The Sykes Group's OnPoint

“Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel.  If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish.” –  Sam Walton

Recently, I was watching a rerun of the successful television show, The Cosby Show.  The patriarch of this professional family (He is a doctor and his wife is a lawyer.) played by Bill Cosby, was just told by his college-bound daughter that the boyfriend she brought home to meet him was really her fiancé.  He was disappointed with the news.  Disappointed not in the young man or what he did (he was a “maintenance engineer”), but in the way he was told about this engagement.

Mr. Cosby said that the way he was told was like taking a sizzling, delicious, robust T-bone steak and serving it on a garbage can lid.  It’s not too appetizing.  You know the steak is delicious, but would we really want to eat it?  It’s not too appetizing.

I ask you, when you give feedback, do you make it appetizing for the receiver of the feedback?  Or do you make your “steak” indigestible?  We can be giving great feedback everyday and, unless we make it appetizing so others will digest it, our feedback will not acted upon.

The following are ten techniques for making your feedback more appetizing: 

1.     Prep for a Great Meal - Just as you would prep for a great meal, you should prepare to give feedback.  Mentally go over the following:

• Is the feedback important?
• What do I want to accomplish with the feedback?
• Who are the persons I will be giving the feedback to?
• How will they take my feedback?  How can I make my feedback more appetizing for them?
• How have they taken feedback in the past?
• Is there someone better I can enlist to “serve” the feedback?

Just as you would expect to produce a great meal, mentally expect to have a great feedback session.  Take time to visualize the positive interaction and results by giving the feedback.  Know that you will improve the lives of those you give feedback to and how you will accomplish your goals.

Note:  Remember, all feedback, with the goal of improving another individual or situation, is positive.  It’s when we are not receiving or giving constant feedback that situations turn negative due to misunderstandings.  (Read the rest of the article at Positive Feedback)