Via flipboard.com Article
Three Steps for Giving Feedback That Works: Find It, Flip It, Elevate It
“For those of us taught to be kind, delivering bad news can feel like we’re breaking a code of honor. Receiving feedback isn’t easy either. Egos can be fragile, and we are often afraid of what we might hear. Deep down, most of us want to be affirmed. ‘You’re doing a good job! Honest!’ …
Without being willing to give and receive honest feedback, we cannot grow as leaders or help others do the same. … With traditional feedback, the answer is often ‘no, you are not good enough.’ It can feel like an autopsy: a diagnosis of what we did wrong, with little hope of resurrecting our dissected selves. When we shift the focus of feedback from ‘what went wrong?’ to ‘how do we achieve peak performance?,’ we shift the entire dynamic. Feedback can go from draining to exhilarating.
Find It, Flip It, Elevate It
We use a simple three-step process: ‘Find It, Flip It, Elevate It.’ …
#1: Find It: The first step is to identify the ‘problem,’ the issue you want to change.
#2: Flip It: Next, you flip it from a negative to a positive. What do you want more of?
#3: Elevate It: Finally, you elevate it so that it inspires peak performance.
Here’s a simple example: Tim’s office has a reception desk staffed by Carol. Because their team is small, Carol struggles to get breaks away from her desk. That means she often eats at her desk, even nibbling as she talks to colleagues or as guests are entering the reception area.
Find it: Tim thinks Carol’s habit of eating at her desk creates an unprofessional appearance, especially for guests.
Flip it: Tim wants Carol to eat somewhere other than her desk but still keep the reception desk staffed at all times.
Elevate it: Tim reframes what he wants to inspire peak performance: ‘As part of our brand for delivering exceptional service, we want to work together to make an incredible first impression and to convey professionalism to our all customers, guests, and colleagues.’
Next step: Tim shares his elevated vision with Carol and the rest of the team, offering examples of what a professional work environment looks like and asking their help to create it. Then he works with Carol and the team to identify a colleague who could work at the receptionist’s desk throughout the day, to give Carol time to eat elsewhere. In this example, Tim isn’t ignoring the problem; he’s simply putting his focus on attaining excellence.”