Ayelet Fishbach, a marketing professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and author of 'Get It Done', dives into the crucial role of feedback in personal and professional growth. She discusses effective ways to present feedback so that it resonates and prompts action. Ayelet emphasizes the importance of after-action reviews in learning from both successes and failures. She also explores overcoming the emotional barriers of negative feedback and reframing failure as a stepping stone to success.
The context in which feedback is delivered shapes its reception, significantly impacting individuals' motivation and willingness to improve.
Implementing after-action reviews fosters a culture of continuous growth by encouraging reflection on successes and areas for enhancement.
Deep dives
The Importance of Context in Feedback
The context in which feedback is delivered significantly influences how it's received and interpreted by recipients. Many individuals, whether as managers or employees, react differently based on their history and the specific circumstances surrounding the feedback process. It's not just the content of the feedback that shapes one's response; the surrounding factors can lead someone to feel either empowered to improve or discouraged and resigned. Understanding this dynamic helps highlight the necessity of thoughtful communication when giving and receiving feedback.
After-Action Review Framework
The after-action review is a powerful framework for self-reflection and assessment of performance following any significant task or project. It encourages individuals and teams to identify what they aimed to achieve, how far they got, and where improvements can be made. This structured approach not only helps in recognizing successes but also uncovers areas needing enhancement, promoting continuous growth. By normalizing this practice after any major initiative, organizations can foster a culture of learning and incremental progress.
Feedback: Lessons from Failure
Feedback, especially negative feedback, often carries valuable insights that can be overlooked due to emotional responses or cognitive barriers. It is crucial for individuals and teams to reframe failures as opportunities for learning rather than merely perceiving them as setbacks. Encouraging an environment where feedback, including negative feedback, is processed constructively allows teams to evolve and refine their strategies effectively. By embracing this mindset, organizations can leverage past mistakes to inform future actions and bolster overall performance.
Building a Feedback Culture
Creating a feedback-friendly culture within an organization is essential for motivating teams and driving success. Business owners and leaders need to actively encourage open communication about performance, especially in situations of failure, and reward transparency when setbacks occur. By acknowledging the value in sharing bad news and facilitating discussions around what was learned, a more resilient and engaged workforce can be cultivated. This approach not only mitigates the fear associated with failure but also promotes continuous improvement and collaboration.
Providing effective feedback is one of the most important skills that a leader needs to possess. Throughout your day, whether you realize it or not, many of your interactions are going to be about providing the actionable feedback that others need to help grow the business.
In this episode, Joel Miller walks through two different forms of communication: feedback that you give to others and feedback that you give to yourself. In the first half of the episode, Michael Hyatt and Megan Hyatt Miller talk through all of the steps of the After Action Review and explain how it is an essential part of growing Full Focus. After that, Joel speaks with Ayelet Fishbach, psychologist in the University of Chicago Booth's School of Business and author of Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation. They talk about how to present feedback in ways that people can hear and act on.
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