Your colleague is hesitant to share feedback openly. How can you encourage them to communicate effectively?

Construir confian?a é essencial em qualquer relacionamento, especialmente no trabalho. Para fazer seu colega se sentir à vontade para compartilhar feedback, comece mostrando que você é alguém em quem se pode confiar. Isso significa respeitar a confidencialidade, ouvir sem julgamentos e ser consistente nas suas a??es e palavras. Mostre que você realmente se importa com o que a pessoa pensa, ouvindo de verdade e respondendo com empatia. Quando seu colega perceber que você valoriza a opini?o dele e age de forma confiável, ele vai se sentir mais confortável para se abrir com você.

Start by acknowledging their hesitance in a non-judgmental way. You might say, “I understand that sharing feedback can feel challenging, especially if you’re worried about how it will be received.” This shows that you recognize their concerns and are empathetic to their situation. Create psychological safety by establishing a safe space where all feedback is valued, and there are no negative consequences for speaking up. Their feedback is important, and you want them to feel comfortable sharing it. Build trust by sharing your own experiences. For example, “I remember a time when I was hesitant to share feedback because I wasn’t sure how it would be taken, but I found that when I did, it led to a productive conversation.”

One way to encourage collaboration and cultivate a safe environment for sharing is by finding out how they communicate best, honor their process, and encourage them to communicate with you that way. For example, if they are better at putting pen to paper, ask if they would prefer to submit thoughts to you in writing first and then meet about their ideas? Do they prefer to meet with you to talk through ideas instead? Either way when you do meet with them, is it possible to send over the topics/agenda for the meeting in advance so they have time to gather their thoughts? By doing these things you let employees know you see them as individuals with valuable contributions, and with your desire to elicit their best work, it will cultivate trust.

I'd add that for me, safety is an inside job - I am the one responsible for creating my own sense of safety. And I feel most safe when I choose to feel my feelings and can share those openly (added bonus when others around me are doing the same). So, for me, a culture that fosters safety is really about fostering openness and the willingness folks to have and speak their feelings in a blame-free way. When I choose to do this, I automatically shift into a more positive state. As a result, my feedback is less critical, rooted in appreciation and possibility, and I'm also curious to receive feedback from others.

I statements are great here! A common way of doing this is with the frame: "I feel ___ when you ___." I personally think it's best to leave the "you" out and to simply state how one feels. An alternative frame is a process called SEW (Sensations, Emotions, and Wants): "I notice [list what sensations you're feeling]. I feel [mad, sad, scared]. What I really want is [___]." If the want has something to do with another person (ie- I want you to make more calls so I don't have to), try to eliminate the other person and get to the bottom of that want. Ask yourself what you'd get if that thing happened. Supporting both people to participate in this process is a powerful way to cut through blame and get to the bottom line issue.

Al ofrecer orientación le diria que procure enfocar la opinión desde el punto de vista constructivo, que cree, que invite a la mejora continua. Si el temor es que se interprete como un reclamo o crítica, recomiende validar primero la situación y su interpretación, pedir una sugerencia si no queremos lanzar directamente la opinión. Escuchar con atención a mi interlocutor para entenderlo y con ello poder ser entendido.

Com certeza! às vezes, os colegas podem ter dificuldade em dar feedback porque n?o sabem exatamente como fazê-lo da melhor forma. Ajude-os oferecendo algumas dicas sobre como dar um feedback construtivo. Explique que o feedback deve ser específico, objetivo e focado em comportamentos, n?o em características pessoais. Incentive-os a usar declara??es "eu", como “Eu sinto que...”, para expressar como um comportamento específico os afeta, em vez de fazer acusa??es diretas. Isso ajuda a evitar que o feedback soe como um ataque e torna o diálogo mais aberto e produtivo.

Uma das melhores maneiras de incentivar seu colega a se comunicar melhor é dando o exemplo. Mostre como você dá e recebe feedback de forma tranquila e construtiva. Quando você receber um feedback, agrade?a e mostre que está disposto a considerar o que a pessoa está dizendo, mesmo se n?o concordar de cara. Ao fazer isso, você mostra que o feedback é algo normal e útil no trabalho, o que pode ajudar seu colega a se sentir mais à vontade para fazer o mesmo.

Support can look like many different things... It can be as simple as consistently checking in on their emotional wellbeing. It can be coaching. It can just be being available to chat whenever they need. The key is to use your empathy skills to help them best unlock or unblock the main source behind their hesitation. Ask them what they need most from you and trust they will lean on you when the time is right.