Want your people to be open to your feedback? Set the tone by first asking for it yourself.

Sam Harrowfield.

Current thinking regarding feedback culture in organisations is that feedback works best when people ask for it. The ideal is to develop a culture where people regularly ask each other for feedback. This should be modelled by leaders to encourage uptake by the wider team.

We are in the best possible mindset to receive feedback when we intentionally ask for it. When asking for feedback the principle is to invite the person for their thoughts, using specific questions that guide them in their response, rather than just asking for “feedback” in a general sense.

For feedback on your current performance:

^ What do I do well in my role that you would like me to keep doing?

^ What would you like me to do differently or stop doing in my role?

^ What would you like me to start doing more of in my role?

If you are seeking feedback around a specific piece of work/interaction:

^ What is one thing I did there that was really effective/impactful?

^ What would you suggest I do next time to be more effective/impactful?

Hope this helps!

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We’re in the training business – human skills to be precise. We help people to understand themselves, understand others and therefore communicate in a more effective, meaningful way when they are at work. We love it!

I’m Sam Harrowfield, and together with my partner Ruth, we run Harrowfield People Development, a strategic learning agency based in Auckland, New Zealand.

We draw on the disciplines of organisational and behavioural psychology to provide fit-for-purpose experiences that build capability and confidence.

We help business leaders to bring out the potential that they see in their people by shaping habits of thinking, communication and action in the workplace. ☎️ Talk to us today 📱