What do you do if your feedback lacks specificity and actionability?

"Getting feedback without specifics is like trying to follow a recipe with ingredients listed as 'some' & cooking instructions that just say 'do it right!'" ???? Ultimately, when receiving feedback, there are two things we can't control: (1) What someone will say, and (2) How they will say it. However, we can control how we receive and work with the feedback. If the feedback we receive lacks detail or guidance on improvement, it's our responsibility to ask questions for clarity. Seek specifics, inquire about actions, request support or guidance, & share what helps you learn best. Feedback is more understandable when it includes specific observations or real examples to discuss. ??TIP: Be open to learning rather than defending or blaming.

When you receive feedback that varies widely among stakeholders, identify which of those stakeholders are getting your best behavior. This can help you begin to isolate the conditions (people, context, or both) in which your intentions and impact are more closely aligned. Through a series of careful inquiries, I helped a client isolate a set of people and situations in which his intentions and actions matched and were corroborated by positive feedback in the data. He was more caring, positive, and effective with people whom he’d known for a long time and whose approaches to work were decisive and fast-paced. In other words, he did well with people he felt were like him and loyal to him.

When my feedback lacks detail, my first step is to seek clarification. I Don't hesitate to ask follow-up questions to understand the intent behind the feedback fully. I Inquire about specific instances that led to the feedback and request examples. This kind of approach shows that I'm engaged and willing to improve while also helping the feedback giver to articulate their thoughts more clearly

The feedback lacks clarity and quality, it is not a gift. When you receive such feedback your actions should be: - asking questions to have clarity. - asking for examples, data points to have more clarity. - asking questions around improvement areas, competencies need to be developed. By asking you are making clear to the person who has given feedback to articulate their thoughts clearly. Also it will give the feeling feedback giver that not only seeking the feedback but you are eager to act on that for your development.

If the feedback lacks specificity, sharpness and details - there is just one advice - "Don't give that Feedback". As humans we are anyway not evolved or tuned to getting feedback , it is a challenging process. On top of it general, non-specific, random feedback will only lead to harm and no good. AVOID IT.

When you have constructive feedback try to identify the themes in feedback. What improvement and actions are expected from you for your growth and development. This will help you to develop your action plan for taking focused actions towards your growth and development.

When we get the complete clarity from the feedback, we need to sit & analyse the intent behind the feedback. By this we can create action plans for our development. Analysis is needed here because at times the feedback would be too deep. If we do not get into details, we might miss some very important points.

I once gave a lecture where this was the point I made With any core issue identified, set specific goals to address them. Goals should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This small framework ensures that the objectives are clear and attainable.

The action plan should consist of SMART goals. These SMART goals ensure that they are clear and attainable. Also have regular review mechanism and feedback in place to know you are on the right path. Don't be rigid, be flexible to make adjustments, if required, as it will help you to not to lose focus and motivation.

Identifying the core issues allows for setting targeted, achievable goals using the SMART criteria. This ensures each objective is clear, quantifiable, attainable, pertinent, and time-bound. For instance, to enhance communication skills based on feedback, a specific SMART goal could be, "To improve public speaking abilities, I will engage in a public speaking exercise weekly for the next two months." This approach not only defines a clear path forward but also enables effective monitoring of progress and achievements.

Goals are important. We work for the company's goals, the department's goals & many times we also work for the boss's goals. When we can work for others goals, why can't we do it for ourselves? Goal can be anything. It can also be on personal enhancement. But purpose should be there

When received constructive feedback, immediately work on the action plan to get tangible results. The action plan should be ready with timeline, steps needed to take, further training and scheduling regular review of the progress. An action plan helps maintain your focus and not to get distracted. Also it enhances your commitment level to a course action.

