7. Two Ways to Foster a Culture of Feedback

Send us Fan MailDo you get a knot in your stomach when someone says, “May I give you some feedback?” Maybe you automatically assume the feedback will be negative, and you get ready to defend yourself. Feedback is essential for continued growth, yet so many of us are bad at giving and accepting it. In this week’s episode, Kele discusses the 5 principles that you must keep in mind when giving someone effective feedback and what you need to do to encourage others to provide you with candid feedback.Feedback is a two-way street. For your team to thrive, you have to foster an environment of giving and receiving feedback. That means you have to get better at providing specific and actionable feedback, AND your team has to become more comfortable with giving you and each other feedback. There are 5 principles to keep in mind when giving someone effective feedback:Make it specific.Keep it balanced. Keep it relevant.Stay focused.Follow up.Once you know how to give actionable and impactful feedback it’s important to learn how to encourage your team to give you honest and helpful feedback. To encourage your team to give you feedback, here are some helpful tips you can use:Create an environment where people feel safe enough to give candid feedback.Embrace feedback as a normal part of the work-day. Some questions you can use to help you solicit feedback are: How can I best support you? What can I do differently when leading meetings? What do you need from me? What could I have done better to support you/the team?What’s the ONE thing you’ve been wanting to tell me but you’ve been holding back?Accept that it’s going to be uncomfortable, at least initially. Listen without interrupting. Thank the person for their feedback and own your mistakes. Most of us didn’t know how to give or receive feedback when we start our careers, but if growth and cultivating a strong team is essential to us, we need to lean into feedback despite past experiences or how we might be feeling in the moment.If you found today’s episode helpful, please share it with another leader or someone who’s shown leadership potential. I know they’ll thank you for it.Helpful resources on feedback:Thanks for the Feedback by Douglas Stone & Sheila HeenRadical Candor by Kim Scott