Cameron Conaway's Blog - Posts Tagged "feedback"
What feedback often misses
Feedback is key to both personal and professional development. While there are entire books written on how to give it well, the authors often miss a critical point: it’s essential to provide positive feedback that is specific and coachable.
Managers often give feedback in the following order:
1. Here are some great things you did (they are incredibly vague here, saying things like, “you have great energy”).
2. Here are some specific ways you can improve (this is great).
3. Here are more fluffy things without details that you do well.
It’s referred to as “the compliment sandwich.” But, as you can see, #2 misses a critical opportunity. Why? Often because of an underlying assumption: the giver assumes the receiver is fully aware of what they do well.
It’s important to be specific when giving positive feedback, but it’s also important to coach through it by addressing questions such as:
1. Why was this so important?
2. What makes it unique?
3. Where might there be opportunities to use this strength elsewhere?
4. How can this strength be further developed?
If I had to pinpoint one moment that set me on the path to being a writer, it was when Todd Davis, my professor at the time, complimented a move I made in a poem and then through coaching answered the questions above. Truth is, I didn’t know I’d done anything special; I certainly wouldn’t have pointed to that part of the poem as a strength.
As a young writer, I’d received plenty of red pen feedback. It was always about weaknesses to shore up, which led me to think that was all that mattered in writing; as long as you continuously work on your weaknesses you’ll be okay.
A strengths-based approach to feedback, however, keeps the weaknesses top-of-mind while granting the recipient a chance to develop mastery over their strengths. I believe mastery, rather than blind allegiance to continuously shoring up infinite weaknesses, more often leads to a competitive advantage.
Managers often give feedback in the following order:
1. Here are some great things you did (they are incredibly vague here, saying things like, “you have great energy”).
2. Here are some specific ways you can improve (this is great).
3. Here are more fluffy things without details that you do well.
It’s referred to as “the compliment sandwich.” But, as you can see, #2 misses a critical opportunity. Why? Often because of an underlying assumption: the giver assumes the receiver is fully aware of what they do well.
It’s important to be specific when giving positive feedback, but it’s also important to coach through it by addressing questions such as:
1. Why was this so important?
2. What makes it unique?
3. Where might there be opportunities to use this strength elsewhere?
4. How can this strength be further developed?
If I had to pinpoint one moment that set me on the path to being a writer, it was when Todd Davis, my professor at the time, complimented a move I made in a poem and then through coaching answered the questions above. Truth is, I didn’t know I’d done anything special; I certainly wouldn’t have pointed to that part of the poem as a strength.
As a young writer, I’d received plenty of red pen feedback. It was always about weaknesses to shore up, which led me to think that was all that mattered in writing; as long as you continuously work on your weaknesses you’ll be okay.
A strengths-based approach to feedback, however, keeps the weaknesses top-of-mind while granting the recipient a chance to develop mastery over their strengths. I believe mastery, rather than blind allegiance to continuously shoring up infinite weaknesses, more often leads to a competitive advantage.
