Navigating the Gift of Improvement with Trust and Maturity
I have always felt that feedback is a gift. However, there is a big difference between being told that you are doing something wrong vs sharing opportunities on ways you could approach something better.
Either way, it takes trust on both sides and maturity to maximize the value of feedback.
A few considerations before providing feedback:
How are you delivering the feedback? Is it the best place, right audience, correct timing?
How well do you know the person that you are providing feedback to? Have you considered how they best receive feedback?
Have you established trust and credibility with the person you intend to give feedback to? Have the requested feedback or your opinion / help?
A few considerations before reacting to feedback:
Do you trust the intentions of the person giving feedback? – Are they giving you feedback to help you learn and grow?
Do you respect the expertise and perspective of the person giving the feedback? – This is especially important if there are many approaches and determining the right approach is nuanced.
Do you feel safe and open to feedback? – Are there external factors at play that may interfere with your ability to be process feedback in a positive light?
Are you feeling the way you do about the feedback because of the method of the feedback delivery, or the feedback itself?
I personally struggle with “right sizing” and “right timing” the feedback. I love to give feedback as soon as I think of it. I also get excited about opportunities for improvement, so I tend to give more feedback when I’m excited about the current version, and less feedback if it still feels like something has a long way to go until it gets to a solid state. -> This can lead to feedback getting missed, and team members not feeling fully appreciated when they have delivered value.
The ability to give and receive feedback positively is an important skill for everyone. With virtual and hybrid work, some can have a harder time without body language, and personal touches. Others find it easier to handle things virtually and in writing. Recognizing our own preferences, and sharing them with teammates can help reduce friction and increase positive progress.
Check out our other resources on communication.