practice leadership
RULES FOR the stabilizing factor in any organizational culture . More often than not I find that offices suffering from default leadership are the ones that experience the most severe , and often irreversible , staff problems . Without the guidance and clarity provided by purposeful leadership , an organization is more likely to descend into anarchy as everyone is left to create their own set rules within the workplace . When an organization descends to this level , feedback is at best meaningless .
So here are my rules for giving and receiving feedback : Behavior should manifest organizational values :
GIVING AND
RECEIVING FEEDBACK
This is critical . Once mutually accepted , organizational values become the benchmark for what is acceptable behavior within the organization . When giving feedback , either positive or corrective , we should always use organizational values as the background for our comments .
Direct communication :
Triangulation occurs when complaints are made to a third party rather than directly to the offending party . This is a very common scenario in organizations and is one of the reasons ill feelings exist and tend to linger . Triangulation should be banned from our organizations . Leaders must avoid the tendency to become part of the triangle by insisting that all feedback take place directly between the involved parties .
Positive focus :
34 by Joel Small , DDS , MBA , ACC , FICD
Feedback , both positive and remedial can be a powerful tool for developing people and enhancing the performance of organizational teams . However , when used improperly , feedback can become a demoralizing and dehumanizing weapon that destroys teams . Given this distinction , it would be wise for all leaders to learn the basic principles for providing feedback that is both positive and generative .
It is important to realize that even remedial feedback need not be negative . Somehow , today ’ s society has made the terms “ remedial ” or “ corrective ” synonymous with terms like “ negative ” or “ punishing ”, when in fact , corrective feedback can be both rewarding and positive . As an example , large organizations are beginning to embrace the concept of a coaching culture in which leaders are trained in facilitating positive behavioral change by leading team members to a place of positive empowerment through increased personal awareness and positive corrective feedback . If done properly , those trained in this technique are reporting both immediate and sustainable behavioral change in their organizations .
Before we discuss the rules for providing feedback , it is important to acknowledge the critical role of purposeful leadership as
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All corrective feedback should be given with the intention of creating new and positive behaviors that align with the organizational values . To be an agent for change , the one providing the feedback must highlight the positive consequences of the new desirable behavior . We are most effective when we paint a positive vision of a brighter future for the feedback recipient .
Provide feedback for the good and not so good :
Corrective , or remedial feedback is much more effective when the leader is also willing to provide positive feedback that highlights a job well done . The recipient of corrective feedback is more likely to take the comments to heart when the leader has historically praised them for the good things they have done . Many of us are guilty of forgetting to offer positive feedback when we should . Even worse , we often try to soften the corrective feedback by including praise for past positive behavior that went unmentioned when it occurred . The recipient of this feedback can easily see through this duplicity , and the net intended effect of the feedback is seriously diminished .
Feedback should be given often :
Waiting for a yearly performance review to offer feedback is the worst possible method for facilitating sustainable change in our team members . If we were to ask our staff , I feel certain that they would overwhelming agree that they benefit more from ongoing performance feedback as opposed to a yearly feedback session .