Avoid a Common Mistake When Providing Feedback

Providing Feedback

When providing feedback to team members, one of the biggest mistakes people make is attaching the labels of “positive” or “negative” to it.

We take the mistake even further when we are receiving feedback.

Amateur’s Game

Viewing feedback as positive or negative triggers unproductive thinking, feelings, and behaviors. This is an amateur’s game.

Example 1: If you’re a person who tends to avoid difficult exchanges and you think you have “negative” feedback to share with someone, there’s a high probability that you simply won’t share it at all and that person doesn’t get the gift of your support.

Example 2: When your teammate offers you feedback and you’re in the habit of attaching a “positive” or “negative” label to it, chances are you’re missing out on valuable information and potentially impacting the trust in that relationship.

High Performing Mindset

INSTEAD: Practice REMOVING the words “positive” and “negative” from your vocabulary. 

High-performing leaders view feedback as supportive, helpful, useful, essential, specific…

Just like a coach who helps an athlete recognize where he’s missing the mark on form, you can help your team members learn more quickly where they’re missing the mark in their performance.

[photo by Jonathan Borba]