Oil in the Engine

We have a wonderful episode for you this week on the Team Check-In podcast featuring Anna Wildman! Tune in to hear what Anna has to say about the do's and don'ts of feedback in the workplace, why the feedback sandwich may not be as effective as you think, how different power dynamics can affect the way feedback is received, and more! 👇 🔗 https://lnkd.in/d6DWvUvY #Feedback #HR #EmployeeEngagement

When does asking 'Would you like some feedback' actually get in the way? Guidance suggests that if you want to share some feedback, you should ask the person if they are open to hearing it first. But if you're their manager, this approach can in fact make the discussion MORE awkward, not less. This is because day-to-day exchanges about what is and isn't working should be a routine part of your relationship with your team. And in both directions 😅 These discussions are easy to set up. Just ask each team member what works best for them. - Do they like to lead the conversation from the start? - Do they prefer plenty of encouragement (and who doesn't)? - Is their preference to dive straight in? And so on. ⭐ Top tip? Don't 'give feedback'! Instead, 'rumble' together - as Brene Brown wonderfully puts it - and ask about how the TASK is going, what's working and where there may be challenges. No need to ask, 'Would you like some feedback'. Instead say, 'Let's take a few minutes to look at how [X] is going and what might help'. Perhaps it's an approach you already use? hashtag #CEDARfeedback #NowYoureTalking #greatmanagers

Why does it matter to have a 'diagnosis' step when discussing feedback? Because without this understanding, any actions set are likely to be guesswork or only partly successful. That's because almost every outcome isn't down to one thing. Yes, it may be affected by something they did or didn't do. But - in the case of developmental feedback - perhaps budgets, resources or time have also become tight. Maybe customers or clients are tightening their purse strings. Maybe (and this is a tough one) the problem is you as the manager. If so, you need to know, if only to stop it happening again. The more you take the time to ask questions about what might be behind a situation the more it helps to generate essential insights. It also encourages your team member to learn how to analyse situations for themselves. Together these make this step probably the most essential part of the whole conversation. #CEDARfeedback #NowYoureTalking

Ever need to lead a 'no promotion' conversation? 4 steps. 10 examples of words that work. Simply type 'copy' in the comments and I'll get my Conversation Guide to Explaining No Promotion across to you. #NowYoureTalking #CEDARfeedback #Difficultconversations #oilintheengine

'Sorry, but you havent been promoted'. Disappointment? Anger? Tears? If this is ever a surprise to your team member, here's a few things best NOT to say: 🤷 'At least...' This can feel dismissive. 💁🏾 'You never know…' Dangling a carrot like this may be unfair, and lacks any real plan. 🧏♂️ 'Think of this as an opportunity...' A bit more tricky this one. The idea behind it is good, but it can feel corny. Plus, they are unlikely to be ready to switch into a more positive mindset right away. Keep it for the follow-up conversation. 🤦🏻 'It’s down to senior management...' This ducks our own responsibility, firstly because we may have failed to help our team member understand their realistic chances of being promoted. Secondly, blaming others is not a good look. 🙅🏽 'Joe didn’t let it upset him...' Avoid talking about other people. 💁♀️ 'You’ll definitely get it next time...' This can be tempting, but is usually a promise that you may not be able to keep. To know what DOES work, both a framework and examples of the words to use, simply put COPY in the comments and I'll dm my conversation guide across. #NowYoureTalking #CEDARfeedback #difficultconversations

Face-to-face conversations between managers and their people are EYE-WATERINGLY critical. According to Gallup, 70% or more of employee engagement is down to the manager. That has a profound impact on productivity. They are also a life-long career skill for managers. I'd be delighted to chat about how to help managers lead powerful performance conversations. To move that dial in your own company AND track that return on your investment, there's a calendly link on my profile or use this link https://lnkd.in/dWFMUsju #Increaseproductivity #NowYoureTalking #employeeenagement

The final step in any feedback conversation? Follow up together to REVIEW progress. Each day this week Ive been covering one of the CEDAR steps, and the last one of reviewing action can seem less important. Thats not the case. This is partly because it emphasises an expectation for action. That ignoring or quietly letting any plan slide isn't an option. It's also because if your team member chooses the date, they're much more likely to commit to it. BTW, This step is arguably even more important with positive feedback that will help them progress further. Tips here are to: 📌Ask your team member to pick a time. If their choice doesnt work for you, explain why. 📌Confirm any support you'll give them, things like opportunities to practice often need your help. 📌Show confidence in their ability to move the situation forward. 📌When you do follow up, give recognition for progress and 'nearly right' actions. Doing something new or different takes effort, and your encouragement matters. This is the last step of CEDAR. If you'd prefer the full clip right away you can find it here (7.33 min), just below the graphic. https://lnkd.in/euaEkMXz Do you use CEDAR as a framework? Do share your thoughts. The model - though that sounds horribly formal, I prefer just to see it simply as a loose framework - was developed by seeing what drives the recipient's buy-in. In a word? Collaboration. People hate being told. It's why my conversation guides (in my website resources) are mainly a series of questions for you to ask. No signup needed. #CEDARfeedback #CEDAR #Difficultconversations

