Feedback, not Setback!

Feedback is just another delicacy of the growth menu that corporations nowadays are looking at tapping into, on their path for transformation. It sits right next to diversity, agility, flexibility, gender payment gap consideration, equal opportunities, ethics and compliance, coaching for performance, etc., etc., etc.
It is quite an international menu, served in this all you can eat restaurant like that is the marketplace. Some mistake it for a friends and family dinner because they heard comments would openly be welcomed and that they may even bring their home made flavours at the table.

Fact is though, that If you haven’t tried the feedback dish before, starting on it in a wide open forum may not be the best of your choices and it may even bring the infamous Fiasco at your party.

Feedback is a raw food for thought that can easily cause allergies if not served on a well prepared stomach and especially with the right mindset.

I’m not writing this to scare you away from practicing feedback! On the contrary!

Metaphors aside, I do believe that every such decision, as embarking your organisation on a journey of establishing a feedback based culture, is as courageous and as commendable as it can be.
But that should not mean you should sacrifice the wise ways of doing it.

In fact, how seriously you look at setting up this endeavour shall be your first self-measure, and self-feedback for that matter, about how genuinely you plan drawing benefits from it in an interim to long term shot. That is to equally give yourself a hint about how you really are looking at creating a culture that will be sustainable, that will adjust itself for the better.

Take a look around and become aware of where you are at, because that will be the starting point on your path. The more knowledgeable you allow yourself to become at this stage, the clearer your way will lay ahead.
And if you’ll happen to see the need to start from scratch, do not worry or pity yourself, as you may be in one of the luckiest situations that there could be.
Actually, having “nothing” to start from, will give you the opportunity to begin at the best of the possible places.

Although there is no end to this journey, there is an ideal start to it – your people.
Take the opportunity to get to know them, putting your time and energy into building the relationships. Only so you’ll harvest a feedback that will be genuine and constructive.
While on this road, remind yourself to serve and not be served. That is to say, you’ll first have to give before you’ll get.

Now, while one may think they’ve taught their kids to walk by taking them by the hands and leading them around the room, that was not actually the very first of their teaching steps. At first they’ve shown how it’s done, at first they themselves have walked in front of their kids and so the ‘students’ could see what they were there to aim at.
Teaching feedback to your colleagues should not be any different!
Walk the talk, showing them how it’s done. Then, have you and your managers showing how it’s done.
Sooner or later others will come around, as there is nothing more appealing to people than the generosity of others, and that’s exactly what you’ll exercise by putting yourself out there.

And while you’ll be at it, don’t be too hard on yourself nor on your people for going astray every now and then. Keep in mind that the feedback is not a purpose in itself, but one of the tools that will add to your enabling factors on your way to excellence.