- You won’t survive a marathon if you’ve not been running.
- Your team is unlikely to win the game if
you’ve not played since last season.
- Unless you’ve tickled the keyboard daily, the piano competition will go badly.
That all seems obvious, right?
Then why do organizations so fiercely embrace the (outdated & unproved) notion that managers can hold difficult conversations without training?
As I was writing this post, a client showed up in angst. A team member had asked, “how am I doing?” and my client felt uncomfortable in the space
of offering critical feedback.
That client recently took up running, and remembers the pain as her muscles adjusted. Yet today she craves running because of how great she feels when in flow.
During the coaching session she realized she must move through that process to improve her coaching and feedback skills: first, some awkwardness (and pain), then through practice into flow when she gets comfortable.
Want to join her? The practice framing for feedback is similar whether
positive or critical:
“I saw what you did <specifics>, AND…. “
- If positive, follow with appreciation and why.
- If
critical, explain why, then use questions to engage the person in their own growth.
Most importantly, you must make this practice a daily priority.
