With Change comes uncertainty, at least for some. Informing the organisation, leaders, stakeholders, board members and employees when changes are planned, executed and implemented is a given, right? And giving or receiving feedback is just as important, right?
What is feedback? According to the Britannica online version: it is “helpful information or criticism that is given to someone to say what can be done to improve a performance, product, etc”.
Feedback should be helpful information that is given to someone to say what can be done to improve a performance.
A critical skill in leading change is giving and receiving feedback. If for example an Executive team or a CEO hires a CDO to deliver a digital transformation, or a director of transformation to re-shape the business, ensuring that they are set-up to succeed is obvious.
But when an organizational culture does not give a framework to give feedback then miscommunication, performance or relationships will suffer. Another factor leaders need to understand is how their national culture and style can influence giving or receiving feedback. Saying something in a casual manner might not have the impact in some cultures as it would in others. Without fully understanding the feedback approach leaders may struggle to give effective feedback. If the message is unclear or indirect, you risk confusing the person on the receiving end.
On the other hand, if you’re too frank, your feedback may come across as harsh and damage morale. Worse still, feedback given the wrong way can make a person feel defensive and lead to disengagement or/and confrontation.
Feedback and Communication
Uncertainty, pressure to deliver and chaos are often some of the emotions experienced during transformations. People will need to feel confident, supported and motivated during change, and people will need to know when they are performing, or not. Asking for feedback can create a culture of trust and transparency. When a person is overwhelmed with pressure to deliver, they are likely to avoid giving or asking for feedback. When a person feels like their input matters, they’re more likely to remain engaged, and productive. Giving clear, actionable feedback allows a person to make better, more informed decisions and pivot when necessary. This applies to everyone, even an executive, or senior leader needs to give and receive feedback. There is no point in telling someone at the end of year they didn’t perform or even fire them if the person was not made aware of the situation.
Giving clear, actionable feedback allows a person to make better, more informed decisions and pivot when necessary.
Summary
A simple approach to feedback is to be timely, describe the situation (context), the observed behaviours, impact of the behaviour and expected actions needed to rectify the situation. By turning the feedback into a conversation both parties will feel more comfortable, it is about asking questions, building trust, and dealing with potential conflict.
Feedback is critical if you want to improve and achieve your transformation. It’s an opportunity to adapt, adjust, and improve. An organisation needs to ensure that leaders are trained to give feedback and see it as part of the ways of working together, which for leaders is not optional.
