Using feedback for fuel and managing doubt!

Do you sometimes wonder where you need to focus to grow? Do you sometimes doubt your effectiveness?

Seek feedback and review historic feedback.

It’s a shame – and a little weird – that positive feedback has gotten such a bad rap in Australia.   The truth is that positive feedback is an insanely effective tool in your arsenal. It helps your employees feel confident, which helps them do a better job. It makes your partners and family feel appreciated. It signals that you have their backs. That, in turn, builds trust, high morale and loyalty, all of which lead to stronger retention and personal relationships. It allows you to give them – and for them to take in – critical or constructive or directive feedback more easily, because they are used to hearing positive things from you, too. And, it’s free.

The downside of not giving positive feedback is equally potent. When you rarely or never give positive feedback that means that for the most part your employees only hear from you when you give them directive, constructive or negative feedback. That inevitably leads to them feeling unappreciated, which leads to performance drop or stagnation. It’s hard for many people to feel like they are making progress if they only hear what they are falling short on. It doesn’t position you, the manager, as an ally. Therefore you don’t build trust and loyalty – the social capital to glue a team to you and helps them overcome and navigate the inevitable ups and downs of working life – PARTICULARLY DURING 2020!!

Tip 1 Embrace the need to give positive feedback.

Tip 2 Look for opportunities to give positive feedback.

Tip 3 Make sure you say it (or write it.) Sometimes we humans think that people read our minds.

Tip 4 Don’t make it a sandwich.  Don’t feel you have to apply two ends, you do not need to give positive feedback with negative or negative feedback with positive.  Choose which and give – not both.

Tip 5 Encourage employees to give each other positive feedback, and within your families.

Tip 6 Copy some of your top inspirational feedback statements and put them up on your fridge, on your mirror, in your wallet, on the inside of your diary, as a screen saver!  Be reminded of how others have felt in their interactions with you.

Tip 7  In the first week of every quarter or each month, make a note in your diary to FORMALLY provided feedback to professional networks and take time to stop and think if you are creating this activity – of giving authentic praise = in your day to day habits.    Stop, read, take in the feedback you have received.

Ferne Eliz King

Love Life Love YOUR Life