August 2007 Newsletter
For many of you its appraisal time of year again. Whatever month your appraisals are due, a cornerstone of their success is an ability to give high class feedback. You may have teams of people to appraise, feedback to deliver and objectives to set. So how do you give feedback successfully?
“Feedback is information. If you give people information about how they're doing it puts ownership their way. This leads to confidence, motivation and improved performance.”
Here’s what we’ve got:
Delivering successful feedback.
Forward thinking feedback is about setting people up for success by letting them know how they are doing. It is not about blame.
What is feedback?
Feedback is about sharing information and giving perspectives on performance - where performance has been successful and where performance needs to improve.
Why is it important?
Lots of reasons! Feedback benefits manager, employee, team, department and organization. It generates a trusting atmosphere where communication is open, provides a platform to discuss departmental and business goals, ensures that employees and managers have an opportunity to discuss skills and any areas for improvement and offers a chance to highlight career development opportunities.
The purpose of giving feedback is not just to improve performance but to praise and thank individuals for the positive effect their contribution has had on the business. Constructive appraisal can hold the key to staff motivation and successful performance.
So how do you give feedback successfully?
Any successful feedback process relies on both manager and team member being honest and proactive, responding positively to the feedback given and having frequent conversations.
Learning how to give feedback constructively is an essential skill for any manager. Individuals are often reluctant to give critical feedback, however we owe it to poorer performing staff to feedback and point out when their delivery falls short of the standards required by the job. Poor performance should not be ignored and working together on a joint action plan to improve performance can only benefit both parties and the organization.
It’s important to remember that it’s not just the critical feedback we deliver that we need to think carefully about but the positive too. When was the last time you praised a member of your team unexpectedly instead of waiting until the allotted annual appraisal session? If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of unexpected praise, it feels good doesn’t it? So let’s have more of it and think about the ways in which we can frame any critical points in a constructive light.
Guidance for giving feedback
• No surprises. Don’t save up all your feedback for the annual appraisal meeting. A year is far too long to leave someone with no feedback on performance. Little and often works much better, but you can still include an annual more formal appraisal in this process. Regular communication will improve your relationship with your staff and team and make the annual appraisal more effective.
• Strike while the iron is hot. Give your feedback as soon as possible after the event. Both you and your team member will be better able to recall the event and build an action plan as a result. Remember to focus on the positive, look for areas of improvement and don’t use the feedback or appraisal session as an excuse to criticize.
• Be specific and clear. If there are particular aspects of performance you would like to address with a view to improving them, be clear about how and when the activity in question was performed. Knowing dates and times will make any feedback you provide more meaningful.
Think – Example, Effect, Change.
Example- Give a behavioural example of what specifically happened.
EFFECT - state the impact or the effect of that behaviour. CHANGE – discuss what needs to happen for improvement to take place.
• Talk less & listen more. You will learn so much more about how your team member is feeling and coping with their role if you let them do the talking. The agenda for the feedback sessions should be flexible but the following questions may help you to stimulate dialogue – What’s going well? What are you finding challenging / difficult? What support do you need to improve your work? What could you do differently to enhance your contribution to the team?
• Take the time. It really does pay to take the time to discuss performance properly, avoid rushed conversation in the lift or by the water cooler, plan regular feedback sessions, these will help to ensure that any more formal annual appraisal is as effective as possible.
Guidance for receiving feedback
Any successful feedback process should help you and your manager develop a strong, productive working relationship. There seem to be lots of tips for mangers to support them through the feedback and development process but for you actively engaging in the feedback process is vital to help you identify your strengths and highlight the areas where you need support or can improve your performance.
• Be prepared. Hopefully you and your manager will have had regular feedback sessions throughout the year so they’ll be no surprises at your annual appraisal however, the following questions may help you structure your thinking around your role and how you are feeling. What’s going well? What are you finding challenging / difficult? What support do you need to improve your work? What could you do differently to enhance your contribution to the team?
• Be honest with yourself and open to another’s points of view. Whilst thinking of the questions above - be honest with yourself. Taking the time to think about how you really feel about your job and your future can only help you to get where you want to be, build on the things that are going well and help you find solutions for any problem areas. Equally be open to another’s view of your performance and try to respond positively to the feedback given.
• Think about the support you need. A good manager who recognizes your worth will want you to stay with the organization as they will value and recognize the impact of your contribution. Think about those areas of your performance which could be improved and practical ways in which your manager can support you to get there.
• Be specific and clear. When feeding back to your manager be specific and clear. If there are particular areas of your role that are challenging and you need some support, be clear about what these areas are and how your manager can support you to get there.
