Feedback - Revisited!
October 9th, 2005We’ve gotten a great many questions, comments, and kudos for our show in July on the Feedback Model. Many listeners are discovering the power of feedback, of taking it out of the realm of the rare and into the stream of the every day. Not to sound repetitive, but most managers see feedback as akin to holding their breath - waiting as long as possible, and then creating a lot of sound and often fury. The Feedback Model tells us to see feedback like breathing - so regular as to become unnoticed.
Many of you have written asking questions about how to counter some of the typical responses to the feedback you give. “What do I do or say when they tell me they’ll ‘think about it’? What if they SAY they’ll make the change, only to continue in their ineffective behavior patterns? As you might imagine, we’ve dealt with these issues before, and this show talks about the approach to take, and once again, gives you SPECIFIC things to say and why they work.
We do a brief review of the feedback model at the front of the cast, but still encourage you to give a listen to our original cast, in the JULY Archives.
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October 10th, 2005 at 5:58 am
I was very impressed with this feedback revised podcast. Lots of specific practical skill building info that I can use right away.
I did a vote for you.
“Can I give you some feedback?” - Your website is not very user friendly for navigating and working out how to give feedback.
Can I suggest you read “Don’t make me think” by Steve Krug
Best regards
Andrew Smith
Auckland
New Zealand
October 10th, 2005 at 8:07 am
Thanks, Andrew!
I’m limited somewhat by WordPress on what I can do to make giving feedback a bit more obvious. I’ve given it a shot by making a new (somewhat redundant) link at the bottom of each positing clearly labeled with “Give Us Feedback”.
Does that help?
October 11th, 2005 at 12:10 am
Andrew-
Thanks for the feedback on both the ‘cast AND on the site, and for the podcastalley vote as well. We do this site for folks like you, and the feedback really helps.
And, you live in a lovely country full of wonderful people. I was there in Waiouru. on the North Island in the shadow of Mt Ruapehu, in 83, and was treated to fabulous hospitality. I was truly impressed and humbled by all the great Kiwis I met, and you topped it all off by allowing me to be in a pub when the All Blacks beat the British Lions in NZ 39-6, the worst drubbing of the Lions in the rivalries’ history. Suddenly, pints were FREE!
Mark
October 13th, 2005 at 7:33 pm
Just wanted to leave a note letting you both know that I love the show, and I was more than happy to cast a vote for the show on Podcast Alley. Your shows are full of useful tips and advice that can be implemented immediately. I also love the dual-host dynamic of the show. Great job and keep up the good work!
October 15th, 2005 at 4:47 am
Not only do I love the show, I think I’m almost addicted to it! Here it is - the weekend - and I’m thinking, “Wow - not long now and the next episode of Manager Tools will be ready for download” (Sad, but true). Also, only too happy to vote, and the link makes it sheer simplicity.
November 5th, 2005 at 2:53 am
Hi there, I’m a student and have a question as a result of an assignment in my business communications class. I’ve listened to both Podcasts on Feedback and have found them very informative! I know this is more from the ‘Manager’s’ view, but what would you say about the employee who is trying to get feedback from their manager? I was posed with a question:
“You submitted what you thought was a masterful report to your boss over three weeks ago. The report analyzes current department productivity and recommends several steps that you think will improve employee output without increasing individual workloads.
But you haven’t heard a word from your boss. Did you overstep your boundaries by making recommendations that might imply that she has not been doing a good job? Did you overwhelm her with your ideas? You’d like some feedback. In your last email to her, you asked if she had read your report. So far, you’ve received no reply. Then yesterday, you overheard the company vice president talk about some productivity changes in your department. The changes were ones that you had recommended in your report. Now, you’re worried that your boss submitted your report to senior management and will take full credit for your terrific ideas.
What, if anything, should you do? Should you confront your boss about this?”
Now, I’ve spent a few hours trying to find some links that give the employee some tips on how to approach their manager to get some feedback and I’ve found nothing but feedback guides for managers. I believe that a lot of what Mark said can work the same coming from the employee to the manager. Approach them asking if they have time for feedback, be positive, and don’t show any signs of aggressiveness towards a negative response, they will not feel as fearful towards the possibility of conflict upon the manager’s negative feedback. By maybe saying that you are interested in their thoughts, you are kind of opening the door and letting them know you are open to criticism, negative or positive with little chance of conflict.
What could you say to an employee in this situation for advice on how to approach their manager for feedback?
June 25th, 2006 at 9:20 pm
Great Podcast Series!
Your feedback model is great and it makes intuitive sense. It’s direct, to the point and invites the receiver of the feedback to contribute to the solution.
It seems to me that the model is geared towards the direct report or someone over whom you have influence. How can the feedback model be modified to provide feedback upwards in the chain of command? Or is there another way of communicating what is essentially upwards feedback?
This leads me to another question . . . What is most effective way to sell ideas within an organization? Perhaps this is a topic for another podcast.
Thanks for the great shows. I’ve recently purchased an MP3 player to listen to your casts while commuting to and from work and have all your shows downloaded. My only regret is that I didn’t go for one with more memory.
July 1st, 2006 at 2:28 am
Frank-
Sorry this took me so long. I completely misunderstood your post the first time I read it, and went off in the wrong direction! My apologies.
You’re right - the initial feedback model was targeted to direct reports.
I am working on feedback model variants. Because we actually recommend specific things to do, and we don’t recommend things that we haven’t tried with real issues in real workplaces, these things take a little time. Frankly, I like data, and I sleep well at night despite the number of people who are following my recommendations.
We also have some podcasts slated to talk about sell your ideas… but there are some simple underlying truth most people miss about selling your ideas, particularly “up”.
The way to get your ideas adopted is to use them openly, share them, and be more successful than other managers. Success breeds imitation. Further, ideas move up when the people who champion them move up.
That’s how organizations change. People who behave differently and are differentially successful are given more responsibility, and the culture shifts.
Keep listening!
Mark
January 3rd, 2008 at 10:28 pm
How is everyone doing remote feedback? I have some directs I only see once a week. I prefer to give feedback in person but the result is a pile of feedback all in that one day rather then spaced out.
Has anyone had success with Phone or Instant Messaging (two very popular forms of communication in my company). I’m guessing email is a no-no?
Thanks!
MJ
January 4th, 2008 at 2:51 am
HOLY MOLY.
NEVER NEVER NEVER BY IM OR EMAIL. NO FEEDBACK EVER IN WRITING.
NEVER.
Phone works great, we do it all the time.
Mark
January 4th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
I’d love to hear a show or two about effectively managing over separate locations. Feedback is even more challenging when you’re not always onsite to observe the behaviours…
As a bit of background…The division for which I work is the result of an integration of several departments from two separate companies and it is responsible for providing services back to those two companies under a shared services arrangement. Our department staff are located in two separate cities and I have recently been promoted to manage the team. Cultural differences abound and loyalties to ‘home’ companies are very strong.
January 4th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Have you listened to the “Virtual Teams” podcast from Oct 17, 2005?
John
January 4th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Devjen-
What John said.
Mark