The cult (ure) of feed back needs a retirement party
Dr Leandro Herrero
Viral Change? is hacking culture change (ability). Unbeatable. There is no change unless there is behavioural change; the rest is commentary. I am Chief Organization Architect & CEO @ The Chalfont Project. Psychiatrist.
Responding to an article here that brings up the importance of feed back in management.?May I be perhaps controversial, certainly with no intention to annoy or offend, and say that the ‘cult (ure) of feedback’ is overrated and responsible for perpetuating a rather mechanistic approach to the organization. Feed back is often given by people whose only merit is a managerial distance with the receiver and a position of authority (including the benign form). Most of the feedback stuff is extraordinarily unidirectional, top down. I could live with a multi-directional one in which ‘both parts’ feed each other.??Also, when extended and apparently more human, I have seen Maoist-like approaches of individual and collective self-flagellation.
Machines work on??feedback, humans on feed-forward. Yes corrections are needed but we have created a cult of them. The cult(ure) of feed back??(in the managerial arena) is in my list of things that need early and well deserved retirement.
There is a managerial obsession??with??‘deficit’ (what we don’t have, or don’t have enough) that has fuelled another cult, the employee engagement ratings one, and created a whole industry of surveys. Post survey, the organization slows down and the air time is allocated to explain the low scores and create action plans that will be forgotten soon after. If the airtime were dedicated to ‘what we have’ people will be in a better position to advance faster.?OK, you are going to tell me that you do, but my experience is 80% fixing the low, 20% build on the high.
‘Where to start’ (looking back, looking forward, both [there is a worldwide tribe that solves all the problems with a ‘it’s both, of course’]??is a choice. I am personally very fond of the approach that a particular form of community development, ‘Assets Based Community Development’ or (very hand for) ABCD method takes. See all the good work of?https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/cormacrussell/??Cormac Russell. They point out very smartly that a ‘deficit position’ (my words) always ends up with a profession-in-waiting. We have crime, you need police. You have health issues, you need doctors. You have societal issues, you need lawyers.??Are we ‘in management’ doing the same with HR/OD and the rest??
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How did I get from the feed back thing to here??
Thechalfontproject.com
Viralchange.com
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2 年Feed "forward" instead of feed "back". I like it!
Talent Management Strategist (CIPD) | Founder 3Plus | Inclusive Recruitment | HR Project Management | Anti-Bullying, DEI Champion | Career & Trauma Informed Coach | Trainer | Psychosocial Safety ISO 45003 |
2 年Leandro Herrero the idea of feedforward is a great one. Focus on the future.
Culture & Leadership consultant
2 年The guideline with feedback is that there is no obligation to act on it, only obligation to understand it. Feedback is one of the most useful tools in individual success.