The smallest feedback can be the hardest to give

The smallest feedback can be the hardest to give

I had a moment recently where I almost stopped myself from giving someone feedback—not because I was afraid to give it, but because the feedback I wanted to give was so minor.

Here’s what happened:

My team posts short teasers with links to my blog posts on LinkedIn every week. A few weeks ago, someone left a comment on one of these posts saying that the link to that week’s blog post was missing. I saw the comment, grabbed the link, and posted it in the comments section, which solved the problem and took all of 30 seconds.

After I did that, I stopped and thought about what to do next. I had two choices: Now that I’d fixed the issue, I could move on and say nothing to my team. Or, I could share this tiny bit of feedback with Rachel, our Chief of Content, who is responsible for these posts and links.

I really thought about not saying anything. In the grand scheme of things, this was not a big deal. It would have been so easy to just keep moving forward in the day and not address it. And in the past, I think that's what I would have done. I would have swept it under the rug because I didn't ever want to come across as a leader who watches out for every little mistake.?

At the same time, though, posting the link did take time out of my day, and I’ve learned over the years that avoiding the little stuff can actually make things more challenging in the end. If we don't address the little things, they can build up. And if a person doesn't know that these things are building up in the first place and then you decide to point them out all at once one day down the road, you risk losing a lot of trust with that person. In that situation, instead of focusing on the feedback at hand, all that person can think about is why you didn’t address these things as they happened.

So even though the feedback was really minor, I decided to give it to Rachel anyway because I know that that is what builds trust. And I know that if I had made a mistake, I would want to know so that I could avoid it in the future, and I wanted to give Rachel the same opportunity.?

I took a screenshot of the post and the comment our follower left on LinkedIn and sent it along with a message to Rachel on Slack. My message said something like, “Happy Monday! I saw this and wanted to share it with you for the future. I posted the link in the comments and all is good.”

(By the way, I only used Slack because the feedback was minor. If it had been a larger issue, I would have had a conversation with Rachel on the phone or on Zoom. As a remote team, we've learned a lot about the best methods for communicating feedback. It’s too easy for things to be misinterpreted over text or messaging apps, so we think really intentionally about the best method to deliver feedback to someone when we have something to share.)

Rachel responded to my Slack message with a quick, “Whoops. Thanks for telling me!”

Here's what I realized in that moment. . . .

Read the rest on my blog!

Jaison Thomas

I help manufacturing companies improve safety, teamwork, and operational efficiency with engaging and interactive workshops.

3 个月

The best feedback isn’t about fixing problems... it’s about creating opportunities for growth. No matter how small they seem. Great article Kristen Hadeed!

Kevin Reidinger

I work with sports industry executives to help them achieve their financial goals and preserve the longevity of their hard work ?? Cell/Text: 908-256-1624

3 个月

Sometimes it's the small and simple feedback that creates the largest results!

要查看或添加评论,请登录

Kristen Hadeed的更多文章

  • Discipline as a form of self-love

    Discipline as a form of self-love

    It’s not unusual for me to start the year thinking about my health. I often set health-related goals and use the fresh…

    3 条评论
  • How I’m shifting my mindset from scarcity to abundance

    How I’m shifting my mindset from scarcity to abundance

    In January 2024, I was invited to attend an intimate speaking retreat. It was an exclusive, invite-only retreat for…

    4 条评论
  • The unintentional impact of going above and beyond

    The unintentional impact of going above and beyond

    I thought I’d kick off 2025 by sharing something I’ve been thinking about a lot. It’s an area of growth for me as I go…

    6 条评论
  • Why 5 flights in 5 days aligned with my values

    Why 5 flights in 5 days aligned with my values

    Last fall, I had a really busy weekend. From the outside, people might call me nuts: I took 5 flights in 5 days .

    4 条评论
  • When the team’s request for flexibility conflicts with the needs of the business

    When the team’s request for flexibility conflicts with the needs of the business

    What do you do when one of your most dedicated employees asks for flexibility during a time when you really need them?…

    6 条评论
  • A love letter

    A love letter

    I launched this blog in March of 2018. My first post was about Maria Jose, a member of our leadership team who had…

    8 条评论
  • The best feedback convo ever

    The best feedback convo ever

    I recently had one of the best feedback conversations I’ve ever had in my journey as a leader. It was so good that it…

    13 条评论
  • As a visionary, this is my Achilles’ heel

    As a visionary, this is my Achilles’ heel

    My biggest strength in leadership—and my Achilles’ heel—is that I am an activator. I learned how to put words to this…

    14 条评论
  • Resentment is an unmet need

    Resentment is an unmet need

    I love therapy, and I love writing about what I learn in my therapy sessions in hopes of inspiring at least one person…

    5 条评论
  • Challenging the "it's always been done this way" mentality

    Challenging the "it's always been done this way" mentality

    Last week, I shared that I’ve been making difficult choices about how I spend my time. I’ve recognized that if I want…

    3 条评论