someone gives you feedback, you can tell whether they are trying to build you or tear you down. I would argue that it's no longer feedback if it's the latter. It's an attack. Feedback is focused on building up to help someone grow.
You really can't fake it. People can tell if you're for them.
Sadly feedback systems can be used in many organizations as a weapon for attacking someone. You have to consider this when building a culture of healthy feedback.
This isn't so much about the tone of voice or the words you use. It's about your honest attitude and intent. You really can't fake it. People can tell if you're for them. It's going to show up in your tone, but this is just the outward manifestation of your intent.
It will also show up in the balance of positive and negative feedback. Feedback isn't always negative. I see leaders struggle with consistently giving positive feedback because they focus on all the areas for improvement.
People tend to remember negative experiences over positive ones more easily. This means your team actually needs to receive positive feedback more frequently than negative. Consistently giving positive feedback reinforces that feedback is for the person's good, helping them grow.
But the feedback is first about their growth and secondarily about their output.
We're going to look at honesty and specificity at the same time. If feedback is vague, people won’t know how to grow from it.
A counterexample might be helpful here. I once received feedback that an anonymous team member thought I didn’t make the right decisions a year before the feedback was given. I’m not trying to be vague; that’s all the info I got. I had no idea what they were talking about or what to do with it. This kind of feedback isn’t worth anyone’s time to give or receive.
When you give feedback, be clear about the situation or behavior you're giving the feedback on. Also, be specific on what was good or bad about it. Remember, you want to focus on their growth, and it's hard to grow from an experience they don't understand.
Most leaders aren't intentionally dishonest, but they tend to fall off to one side or the other. They either overstate and exaggerate to strengthen the power or validity of the feedback, or they understate it to soften the feedback. Like Goldilocks, you want to find the one in the middle that's just right.
You want your life to have meaning and impact.
What if your everyday work and life not only felt natural and intuitive but also aligned with your priorities and positively impacted those around you?
Many leaders struggle with consistent quality feedback. I define consistency here as both regular and timely. If you establish a cadence of feedback, your team grows more accustomed to it.
You set the tone and the pace for feedback.
Giving frequent feedback means the feedback doesn't build up. Presenting it in small bites makes it easier to metabolize. Minor changes are easier to make.
Consider when you drive straight ahead, you're continually making corrections. However, you don't even notice them because they are so small.
What if your feedback to your team was like this?
The feedback also needs to be timely. You can't wait weeks or months to give it. Give the feedback soon enough for a team member to do something with the input. Consider if you wait to course-correct things drive even further off course and eventually need a more significant correction.
Your team has a shared vision you want to reach together. Feedback is critical to moving ahead together.
If your team isn't sure they're going in the correct direction, they might slow down or stop. Positive feedback affirms that people are aligned to the vision and the process. This confirmation gives your team confidence and frees them to move full steam ahead.
When giving feedback as a leader, consider the following three action steps:
Take the next step, you can deliver feedback effectively, promote growth and development, and foster a positive and supportive work environment.
Team leadership is a management approach focused on leading and guiding a group of individuals working together towards a common goal. A team leader is responsible for providing direction, support, and guidance to the team members, while fostering a positive and productive work environment.
Team leadership involves setting clear goals and expectations for the team, communicating effectively, and building trust and relationships with team members. It also involves empowering team members to take ownership of their work and contribute their unique skills and perspectives to the team's success.
Some key characteristics of effective team leadership include:
Overall, team leadership is a collaborative and empowering approach to management that values communication, trust-building, and results-driven performance.
There are several different styles of team leadership, including:
Overall, each style of team leadership has its own strengths and weaknesses, and effective leaders may use a combination of different styles depending on the situation and the needs of their team.
There are several key skills required for effective team leadership, including:
Overall, effective team leadership requires a combination of interpersonal, decision-making, and management skills, as well as the ability to inspire and empower team members to work collaboratively towards shared goals.
Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy and management style that emphasizes the importance of serving others first before considering one's own needs and desires. It's an approach to leadership that focuses on the well-being and growth of others, rather than solely on achieving organizational goals.
A servant leader prioritizes the needs of their followers or team members, providing them with support, guidance, and mentorship. They are committed to empowering their team members to reach their full potential and achieve their goals.
Some common characteristics of servant leaders include:
Overall, servant leadership is about creating a supportive and empowering environment for others to thrive. By prioritizing the needs of their followers, a servant leader can inspire trust, loyalty, and commitment, ultimately leading to better outcomes for the organization as a whole.
Learn more about how to cultivate servant leadership.
Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy and management style that emphasizes the importance of serving others first before considering one's own needs and desires. It's an approach to leadership that focuses on the well-being and growth of others, rather than solely on achieving organizational goals.
A servant leader prioritizes the needs of their followers or team members, providing them with support, guidance, and mentorship. They are committed to empowering their team members to reach their full potential and achieve their goals.
Some common characteristics of servant leaders include:
Overall, servant leadership is about creating a supportive and empowering environment for others to thrive. By prioritizing the needs of their followers, a servant leader can inspire trust, loyalty, and commitment, ultimately leading to better outcomes for the organization as a whole.
Learn more about how to cultivate servant leadership.
Servant leadership can be beneficial in the workplace in a number of ways, including:
Overall, servant leadership can lead to a more positive, productive, and fulfilling workplace environment, benefiting both employees and the organization as a whole.
Learn more about how to cultivate servant leadership.
Servant leadership differs from many other leadership styles in several key ways:
Overall, servant leadership is characterized by a focus on serving others, prioritizing empathy and collaboration, and taking a humble and accountable approach to leadership. While other leadership styles may be effective in different contexts, servant leadership can be a powerful tool for creating positive change and empowering others to reach their full potential.
Learn more about how to cultivate servant leadership.
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