Candid feedback is great, but let’s climb down the ladder of inference first
Like giving a gift, there’s an art to giving the right one at the right time. Feedback is no different. In fact, leadership demands it.
We’ve all been there — being able to give someone positive feedback (“Wow, good job!”), yet struggling to string together words for constructive feedback. Yet feedback is a vital tool to progress and growth, especially where I work — at ThoughtWorks — where we aim to live and breathe feedback. It’s also a skill I’ve had to really buckle down to develop as a trainer at ThoughtWorks University, Thoughtworks’ global graduate training program.
At ThoughtWorks University, one of the main expectations of a trainer is to share feedback with the trainees continuously so that they can grow and develop. This is a common skill crucially needed in anyone in a leadership or management position. It’s hard to get it right — how you deliver criticism can make a big difference. It can be easily construed as mean-spirited rather than well-intentioned.
