| Humor at Work |
ISSUE 761 - Feb. 13, 2019 |
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How to Get Less Annoying Feedback |
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Someone unsubscribed to this ezine last week, with the no-so-helpful feedback: "annoying." Okay, so you can't win them all! But simply saying something is annoying offers no help whatsoever. Which got me thinking about feedback and the importance of taking responsibility as the person
on the receiving end of feedback.
Creating a culture of honest feedback helps create high-performing teams and it helps all of us get better at our jobs. Surveys suggest that while the majority of employees (84%) say they want to improve their performance at work, most consider feedback about as fun as a root canal with a jittery dentist. In fact, heart rates increase in people on both sides of a feedback conversation. So here are a few thoughts on how to manage
a feedback conversation when you are on the receiving end.
1. If you don't like unsolicited feedback (and really, who does?) then speak up! You can always reschedule a meeting if and when you are ready to accept the person's feedback.
2. Don't ask for feedback if you're not ready to hear some uncomfortable truths, so have a clear goal in mind before asking for feedback.
3. The environment matters: choose a neutral, comfortable location.
4. Know that it's no picnic for the person giving the feedback either, so the more you put them at ease, the more likely it is you'll get better quality feedback.
5. Set parameters. Be specific about what you want feedback on and what is out of bounds. Come with prepared, specific questions in mind to help guide the conversation. Focus on feed-forward (what you need to change in the future) and don't forget to ask for the positives as well.
6. Ask follow-up questions for clarity; try not to make one of them, "Oh yeah, says who?"
7. This one is easier said than done: Adopt an open mindset. Listen without judgement and reaction. Don't take it personally - the feedback should be focused on behaviors you can change, it's not a personal attack, even though it can sometimes feel that way. If needed, call for a break and reschedule after you've had time to digest the feedback. And never, ever give the feedback provider a wedgie or a noogie, no matter how tempted you are.
8. Turn asking for feedback into a habit. Studies show the more often you ask for it, the easier it gets.
9. Bring your best self-effacing sense of humor along for the ride!
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Mike's Fun at Work Tip |
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It's Get a Different Name Day today, so why not use this as a simple meeting icebreaker. Or turn it into a theme day for one day this month, where everyone wears a "Hello My Name Is___ " name tag identifying themselves with their chosen different name for the day.
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Deep Thought of the Week |
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"When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that person is crazy." Dave Barry
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It's a Wacky World |
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A one-second Norwegian radio ad made it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the shortest radio ad ever. It was an ad for, yup, Guinness Book of World Records.
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Cost-Savings to Bring Mike in to Energize Your Workplace!
Vancouver: March 15 or 18
Edmonton: May 30 or 31
Toronto: May 9
Winnipeg: May 14
Toronto: May 24
Montreal: Big savings for May!
Toronto: June 10-12
Atlanta: June 13-15
Halifax: June 26, 27
Culture Webinar
There's still time! In just a few hours, Michael will be presenting an idea-packed webinar: "Onboarding and Culture: Helping New Hires Understand Cultural Norms"
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Copyright © 2019 Humor at Work. All Rights Reserved.
mike@mikekerr.com
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