• Remember the session is for you too. This is YOUR opportunity to focus on your career and aspirations. You should be able to regularly review the outcomes of the session, this will help you to maintain focus and give you momentum. It also gives you an opportunity to talk through your career aspirations and discuss any training requirements you may have.
The programme Forward Thinking Feedback is about setting people up for success by letting them know how they’re doing – it’s NOT about blame. It’s about acknowledging achievements and contributions whilst helping individuals to improve the way they do things. To discuss this programme in more detail contact john@you-unltd.co.uk or call + 44 (0)20 3202 0001.
What am I doing here?
Meet Paul and find out his top 5 tips for giving feedback successfully.
Paul Turnbull, Trainer, Coach and Facilitator
Every now and then we thought we’d tell you a little more about some of the team. And this month we’d like to introduce you to Paul Turnbull who has recently become an associate of you:unlimited.
Paul is an experienced trainer, facilitator and coach who for the last 10 years has been helping new and existing managers, leaders and teams see past the clutter and get what they really want. An Occupational Psychologist, Paul discovered NLP at the beginning of the noughties and has since used it as the backbone of much of the training and coaching he has done.
Previously Head of Learning and Development at Guardian News and Media and Hutchison 3G his passion for working closely with individuals and teams to help them deliver their short and long term goals has always been his primary passion.
Paul is married with 2 young children and following a 4 year layoff to focus on the kids is now thinking very seriously about dusting off his tennis racket to see if he still has it in him. Away from the kids and the court he can be found wherever there's an open mic and a jazz band.
So, what are you doing here Paul?
I recently made the big break into freelance life and in addition to the work I do with my own clients, I was keen to partner with the best personal and professional development brands on the market. You:unlimited appealed largely because of the way they use NLP in their trainings to achieve a greater impact than your average course. I also liked the way that they encourage people to buddy up after any event they have attended and provide expert coaching themselves to ensure that the learning has a greater chance of sticking and being used. Otherwise what's the point?
Describe a typical day as a Trainer, Coach and facilitator?
There's nothing typical about any day which is such a cliché but true. Why? Because whilst I have probably got a fair idea of the content or structure of a day, the thing that makes it interesting is the group. The challenge of training remains how to adapt to the needs, wants and moods of individuals in any group I work with. Coaching requires an even greater level of flexibility and curiosity. I guess I just love going with the flow but pulling everything together at the same time.
What do you love in the context of your role?
I've still not quite found the right language to describe it. Every time I try I end up sounding like a self-help guru. All I can say is that it's to do with helping people reach their potential, overcoming blocks to achieve what they want from their lives. When I see people I'm working with as a coach or facilitator and I get a breakthrough moment, I get a rush.
As this month’s communication looks at giving feedback, and as this is one of your areas of expertise can you tell us what you feel is important when giving feedback?
The main thing I think for people to remember is that any feedback should always have the recipient's development at heart. There's nothing worse than when positive feedback is used to butter someone up or critical feedback used to bully or undermine. The purpose of feedback is to make someone else aware of what you have observed with a view to starting a conversation.
What are the consequences of not giving someone feedback?
Poor behaviour goes unchecked, gets worse and starts affecting the team, the manager and the individual in damaging ways. Good behaviour is not recognised and therefore not repeated or further developed. Both scenarios lead to a fall in individual confidence levels.
What are the benefits?
Feedback is information. If you give people information about how they're doing it puts ownership their way.
This leads to confidence, motivation and improved performance.
What is your experience of being given feedback poorly – how did it make you feel?
Years ago as a recruitment consultant I had a manager who was a well known bully. Her feedback was always barbed, very public and never with mine or the team's best interests at heart. Every time she popped out of the office the team would start slating her. The focus of our energy was placed on our own survival!
What is your experience of being praised unexpectedly – how did it make you feel?
Unexpected praise makes you feel like it's all worth while. The trick to it though is making it more specific, a general 'you did a great job' feedback soon loses its impact.
Tell us your 5 top tips for giving feedback successfully?
1. Only give feedback with the recipient's development in mind
2. Be specific
3. Only comment on what you have observed, not what someone else has observed
4. Do it as quickly as possible after the event, whether positive or critical
5. Give genuine and specific positive feedback wherever you can and then the critical stuff tends to be more easily received.
Join us for a taster on how to "Herd Cats"
Become skilled at influencing the more challenging individuals in your organisation.
Here’s one we made earlier - How to “Herd Cats”.