Setting goals is easy. But incorporating those goals into actions becomes very challenging for many. Many give up easily or forget it conveniently. The action points needs Goal clarity Milestones Duration or time Review Analysis A good coach (if possible) A mentor If these elements are there, the goals can be implemented well

Transform vague feedback into actionable insights that drive growth and development. Learn how to craft specific and constructive feedback that inspires positive change. To make feedback more specific, could you use concrete examples to show your points? Describe the behaviors or actions you observed and explain their impact. Instead of just pointing out areas for improvement, offer suggestions or solutions. Help the recipient understand what actions they can take to address the feedback effectively. Creating an action plan that includes specific examples and actionable steps ensures your feedback is meaningful and actionable, leading to real and lasting change.

Network is our Net Worth. We cannot achieve anything independently always. We are interdependent. We need help & nothing wrong in asking for help. If we can connect with the right set of people, they will help us during tough times & push/motivate us to reach the desired destination.

When addressing a piece of feedback, engaging with your stakeholders for support is key to ensuring progress. Often times leaders are working on soft skills, which require ongoing feedback from people who can observe them regularly. Once a plan of action is defined, it can be a good idea to involve key stakeholders to support, e.g. for 15 mins check-in every month. This will ensure progress is monitored and any required change is implemented in the time

Always seek help from your support network - friends, colleagues, coach, mentor, superiors as they can provide you different perspectives and help to have new insights, that you might have ignored. The support network will act as an accountability partner to hold you accountable, offer encouragement and feedback to ensure your efforts are going in the right direction.

If feedback is lacking specificity and actionability, it will not create the desired impact. Some ways to realign and adjust the feedback - 1. Create the environment for feedback to be conducive - get consent before offering the feedback. 2. Identify specific points that highlights strengths and growth areas for an individual. 3. Ask a follow up question "What do you think and feel about this feedback?" 4. Check if the person is looking for further support to work on the feedback. 5. Follow up on the progress as per need. Feedback conversations are a two-way street and a mutual learning process. Go the extra mile and ask for feedback that can be valuable for you.

By embracing the power of reflection and review, you are able to re-calibrate the compass, your goals remain in alignment with your evolving self, and steer confidently towards a future of your own design. It is also about evaluating your progress and adjusting your goals accordingly, ensuring you stay on course and reach your desired destination. Feedback is not a one time process, as and when you make changes and gain new experiences the feedback is a must to ensure that how you are progressing and whether you need change of direction.

Regular reflection is very important. Its not an OTP (one time process). We need to do it regularly & periodically. As we do it, we get to have different perspectives & it will help in redefining the growth pattern & make us more resilient towards handling further challenges. If we cannot do it alone, we can take the support of the coach

Embracing the gray areas and uncertainty can be an opportunity for growth, particularly in developing soft skills. If feedback isn’t specific, it could be an invitation to enhance skills like communication, adaptability, and emotional intelligence. Instead of seeking concrete answers, it can be beneficial to reflect on how you navigate ambiguity and use it as a catalyst for personal and professional development. This approach not only fosters resilience but also prepares you for the complexities of modern professional environments.

Always remember that the person receiving your feedback, be it specific or not, has a choice in accepting it or rejecting it. If you want your feedback to be accepted and acted upon then it is up to you to ensure the feedback has enough detail. Being clear is being kind as Brené Brown says. If you don't have specifics then maybe think twice before you deliver feedback that is too vague to action.

Well the word feed-back has always troubled me. It has an inherent power disparity inbuilt. Where one is feeding back to other. I don't think anyone should have that kind of power on another human being. Yes organisational structures and routines are built on control and command - definitely not a sustainable situation for knoweldge era ? A "constructive conversation to unpack performance which is focused on development" is what I would replace feedback with - but then what's one word for it ? Any suggestions ?

I am a visual person. So I suggest writing the issue on a white board and doing a question storm. 1:1 or in a group, this helps gather insight and perspective before diving into solutions. You can the. Land on more action and specificity. Then you can clarify the shared understanding and move forward.

Some aspects of feedback can have elements of non-specificity due to lack of adequate words to express these. In such situations, coming up with examples, stories, metaphors helps convey the essence of that piece of communication in ways that words cannot.