Tools for Feedback
The feedback from my email about being out of my comfort zone and briefly mentioning my sinking ship experience was truly touching. Feedback then became a theme for the week, talking about giving and receiving feedback has been everywhere for me. I was very grateful for the feedback, some comments blew me away, and others felt like a hug of kindness and empathy. Receiving positive feedback is often not talked about or practised as much as constructive feedback. When we know that successful teams need 3-6 times more positive feedback than negative or constructive feedback we need to sit up and become experts in both giving and receiving the gratitude and thanks of our colleagues.
It was a pleasure this week to be part of a group exploring feedback and looking at the impact different types of feedback produces. For our positive acknowledgements lets us make it specific and clear so that the positive actions repeat and grow.
For those at Auckland District Health Board, the values workshops have given us two easy-to-use models or tools for giving feedback. The ABC (Action, Benefit, Continue) approach for positive feedback and appreciation and the BUILD tool (Behavior, Understand, Impact, Listen, Different next time) for constructive and behaviour change feedback. These tools were developed by A Kind Life [2022 update - lots available on this website including a fabulous book].
An easy-to-use feedback tool can be:
What went well?
What didn't go so well ?
What could we do differently next time?
This is useful in a team context and after study sessions or projects. We recently used it as a team to look at the work done around recognising World Sepsis Day. We stopped to celebrate the great successes, noted the leanings and created a plan for the next year.
This simple format can be applied to lots of situations and when you are trying to get feedback from a team that works shift work the large poster/post-it note approach can really engage the whole team without too much explanation.
When talking about feedback another great go-to resource is Brene Brown,
Dr. Brené Brown is a research professor and has spent the past thirteen years studying vulnerability, courage, worthiness, and shame. She has delivered two TED talks and written three books about her work.
Confession time - despite being in awe and wonder of this woman I have only read one of her books - Daring Greatly. Within this book, there is a great section on feedback and this wonderful checklist for preparing yourself and the other person for talking an issue through. You can download this as a poster via her website. I clung to the chapters on leadership but what I think touches me most is her storytelling, with openness and vulnerability.
2022 Update
This is an old post, and I’ve read a lot more Brené Brown since this. I’ve also learnt a lot more about feedback. Check out Radical Candor or my Pinterest Board for more feedback ideas.
