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Want to Give Better Feedback at Work? Stop Talking About Goals
- Lauri Alpern
- Mar 11, 2024
- 3 min read
Feedback at work.
Reading those words, did you cringe, or feel a desire to click away to cute puppy videos? If so, you're not alone. Most of us are working in a feedback desert– we're not getting enough, and when we do, it's not in the way we'd prefer.
Knowing how to give feedback effectively is just as puzzling. Research consistently shows that for managers, delivering feedback– especially when it's critical– can feel like a foreboding journey into the unknown.
And yet, the easeful flow of positive, strengths-based feedback is crucial for a healthy workplace. Studies show that high-performing teams receive about six positive comments for every negative one.
Given the importance of positive feedback in shaping our ability to do our best work, and the general apprehension managers feel towards providing it– something needs to change.
Let’s examine what we're doing wrong, why, and how to use my Feedback Compass to stop the cycle of spirit-breaking conversations at work.
When goals are overrated
It's understandable that we place feedback in the goal domain– we're a goal driven society. Naturally, so are our companies.
But while goals are essential for aligning individual efforts with organizational strategy, a goal-forward approach to feedback discussions over-emphasizes results and underappreciates the process of getting them. And the process– with all of its bumps and forks in the road– is where people need the most guidance.
Furthermore, the goal-centric approach can feel pedantic to the receiver, forcing them into binary yes/no responses that devalue their perspective. This approach puts us at risk of disconnecting from the person before us, and missing the point of feedback entirely: to motivate people to do their best work.
What to focus on instead of goals
The science of people and organizations shows us that people are motivated when they feel connected, valued, and heard. Naturally, for people to do their best work, feedback sessions should address those needs.
Where to start?
Instead of diving in goals-first, focus your feedback on three key areas that motivate goal attainment:
Learning and development
Value and belonging
Systems change
From these domains, goals get rooted in the rich foundation of motivation, and emerge thoughtfully and organically in service of the individual and the organization.
Keep the feedback discussion short but consistent
A 15-30 minute meeting may not seem like enough time for a meaningful conversation, but if held weekly, the conversation grows in tandem with your workflow and the organization’s needs. Brief as the sessions may be, they become part of a true, evolving dialogue. What was once cringe-worthy becomes free-flowing, valuable, and maybe even enjoyable.
The Feedback Compass
To note: It's unrealistic to cover all of these topics in one weekly session. Rather, managers and employees can collaboratively choose which topics are most important and timely.
In conclusion
So many of us associate feedback with dread, fear, and apprehension. But by using the Feedback Compass to elicit consistent, meaningful communication, and to recognize the fundamental human needs for connection, value, and being heard, we can transform feedback from a daunting task into a positive, empowering experience.
This is not feedback for feedback's sake, or for the touchy-feely, "good vibes only" variety of workplace mantras. Rather, this effective strategy benefits individuals and propels the organization forward. When done right, feedback is a powerful tool for holistic growth and development.
**If you'd like to learn more about how to foster a workplace that soars, please Check us out at opendooradvisorsinc.com
**Did you like this article? I'd love it if you could share it with a leader, manager, individual contributor, or jobseeker in your network!
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