Creating space for growth with feedback — the number one tool for high-performance teams (1/2)
When reading the word feedback, one term most probably comes to mind right away: The Feedback Sandwich approach. This method indicates that negative feedback is served in between two chunks of positive feedback to allow smoother digestion.
There are other ways to give constructive feedback, without any tactics for smoother digestion. In this article, we want to share with you our approach to feedback. You will learn why it is a must-have tool to implement in your team as well as some easy steps on how to get started.
Why you should take feedback seriously
Feedback might be mistaken for criticism when it is rather not. In fact, feedback is highly desired by many (if not by all) of us. There are three common needs behind feedback:
· Appreciation: We want others to know who we are and what we are doing; we want others to meet us and the work we do with kindness and benevolence.
· Evaluation: We want to know at what point in our career we are and if we are doing a good job.
· Personal & professional development: We want to know how we can improve; what can we do to do a better job; how we can advance in our career.
Not only on an individual, but also on a collective level a well-defined and lived feedback culture shows its merits. It is one of the most powerful tools high performance teams use. Why? Because feedback translates into learnings which lead to personal and professional growth.
According to a study by Marcial Losada and Emily Heaphy, the way how well teams are trained to handle and give feedback influences the ratio of positivity and negativity (P:N ratio) within team dynamics. At a ratio within the “Losada zone” (i.e. greater than or equal to 3:1 and not more than about 11:1), a team is able to flourish. This means that in high performing teams, every critically constructive statement is compensated by between three to eleven positive statements in form of an appraisal (for more info see “further reading” below). Positive statements can be as simple as pointing out somebody’s work and emphasize in which way it pushes the project forward. However, it does not mean that team members should be showered with meaningless compliments. Instead, an internal learning process should be triggered by pointing out beneficial qualities using constructive feedback. Both positive and negative feedback is needed as for example a ratio of e.g. 12:1 (i.e. outside the zone) doesn’t do any good anymore. Being conscious of this ratio can help support psychological safety.
So, feedback has a lot to do with growth and connectivity within the team. It helps you to improve your self-awareness to consequently change destructive behavior or reinforce constructive behavior. It helps you to extend your “Arena” by discovering your “blind spots” as shown using the so-called Johari Window:
We need external responses to our behavior to become aware of our destructive and constructive behavior. Here it becomes clear, that feedback always requires two parties — one that perceives a behavior and sends the respective information, and one that receives and understands the information to act on it.
The importance of the feedback sender can be illustrated by a simple example: How would you know that your printer ran out of paper, if it didn’t tell you? Subsequently, you know you need to fill up the paper and are able to print your document. The good thing about it: Your printer doesn’t scream at you saying: “You idiot, you forgot to fill up the paper.” It just informs you in a very objective, non-judgmental way, probably saying something like “No paper in tray 3.”
As far-fetched as this example may seem, keep it in mind when you read the following paragraph on how to give feedback (no need for sandwiches here!).
How to give effective feedback: 10 basic rules
These are our 10 basic rules for effective feedback (no need to prepare sandwiches ;) ). In summary, this corresponds to what Kim Scott suggests in her book Radical Candor (see “Further reading” below): Care personally while challenging directly.
1. Regular: Don’t attempt to save your remarks to deliver all at once but rather give feedback on a regular basis
2. Valid: Give feedback within 24 hours so the receiver can still reenact the situation
3. Situationally appropriate and precise: Always be specific, do not generalize and use simple language (remember the printer example ;) )
4. Fact-based & non-judgmental: Stick to the facts being descriptive about the behavior, not the person
5. Meaningful and relevant: No kindergarten problems and only with reference to the current work context
6. Direct and honest: No horsing around, just formulating your own thoughts, respectful and friendly
7. Opening dialogue & solution-focused: Leaving room for the opinion of the other, their perspective, thoughts and intentions, collaboratively searching for solutions
8. Encouraging and pointing the way: with a cold head and a warm heart point out the consequences and expectations with regards to the observed behavior
9. Future-oriented: Feedback is not about discussing the past (don’t dwell on why something happened), but pointing the way forward (see rule 8)
10. Own your feedback: Own your feedback and speak from the “I”, not from the “we”. And remember: We are only responsible for the quality of the feedback we give, not for the reaction to it.
Now that we know that feedback is a topic which can have a sustainable impact on the individual and team when tackled actively, it is time to start practicing. In our second and last part of this feedback series, you’ll find out how to get actually started — with our 5-step process!
Further resources
· Radical Candor (by Kim Scott) about how to give candid but appreciative feedback (and Apple’s & Google’s feedvack culture)
· Wertschätzung — Ein Praxisbuch (by Stephan Pfob et al., German) about feedback-related topics (e.g. Growth Mindset) and practical tools to implement a feedback culture
· The Role of Positivity and Connectivity in the Performance of Business Teams: A Nonlinear Dynamics Model: above mentioned study by Marcial Losada, Emily Heaphy
· Updated thinking on positivity ratios (by Barbara Frederickson): Comment on the study by Losada and Heaphy
· Hyper Island’s Toolbox: including guidance on feedback & creativity formats
· “Well of Knowledge”: 4 Steps on what to do when you have received feedback
