Ep 52: Turning upward feedback into a learning conversation - with guest Tom Henschel

In this episode, we're joined by the brilliant Tom Henschel, Executive Coach and host of 'The Look & Sound of Leadership' Podcast. Tom took us on a tour of his career journey, from acting, through teaching, to coaching, and the transferable skills between the roles. He told us how his podcast began - right back in 2008 - when someone told him he had a great voice for audio, and he went from having no idea what a podcast was to launching within weeks. We discussed at length his tools and rules for turning upward feedback into a learning conversation, including how finger-pointing won't yield results, the importance of framing to encourage better outcomes, and why you need to approach a conversation with solutions, not just problems. Tom explained how learning conversations can take time and repetition, and revealed how approaching a discussion assuming that nothing will change can actually take the pressure off. It's an insightful and enjoyable listen. Find Tom on LinkedIn. Listen to The Look & Sound of Leadership Podcast. Find out more about Essential Communications.  Download the Giving Upward Feedback PDF.