Leadership Development News Roundup: Giving and Receiving Feedback Edition

One of the hallmarks of a great leader is the ability to give and receive feedback in a constructive way that improves people and the organization they’re part of. When giving feedback, it’s important to be direct and allow the recipient as much dignity as possible. When receiving, it’s just as important to listen and not become defensive. Most leaders will spend a good amount of time on both sides of these conversations, so it’s worth your time to work on giving and receiving feedback.For this week’s Leadership Development News Roundup, I’ve assembled a collection of articles and blog posts with information and advice on using feedback to better yourself, your team and your organization.

• 31 Things You Should Never Say During A Performance Review. Business Insider: “Michael Kerr, an international business speaker and author of ‘You Can't Be Serious! Putting Humor to Work,’ says it's tempting and all too easy if you are on the receiving end of a review to express frustration at the process or get defensive. But you should resist the temptation, he says, ‘because you'll want to demonstrate that you are truly listening to what’s being said and taking it all in without rushing to judgement,’ and that you are open to receiving honest feedback, and willing to learn and grow.”

• How To Receive Feedback And Criticism. Forbes: “Constructive criticism is an important ingredient for personal and professional development and for strengthening relationships. Whether it’s from your boss, a mentor, an executive coach, or even from anonymous surveys, being receptive to feedback is essential. But let’s face it, criticism hurts. We all say we want feedback, but we don’t really. What we truly want is to be liked, to be loved, to fit in, to have our boss think we’re awesome. And criticism, by definition, is letting us know that we still have some work to do. It puts a ding in our self-worth and ego.”

• 4 Tips for Building a High-Performance Culture Around Constructive Feedback.Serious Startups: “Continuous, transparent employee feedback is great, but not all feedback is created equal. Constructive criticism encourages people and incentivizes improvement, while non-constructive (i.e., destructive) feedback actually inhibits growth. Understanding the differences between these approaches will enhance your interactions with employees and expose their true potential.”

• Is it Difficult to Provide Feedback to Employees Continuously? HR Zone: “Performance management starts by setting goals and then reviewing employee performance against these goals. Traditionally, performance was reviewed only once or twice a year.  But current day performance management focuses on continuous coaching and development of employees and giving continuous or regular feedback on their performance.”

• 3 Tips For Giving Millennial Employees Feedback. Lindsey Pollak: “In my experience, when Millennial employees don’t know when they’ll be receiving feedback, they tend to get antsy or worry they aren’t doing well. One way to curb their constant requests for feedback is to set clear expectations for when feedback will occur. That might mean scheduling a regular weekly one-on-one meeting, promising a check-in at the end of every project or sending regularly scheduled emails with constructive feedback.”

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