Feedback

This week's #WednesdaysWithWeppel is brought to you by the word Feedback. As we are all in the process of closing quarter two in the business world it's a time for reflection, planning and with that comes a LOT of feedback. Feedback is one of the most challenging parts of the job because it is very necessary but can also be incredibly problematic.

Feedback /ˈfēdˌbak/

information about reactions to a product, a person's performance of a task, etc. which is used as a basis for improvement.

I love that the word starts with the word "FEED" because essentially that is what feedback does. It feeds the organization or the situations with fuel to be able to improve. If we think about feedback as food or fuel it may change the way that we look at things.

At home, we use one of those meal services where they send us all the ingredients and then we cook up these fantastic meals. Just this week we were making a lovely meal of parmesan chicken and we got to the step of "coat the chicken in sour cream to add the topping." I handed him the sour cream and he promptly threw it in the trash. Luckily I knew this was going to happen and have a back up plan - but if this was the moment he gave me this feedback of his hatred of sour cream we would have been stuck.

Tip 1: Feedback is only good if it's timely - providing feedback after the fact can happen sometimes but feedback is best when it can be put into action to ensure success.

At work we were having a challenge where we needed to monitor the utilization of our team to ensure we had the right amount of people to support the customer but not too many either. I reached out to my team member with the request but also asked what help she needed. Together we built a report to use to be able to monitor the situation and she had the support she needed to be successful.

Tip 2: Feedback should come with support. Just stating your opinion or you ask without a possible solution or support can be frustrating for the receiver. If you're going to offer a problem as feedback, be a part of the solution too!

For years I have attended quarterly review calls. Most calls (if things are going well) are punctuated with "good job" IMs and comments at the end, like the participation trophies of corporate America. It's more meaningful when they come as complete sentences "Great job on the format of your presentation" or "great job being inclusive with the team" or "Great results this quarter." When feedback is specific it is more meaningful and will likely drive the receiver to continue those good behaviors.

Tip 3: Be as specific as possible. There is a danger to unspecific feedback. Either it will be ignored as a participation trophy or worse, it will be misunderstood and reinforce the wrong behaviors.

I belong to a gym that provides feedback in a few different ways. There is definitely the correctional feedback if I'm performing a certain move in a hazardous way. There is also the feedback if I'm doing something really well like going fast on the treadmill. But the feedback that's not helpful is the when everyone gets feedback. It's the fist bump on the way out the door with the "good job, good job, good job." It's important to be sincere and this morning my coach did just that. After class she pulled me aside and mentioned that she was seeing improvements in my speed as I overcome an injury and wanted to check in to make sure everything was still going ok. The thoughtfulness and sincerity meant more than a "WOO HOO GO SHERI" during class ever would.

Tip 4: Be sincere. Don't offer feedback just for the sake of providing feedback. Offer it with a touch of caring, a ton of sincerity and a personal connection that will make an impact.

Remember - feedback isn't a bad thing if it's done well. Have you provided feedback to your partner, your team, your leader lately? Make sure that your feedback is FEEDING the receiver with information and context that can help them grow and improve.

What tip would you offer others around providing feedback?