Stuck on Feedback? Join The Feedback Lab (Also, I'm an Aunt!!)
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Hey Friend, I planned to send this email yesterday, but my sister had a baby and I dropped everything for the sweetest gurgles and cuddles imaginable. All are in good health and joyful, and I'm already enjoying my Auntie era. Yay! I invite you to take a nice deep breath. Thanks so much for opening today's newsletter amidst all the other things you've got going on. I take your readership seriously! Today, I want to talk about feedback... We're getting close to that time of year when many organizations start gearing up for annual performance reviews. You know the drill: long reflection forms, vague ratings, tense calendar invites, and a whole lot of "we should have had this conversation months ago," or "I have no idea what to say that's different from last year," or "I really don't know how to evaluate this person." If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. For many leaders (and their team members), this stretch of the year brings up an uneasy mix of dread, frustration, avoidance, and, yes, eye-rolling. We worry about saying the wrong things, hurting someone's feelings, or not knowing what to do when big emotions surface. We're often boxed into systems that don't feel fair, clear, or consistent. "Meeting expectations" is seen and felt as a personal affront rather than the goal. And honestly? Most people I know have never been taught how to give feedback and don't know how to do it in a way that builds rather than depreciates trust. In a way that actually helps people grow and advance. That catalyzes meaningful behavior and performance change. Most of us have a biiiiiiiiig skill-gap when it comes to feedback, which leads to 1) avoiding giving feedback altogether; 2) bulldozing through it when the calendar forces us to; or 3) having "feedback" conversations that are mechanical, defensive, and disconnected. It doesn't have to be this way. Giving feedback, when done well and regularly, is one of the most powerful ways leaders and managers (and truly, all people) can build trust, create and sustain alignment, cultivate commitment, and help each other grow. And those things? They're the primary roles and outcomes of good leadership and management in every season, not just performance review season. So, whether your employee review cycle is around the corner or months away, this is the perfect time to strengthen your feedback competence. It all starts with building these sixteen skills, roughly in this order:
Giving feedback is not a single skill, something we can learn in a 90-minute training, an item we can check off a leadership competency list, or a one-time, one-directional message from a leader to a direct report. Feedback is a multidimensional, collaborative, ongoing, and reciprocal practice of noticing, naming, listening, repairing, and evolving. For all people in your workplace. Every single day. Ready to build your or your team's feedback competence? You're invited to... Not around on the 17th or not ready to commit a full-day? Here are three other ways we can help you or your team with building feedback competence!
With gratitude and love, |
Reloveution Heartbeat | Marissa Badgley, MSW
We send 2-3 soul-affirming emails a month, each jam-packed with reloveutionary tips and tricks for strengthening teams and deepening leadership impact. Plus some real-talk, music, and game-changing opportunities for your journey!