reframing feedback
Imagine that you have an annual performance review scheduled tomorrow. Since being hired you have been performing your duties regularly; you have arrived on time, worked late, and met deadlines – yet no one has ever let you know if you have been doing a good or a poor job. Your company may give you a raise or decide to let you go – your anxiety is extremely high as you have no idea what to expect. Unfortunately, this scenario takes place nearly everyday in workplaces across the world – employees nervously preparing for their reviews with no idea of what sort of feedback they may receive.
Now imagine that you have been working for a manager who gives you feedback every day. You know what you have been doing right and the areas that need improvement. Your goals are reviewed regularly and your impact to organizational results is clear. Based on this, you know exactly what to expect from the review. You actually look forward to your review because it gives you a chance to put your accomplishments on record; an opportunity to speak with your manager about your performance goals; and you anticipate the chance to discuss next steps on your career path.
When faced with these two distinct possibilities, we may wonder why the word “feedback” has such a negative connotation in many organizations. This may be because we consider feedback to be criticism instead of a learning opportunity, or because the only time someone comments on our work is when they have something bad to say about it. We get nervous when the boss calls us to request a private meeting, and we often begin mentally reviewing the past couple of weeks searching for something we may have done wrong. Plenty of reasons exist for our nervousness – we may not be receiving any positive feedback; we may never receive supportive feedback for improvement; feedback may be delivered aggressively and thus put us on the defensive; or we simply may need to adjust our mindset about feedback..
At Rapport we have a saying, “All Feedback is GOOOOD Feedback!” We know that when someone takes the time to notice our performance and gives us information that will help us to improve, they care about our success and the success of the organization. By making feedback an important and distinctive part of our culture, everyone feels free to give feedback to those around them – regardless of role, title or seniority. It has become such a foundational part of our culture that employees regularly ask each other for feedback, ensuring that they always receive plenty of information.
Creating a culture of feedback and communication within your organization begins with the knowledge that feedback provides valuable information, and that this information propels us to success. When we think about it this way, feedback becomes desirable and we actively seek it out. We begin to feel more comfortable sharing our insights with others so we can be a part of their continuing success. As we become more comfortable with feedback, we discover that finding good things to give positive feedback on is rewarding and our relationships with others become stronger because we have taken the time to show we care.
Learn more about the power of feedback by participating in this month’s process, “Coaching in the Game.” We also encourage you to visit our archives and read “Creating a Culture of Feedback” from the September 2006 edition. Rapport offers many Custom Performance programs built to help you design a culture based on feedback. Call your Leadership Training Advisor today for more information on how Rapport can help you incorporate the power of feedback into your organization.
