Mastering Effective Feedback: Time vs. Importance Matrix for Success
Giving feedback is one of my favourite topics of leadership development. It’s a critical skill for managers and leaders but it can be frustratingly easy to get lost in the 'How' and forget the 'Why' and 'When'. This is particularly true at the start of your management career.
Why we give feedback:
➡️ To assist people's growth and development
➡️ To raise or evoke their awareness
➡️ To give them a chance to meet a standard or improve
➡️ To provide context and assist in their self-orientation.
When it feels difficult to give feedback, often we:
confuse it with making a personal judgment about someone's character, rather than about a behaviour or action, which can trigger a defensive reaction or a threat response for us and the other person.
fear a negative reaction or outcome and slip into perfectionism trying to find 'the right way' to say things - maybe even avoiding it altogether.
lack strategies for how to say what we want to say.
feel uncertain about what we can say or can't say, especially in hierarchical leadership or boundaried situations.
feel we have to be perceived as 'strong', 'in charge' and ‘in control’ - lumbering us with emotional pressure.
forget how valuable quality feedback is.
How we do it matters:
As leaders, we certainly don’t need to express every thought that comes to mind; but if we lack emotional intelligence and self-awareness, we may find ourselves offering feedback impulsively, which can be counterproductive for our teams.
Keep it simple - work with a framework if necessary - there are many you can choose from. Here are a few I find particularly effective - my fave is highlighted:
WWW/EBI (What Worked Well / would be Even Better If)
🌟(T)ASK (Timely - Actionable - Specific - Kind)🌟
SBI (Situation - Behaviour - Impact)
EEC (Example - Effect - Change/Continue).
Choosing the right time is also critical. I've designed a simple 'Importance X Time' matrix to help - see below.
#EffectiveLeadership #FeedbackCulture #LeadershipDevelopment