Rather than simply tell you about our great training we like to show you. Our Herding Cats event will give you a 90 min taster of what we do every day. You'll meet some of the you:unlimited team, mingle with other training and HR practitioners who are also considering using us and discuss any specific training needs you may have.
If you haven’t worked with us before this engaging and energetic workshop will give you a taster of our training style and will also equip you with proven tried and tested techniques to help you improve communication with important and challenging individuals.
Join us
Our next “Herding Cats” taster session will run in central London from 9am – 11am on Thursday 20th September. We’d love you to join us. Spaces are limited, so if you are a Manager or HR & Training professional with responsibility for booking training for your team, division or department contact john@you-unltd.co.uk or call him on +44(0)20 3202 0001 and we’ll book spaces for you and / or a colleague.
So what do we cover and what do cats and dogs have to do with anything anyway?
The premise for the workshop is that cats and dogs typically display characteristics which provide a simple metaphor for how people behave and interact depending on their personality – either cat-like or dog-like.
The best thing about this model is that it’s simple and people “get it” and find is useful.
The foundation work around dealing with Cats and Dogs has been developed by a rather talented chap called Michael Grinder. Grinder developed his research and thinking through teaching, consulting and training in organisations and communities over the last 30 years.
Cat or dog owners know intuitively how they are likely to behave. Dogs want to be loved and act like the world revolves around their owner/friend. Cats act more independently and behave as though the world revolves around them.
We’ll look at two key aspects to distinguish between them:
Degree of Accommodation
Dogs tend to come when you call them.
When you call a Cat, it wants you to leave a message.
Degree of Independence
Dogs tend to need their owners to connect with, to give them the company they crave.
Cats can seemingly go for long periods of time without such ‘love’ so long as they are fed.
People behave likes cats and dogs. Some are accommodating and friendly and love to get on well with everyone. In fact it causes them pain and heartache to think that someone does not like them. They prioritise the relationships around them. These are the Dog personalities – 75% of people.
Some people operate as a committee of one. They know what they think and don’t really care what anyone else thinks. They go their own way and won’t look around to see if you noticed. They want what they want and the result is valued over the relationships. These are the Cat personalities – 25% of people. (Many senior people in organisations are Cats when at work). They take up a disproportionate amount of time as they don’t like to comply!
So what do we do with this model at the workshop?
The model of Cats and Dogs is simple and accessible. We use it at our taster workshop to help participants to understand and identify the most challenging people they know and work with and how to influence them.
Clearly people are always more complex than any models that seek to describe them. So generally no-one is all cat or all dog but a blend with some leaning or dominance at different times. Someone may act like a cat at work and be like a dog when they are at home. Context matters.
At this stage of the workshop we ask participants to think about 2 cats that they know professionally and personally and 2 dogs they know professionally and personally.
Setting personal intention
As with all our workshops, we ask participants to think about their “intention” and what it is they really want to get out of the time. By encouraging personal engagement we can deliver individual benefit with participants taking responsibility for their learning.
Credible v Approachable styles
The most powerful elements of communication are outside the words we use. To help participants to influence people with these non verbals we demonstrate 2 robust, tried and tested skills.
The first will show you how to use ”credible OR approachable” non verbal communication when sending or inviting information, the second, how to simply and powerfully use an “independent point of reference” to create separations between a message and yourself (the deliverer of the message).
To bring these tools to life and embed them meaningfully, each participant will have a go at using the credible and approachable patterns and the independent point of reference technique, and apply them to their own, real situations.
Tease the cat
At this stage in groups of three we choose one person to be the cat, the other the dog and one person to be the presenter. You’ll use everything you have learnt so far to influence the big cat personalities by teasing them in a way that is acceptable. We then discuss your experience of being the cat, the dog and the presenter and think about real situations where this approach may prove successful.
Cat nip – top tips
We’ll end the session with our super useful top tips which you can take away and use to influence those cats in your life straight away.
Book a space
Contact john@you-unltd.co.uk or call him on +44(0)20 3202 0001 and we’ll book spaces for you and / or a colleague.
Alternatively our Influencing Skills Training programme is an essential for professionals who want to influence and motivate others whilst behaving with integrity. Contact: john@you-unltd.co.uk or call +44 (0)20 3202 0001.
Meow.
And finally...top tips for giving and receiving feedback successfully.
Top 5 tips for giving feedback
• No surprises
• Strike while the Iron is hot
• Be specific and clear
• Talk less and listen more
• Take your time
Top 5 tips for receiving feedback
• Be prepared
• Be honest
• Think about what you need
• Be specific and clear
• Remember – this is your time
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