Good feedback needs a good start

Sharing good feedback takes skill and savvy, but it also requires a plan of action — an intentional effort to understand what others need and how you intend to meet and manage those expectations.

If you want feedback to land smoothly, a good place to start is at the beginning,?before?you engage in conversation. Through my work helping leaders design and deliver?feedback without fear, I've seen the positive effect of having a feedback "entry point," a well-designed plan for sharing your message.

Define your desired outcome

It’s critical to define your goals and objectives up front. Spend time before the conversation getting clear about your larger purpose: Are you sharing?critical feedback? Asking your boss for?more flexible hours? Defending an?unpopular decision?with members of your team? Different situations demand nuanced shifts in communication, and gaining this clarity will help you convey your message with conviction.

The act of?perspective taking, or seeing something from another person's point of view, has been shown to produce numerous benefits, including?increased altruism,?decreased stereotyping, and?stronger social bonds.?

To widen your view of others, ask yourself:

• Who else will be impacted by this conversation?
• What would others say or do if they knew about this conversation?
• Will the effects of this conversation ripple beyond the organization?

Words take on new meaning when you’re clear about who and what is at stake.?

Anticipate what will be seen and said

Mental preparation helps, too. Brain scans show that people use the same neural networks whether they are?actually?moving or simply?thinking?about movement.?And there's research that suggests that merely rehearsing the steps and sequences of an action can lead to?concrete improvement?— all the more reason to think through these conversations ahead of time.

Before?entering into a highly charged conversation, try engaging in?shadow practice.?Imagine you're in the moment. What are you saying and doing? How do you look and sound? Does your message seem to be landing or falling flat?

Envision yourself in prime communication form:

• Is your voice calibrated?
• Is your tone measured and calm?
• Is your body language open and controlled??

Besides establishing your presence, plan for contingencies. Draw up a list of talking points and positions others may use to counter your message:

• What objections will be raised?
• What evidence will be shared?
• What experiences or expectations are they bringing to the table?

Laying out the conversation ahead of time will help you stay calm and focused, even if the exchange turns tense.?Why? Because you've "been there" before.

Script before you speak

NFL coaches draw up their team’s first 15 offensive plays before they take the field. They don't wing it. If you are bracing for a particularly rough conversation, it may be helpful to play offense and script what you plan to say, especially if you’re worried about finding the right words under pressure.?

For greater impact, prepare with a?feedback WRAP?— a four-part feedback sequence that pairs candor with collaboration. The WRAP model fosters greater authenticity and action, enlisting others as partners in the process of their own progress.

Make sure to vent first?

Don’t let pent-up emotions get in the way of positive dialogue. Over time, these feelings build up until they burst, and the emotional leakage?leaves us unprepared to communicate in top form. It's no surprise that so many conversations quickly fly off the rails with pain, blame and shame.??

To avoid overheating, find a productive outlet for venting. Maybe it's a trusted colleague or loved one.?Or a reflective exercise, like journaling. The release will help you feel more grounded and clear-minded during tough conversations, and it might just prevent you from saying or doing something you’ll later come to regret.

While we can't guarantee how others will take to our feedback, we can position ourselves for success with a proactive communication plan. By clarifying our goals, anticipating our moves, scripting our message and broadening our perspective, we can deliver the kind of constructive feedback that people need — and want — to hear.

Keep fixing,

Joe

Dr. Joe Hirsch helps organizations design and deliver feedback without fear. He's a?TEDx?and?global keynote speaker?and the author of "The Feedback Fix." Joe's work and research has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, Inc. and other major outlets. He also hosts the popular podcast,?I Wish They Knew.

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