Feedback that feeds FORWARD 👍 Each day this week I'm exploring a different step of CEDAR feedback. Today we've reached the all-important ACTION step. This is where your conversation switches to 'feed forward' and looks at what next. Useful tips here are to: 📌 Always ask your team member for their ideas first. That way they'll own the plan. What actions would they like to take to close any gaps? And if the feedback is positive (hopefully it sometimes is), where might they use their capabilities further to keep that progress going? 📌 Encourage them to be as concrete and specific as possible. The clearer the overall plan, the more likely people are to follow it. It can be especially helpful to explore the initial steps in more detail to get momentum going. 📌 Do make suggestions where helpful, just not too soon. A great way to do this is to ask, 'What if you tried this...?' It takes self-control not to leap in with solutions, but it'll be worth it. 📌Ask how you can support them. Many plans will need some back-up from you, such as coaching, extra information, or simply being available when your team member needs advice. If there are any roadblocks getting in their way, let them know what action you will take to remove them. Where obstacles can’t be shifted for whatever reason, try to reduce their impact as much as possible. 📌 State any boundaries clearly. If they suggest actions that you can’t support, explain why not. For example, people sometimes ask for extra colleagues to help out with a particular task, or to delegate part of their work to others. If this isn’t possible then you’ll need to say so. It can feel unsympathetic, but it’s better than making promises you can’t keep. Tomorrow is the final step, Review. If you'd prefer the full clip right away you can find it here (7.33 min), just below the graphic. https://lnkd.in/euaEkMXz Plus there's downloadable conversation guides for both you AND your team member in the resources section, no signup needed 😃 #CEDARFeedback #CEDAR #Difficultconversations #NowYoureTalking

Developing insights...this is where the magic of feedback happens. The third step in CEDAR feedback is Diagnosis. It's where we ask our team member what they think might be the reasons behind what happened, the WHY. This is essential - definitely not a 'nice to have' - because without it, any actions to take forward are likely to be based on guesswork. Many situations are a combination of factors, not one single cause. A careful discussion here will help you see if there's any wider influences that might be important to address. Great questions include: ❓“What led up to where you are now?” ❓“Can you walk me through your thinking?” ❓“What wider influences were there?” ❓“Looking at your own actions or capabilities, where do you think these might have had an impact?” As with other steps, do add your own thoughts, but ask FIRST. It gives your team member invaluable autonomy in the discussion, and can create powerful insights. Then listen out for the 5 main reasons why someone may be underperforming: 1. They need learning/coaching 2. They are short on motivation 3. Something or someone outside work is distracting them 4. In a few instances, they may lack the capacity they need for the role, or the organisation may lack the capacity to support them 5. They may have become alienated. (Adapted from the CLADA model by David Pendleton, in case you'd like to know more). Tomorrow I'll cover the Action step. If you'd prefer the full clip right away you can find it here (7.33 min), just below the graphic. https://lnkd.in/euaEkMXz Plus there's downloadable conversation guides for both you AND your team member in the resources section, no signup needed.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, exactly?" It's not always easy for people to see where feedback has come from. It's why the second step in CEDAR feedback is Examples, to remind us to illustrate the feedback clearly. Both for positive and development feedback. Tips are to: 📌 Explore examples jointly. In many instances people will readily identify these for themselves, but colour in any gaps about the what-when-where. 📌 Group examples into one batch. Drip dripping them throughout the discussion one-by-one can make people feel like theyre playing whack-a-mole, as soon as they explain away one example up pops another. Collecting them into one single explanation will help them recognise the full impact right away. 📌 Avoid making it about you. If the feedback is about a gap and you were affected, explain this objectively. It wont help the emotional temperature to say, "You ruined my entire weekend". The aim here is change, not reprisal. Tomorrow I'll cover the Diagnosis step. If you'd prefer the full clip right away you can find it here (7.33 min), just below the graphic. https://lnkd.in/euaEkMXz  Plus there's downloadable conversation guides for both you AND your team member in the resources section, no signup needed.