How Appetizing is Your Feedback?Learn Management Articles on management-info.biz. How Appetizing is Your Feedback? article will help answer your questions on Management Articles.We at management-info.biz specialize in Management Articles. Management Articles at management-info.biz provides the most up to date news and articles. If you have questions please do not hesitate to contact us.
Mr. Cosby said that the way he was told was like taking a sizzling, delicious, robust T-bone steak and serving it on a garbage can lid. It’s not too appetizing. You know the steak is delicious, but would we really want to eat it? It’s not too appetizing. I ask you, when you give feedback, do you make it appetizing for the receiver of the feedback? Or do you make your “steak” indigestible? We can be giving great feedback everyday and, unless we make it appetizing so others will digest it, our feedback will not acted upon. The following are ten techniques for making your feedback more appetizing: 1. Prep for a Great Meal Just as you would prep for a great meal, you should prepare to give feedback. Mentally go over the following: * Is the feedback important? * What do I want to accomplish with the feedback? * Who are the persons I will be giving the feedback to? * How will they take my feedback? How can I make my feedback more appetizing for them? * How have they taken feedback in the past? * Is there someone better I can enlist to “serve” the feedback? Just as you would expect to produce a great meal, mentally expect to have a great feedback session. Take time to visualize the positive interaction and results by giving the feedback. Know that you will improve the lives of those you give feedback to and how you will accomplish your goals. Note: Remember, all feedback, with the goal of improving another individual or situation, is positive. It’s when we are not receiving or giving constant feedback that situations turn negative due to misunderstandings. 2. Timing Is All Important for a Great Meal Make sure you are giving the feedback when it is needed. Giving feedback too long after there is need will dilute the “hunger” for the feedback. Giving feedback too early when there is no “hunger” for the feedback will allow your meal, your feedback, to go to waste and not have the impact on behavior that you need. 3. Quality Ingredients Are the Start of a Great Meal Be consistent every time you give feedback so that the person receiving the feedback will know what to expect. Be fair in your feedback. Also focus your feedback on actions observed, not the person. Or, as I say, “point to point, not person to person.” Use “I” statements. * Be direct in your feedback. Just like you wouldn’t want to wait forever to get to the main course, you wouldn’t want to wait forever for someone to tell you why they are giving you feedback. * Set positive expectations so they want to eat. Instead of saying the following: “Mike, come by my office today at 3 p.m. so that I can give you some “constructive criticism.” Mike is thinking he had rather be having a root canal. Say the following: “Mike, come by office at 3 p.m. today. I have some ideas on how to make your job easier (or some other benefit) and would value your feedback.” Remember, in order for the receiver of the feedback to be hungry for the information, apply the “What’s In It For Me” (WIIFM) technique. Ask yourself, “What is the benefit to the receiver of my feedback?” * Master Our Utensils. Master our utensils, the words we use, when serving the meal. For example, if you noticed someone unfocused in their conversation, you might say the following: “Sue, slow down! You are rambling too much.” Instead say the following: “Sue, you sure have a lot on your mind. Let’s concentrate on top the three points you want to discuss.” Use positive words to create a great meal. 4. Ask for Feedback on the Meal Encourage the other person to give you feedback on your feedback. This may clear up any misunderstandings. Also, it shows that you value the other person’s opinion. 5. End the Meal on a Positive Note Appreciate their time, their manners, and overall demeanor to the feedback. Let them know that you appreciate the efforts they are making. Also tell them that you expect that there will be a positive outcome from the feedback session. Also, let them know that you are there to help them succeed. Apply these techniques at work, home or in the community to ensure that your feedback is more appetizing to others. Bon appétit!
|
More Articles:1. Take Your Firm to the Next Level By Kelly O'Brien So you did such a good job in 2003 at bringing in new clients to your firm that you’re swamped with business, your firm is large and growing, and all parts of your marketing system are in place and running smoothly? Congratulations - you're off to a great start for 2004!If you can confidently answer "yes!" to the following metrics, then you’re ready to take your practice to the next level (and if your answer is "no," get back to basics at http://www.turningpointemarketing.com)* Is your firm’s … 2. The Four Laws Of Leadership (Part One) PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in newsletters and on web sites provided attribution is provided to the author, and it appears with the included copyright, resource box and live web site link. Email notice of intent to publish is appreciated but not required: mail to: brent@actionleadership.comWord count: 597Summary: The best leadership is motivational. But the author contends that most leaders misunderstand motivation. In this two part article, he describes four laws of… 3. Effective Performance Management Recently the Aberdeen Group completed a study on performance management. They found that companies with best-in-class employee performance management systems produce 50 to 70 percent more revenue than those that don't have a good system. That finding gets my attention. We also know, from earlier studies, that top performers are four times as productive as the weakest performer in an organization. Bob Rogers, the president of Development Dimensions International (www.ddiworld.com), has said, 'Th… 4. The Truth About Performance Reviews By David Meyer Now that it is January, many of you are putting together, or have just finished putting together your annual Performance Appraisals for your staff. Feedback on performance is certainly one of the most critical aspects of personnel development and one that deserves to be taken very seriously. But after 25 years of managing people I am going to finally confess how I feel about the whole process. I HATE Performance Appraisals. I hate giving them. I hate receiving them. Whew! I feel better… |
||||
