Feedback: Is it Good or Bad?

“I have a problem with giving negative feedback.”

This is a statement from one of my clients. He is a CEO of a small tech startup, and he was struggling with giving some feedback to a programmer who made a significant misjudgment that affected productivity. He began to share his hesitation around giving his team members feedback. His observation was that people usually only want to receive feedback when they are receiving an “atta boy” or “great job.” This might be true for some, but I noticed the way in which he characterized feedback. He used the word, “negative.”

Leaders possess the challenging position of connecting with team members as well as providing the necessary input to provide growth and development. One of the skills that are vitally important to that responsibility is giving feedback. One of the barriers to giving feedback that is” less than stellar” is our perception of what it is and is not.

We often see feedback as negative or positive. Negative feedback is when the leader says something that is not celebratory in nature, and positive feedback is when a celebration is in order. The way in which we characterize feedback has an impact on our feelings about sharing it. If you have a bad experience around receiving feedback, or if you view it in terms of “bad” or “good,” it can have an aversive effect on your willingness to engage in the process.

What if there was no such thing as “good” or “bad” feedback?

What if it was just…feedback?

According to the definition, feedback is “information about a reaction to a product, a person’s performance of a task, etc. which is used as a basis for improvement.”

Do you see anything negative about that definition?

Feedback is an important part of a professional development plan. If you are hesitant about giving feedback based on your assumptions or misconceptions about its function, you are more likely to withhold it. When constructive feedback is withheld, growth and improvement do not take place. Moreover, when feedback is reserved for annual reviews only, the team member can feel blindsided and frustrated.

Our younger generation of leaders from the ages of 21-38, desire feedback as an important part of leadership growth and development. In fact, 30% of Next Gen leaders reported that they wanted more coaching and feedback from managers than they are currently getting. This is in contrast to 25% of current leaders.*

According to Gallup, employees are 3.6x more likely to perform outstanding work when managers give daily (not annual) feedback.

Feedback is a vital part of leadership and the growth and development of your team. It is also a vital component of productivity.

If you struggle with giving feedback to your employees or team members, you are missing some important moments that allow for connection, trust, and growth in you as well as those that you lead.

AWN Leadership Consulting helps leaders to overcome the challenges through our 5 Part Framework: S.C.A.L.E. which stands for Self-Awareness, Courageous Conversations, Accountability, Leadership Principles, and Energy Management.

Self-Awareness is one of the foundational components of leadership. You cannot change what you don’t acknowledge. Here are some questions to ask yourself in order to gain more insight into your perspective on feedback:

What is my experience with receiving feedback?

What are my feelings about feedback based on improvement?

On a scale of 1-10 (least to greatest) what is my comfort level when giving and receiving feedback?

The more that you understand your level of comfort with giving and receiving feedback, the easier it will be. Effective leaders have a responsibility to provide feedback that drives engagement and performance improvement.

AWN Leadership Consulting offers a workshop entitled: “It’s Just Feedback: How to Give And Receive Feedback Confidently and Effectively”

To schedule an introduction call, place an inquiry on our website: AWN Leadership Consulting