Feedback is a tainted word. When someone says to you “I have some feedback for you…” your biology of threat is engaged. Even worse: “Can I give you some constructive criticism?” At least they asked, but it’s likely you’ll get it no matter the answer.

https://unfearing-feedbackmel.onlive.events/

The thing is, feedback and learning cannot be separated. Without feedback, we cannot change, grow, adapt or learn. I’ve been testing the relationship between learning and feedback in people’s minds, and an interesting disconnect has emerged.

Most people have an appetite for self-improvement in some way. Many of them also have an appetite for supporting the growth of people in their influence. However, the appetite for feedback is lower, sometimes significantly. While the people I know would self-report openness to receiving feedback, there remains a begrudging acceptance, if not resistance to the judgment or perception of others. Even more so is the reluctance to say what needs to be said to another, for correction, change or learning.

Improvement appetite versus feedback appetite

In my work exploring and supporting more frequent and effective feedback I have found a number of blocks and potholes on the road to giving feedback:

Feedback (given or received) is often feared, avoided and/or botched
People soften (read weaken) feedback by being nice (the crap sandwich)
Feedback rarely penetrates the threat response in our brains (how often do you hear or, yourself, say “But…”)
Most people use the ineffective ‘feedback sandwich’ to deliver
The most efficient feedback conversations are not understood, let alone used
People don’t plan or practice important feedback conversations.
Many people don’t have the confidence to say what needs to be said
Often, feedback is avoided because people believe that it is not their remit or responsibility
Better conversation/language structures for feedback are widely unknown
Few middle leaders get an immersive learning experience in re-languaging their feedback approaches

These ten reasons are often linked to the feedback personas below - the red ones that is…

The Feedback Value Ladder - what value do you bring to growth conversations?

When an organisation adjusts their cultural and strategic approach to feedback conversations it can unlock significant learning and improvement. To unlock this learning potential, strategies include:

Leaders modelling the asking for feedback. There is an art and a process to this, and when done well, applies massive leverage towards creating a learning organisation.
Developing declarative ‘ways of working’ statements that position the approach to caring and honest observation and feedback
Leaders, senior and middle, experiencing effective learning around content and practices that support feedback for learning that actually lands

There is a significant opportunity cost for not paying attention to feedback. When feedback lands well, learning takes off.