We have a need, a need for micro validations ????
"You know what Goose, I reckon this movie deserves a sequel"

We have a need, a need for micro validations ????

I have a theory about a way to augment existing feedback loops in the workplace, to improve overall employee engagement and wellbeing.

Many companies today have systems in place to give employees an opportunity to gain feedback and set goals to improve the way they work. Sometimes this is called ‘360° Review’ or an ‘Annual assessment’ but either way it's a process designed to enable you to request observations from colleagues on how you are working, what kind of things you can do to develop in your career and perhaps work towards promotion. These reviews (if implemented correctly) can be a really great opportunity to help people to thrive in the workplace. However, I think they have one small flaw. I’ll explain…

You like coffee, right? It tastes nice, keeps you warm (can you tell it’s January?) and gives you that much needed boost. Perhaps you’re the kind of ‘4-cups-a-day’ coffee drinker. On a normal day maybe you’d start with a coffee in the morning and then have the rest at 3-4 hour intervals… but, one day you think “What if I drank all 4 coffees in one go… at 8am?”. After all, that would be the most efficient approach!

Kyle MacLachlan enjoys a damn fine cup of coffee
"That's a damn fine cup of coffee"

Assuming, you were able to consume that much liquid, you might find that you were super alert and full of enthusiasm, buzzing for the work day ahead. However, by 3pm you would definitely experience a massive caffeine come-down (and probably a splitting headache as well), struggling to focus and needing a lie down in a dark room.

That is what annual feedback can be like. You meet with your manager and they read the feedback from your colleagues and walk though each point. Perhaps it’s all glowing, maybe there’s a few areas for improvement… either way, you leave the meeting on a high, ready to tackle the day. The problem can be that this ‘high’ can be relatively short lived, and soon enough doubts can creep in… “Could that meeting have gone better?”, “Does the client like me?” or “What if I drink too much coffee?”. I hypothesise that this is particularly the case with remote working where interactions are (in the main) more focussed and project related. There’s not much opportunity to see the non-verbal feedback or audible ‘Micro validations’… so it’s hard to baseline where you’re at and check you're doing a good job.

So what do I mean by ‘Micro validations’? It’s nothing revolutionary really… in fact many people are already very good at it. It’s recognising people’s involvement and achievements all the time. It should be authentic and based in reality, but needs to happen at the point that we identify someone has done something well. Examples might be “Well done on that presentation”, “Thanks for stepping last minute to cover that meeting” or “That diagram was great, I could see the client appreciated the hard work you put into it”.

Additionally, I was reminded today by fellow ‘Diagram enthusiast’ Bryan Stallings , that we should also strive to go beyond just performance feedback, and focus on ‘Impact feedback’. That being, you highlight how the individuals’ actions had an effect - “The way you diffused that heated conversation really helped move the meeting to a more positive outcome” or “Taking charge on that meeting really helped me out and made my day a lot easier”.

Whilst it might not seem like much to the person giving the micro feedback, it can have a hugely positive effect on the receiver. We absolutely don’t know what someone might be going though each day, and with remote work it is much harder to see the signs of someone ‘having a bad day’, so the micro validation might just be the one thing that adds some positivity and clarity on what they are doing that day (plus they’ll take that validation with them for days or weeks to come).

"You might just be the human who makes someone’s day"

So I know that some people can find ‘giving a compliment’ to be an uncomfortable experience, but the more you do it, the easier it becomes and you might just be the human who makes someone’s day. Shout out to all the colleagues and clients who have done this for me in the past and made a tricky day a significantly better one… this post is inspired by you all. Good job!

Tanner Walz

Sr Commercial Account Executive at Lucid

1 年

Love the idea of "impact feedback." Going to start implementing this with my kids as well!

Duarte Teles

Senior Delivery Manager

2 年

The best examples I could find are from you Leo Barnes - most recently in our first project working together! You do this very naturally and it gave me boosts of confidence and re-assurance I was doing the right things! Also big shout out to Claire Lowry-Hubball and Nikki Scarr who are absolute masters in providing "micro validation" and consistently offering constructive feedback, that always allowed me to reflect and improve, but again always boosting my confidence when doing so and allowed me to appreciate how important this is when working in a team environment ...thanks!

Jonathan White ???

Once Lead Designer for Disney’s The Lion King. Now helping climate tech brands tell their own story...

2 年

Great read Leo and loved the Top Gun references! When I managed my team at John Lewis I certainly tried to provide regular shots of caffeine, on top of the twice annual Grande (or even Venti) sized coffees. Sometimes the espresso machine needs a clean or a service though! ??

Bryan Stallings

Chief Evangelist at Lucid Software | I help teams see and build the future | I provide thought leadership that guides willing individuals to create collaborative, human interactions

2 年

So true Leo - giving and receiving regular feedback is vital. Like the saying goes, "if you see something, say something!" I think we need to go beyond "performance feedback" such as "that was good" and instead offer "impact feedback" using this format, "when you did / said X, the impact on me was Y." You may appreciate this webinar on feedback https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/webinars/brent-barton-sept-2021

Kelly Brooks

?? Helping Philanthropists & HNWIs to achieve their legacy giving ambitions at the world’s largest cancer charity. ?? Award winning professional ??? Product owner ? Patron of positivity. ??? Reformed people pleaser.

2 年

Love this Leo Barnes - thanks for sharing - I'm a huge believer in showing people appreciation and grattitude in the moment! Not only does it brighten their day but, just like gift-giving, it makes you feel good in the process ??

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