Our Approach to Communication & Feedback
A healthy feedback culture helps build the muscle for moving towards conflict rather than avoiding it; it provides a holistic approach to professional development and is the crux to a high performing organisation.
At ATT we have 2 main sets of feedback tools: Matrix & Work-related feedback. While they are independent frameworks, there's a lot of cross over between the two. It's best to see them as tools that can be tools that are useful in different scenarios. To summarise, Matrix's main focus is to build, maintain and restore connection between people. Its also useful for processing feedback that involves emotions. Work related feedback aims to create and maintain a high performing culture.
Our Feedback tools
Introduction to Feedback
Feedback is an important component of generating a collective sense of ownership for the organisation. We're ALL responsible for giving feedback to ensure that our interpersonal connections remain strong, our organisational and individual performance remain at a high level and that our organisational norms are adhered to.
We recognise that different situations will require different approaches to feedback. Relevant factors are: The topic; the available time and the relationship between giver and receiver. There's no 1 right way to give feedback, rather its best to understand the different variables and approaches and then use your intuition to give the best feedback you can.
There is significant overlap between 'Matrix' and 'Work-related Feedback'. We encourage mix and matching elements of both.
Work Related Feedback
4A Feedback - Giving Feedback
We use the 4As model of feedback
Giving Feedback
Aim to assist
Feedback is best received when you explicitly explain how the feedback helps either them or the organisation. Best way to do this is to first state explicitly the impact of your suggestion and secondly state impact of their action.
Poor feedback: "It's really irritating when you come to the interview debriefs without notes". (A focus on venting over helping the recipient).
Better feedback: Not bringing your notes to the debrief inhibited your contribution. Its best if you bring them next time. (This is good feedback, but not great. Best feedback indicates how the suggestion will help them first. The first thing the recipient reads can impact how feedback is received).
Great feedback: "I think you'll be able to make a more convincing case if you bring your notes to the interview debrief next time, I had the impression you were inhibited without them. (Explicitly states how feedback will help them. Also mentions the impact the action had).
Poor feedback: "Its so frustrating when you don't put headers on your emails. It takes me so much longer to organise my emails. (A focus on venting over helping the recipient)
Better feedback: I find it hard to prioritise your emails when you don't put a header. Can you begin to include them" (Its clear, but can be made better by stating how this will help them)
Great feedback: "If you put a header in your emails, you'll likely get a more timely response from me." (Explicitly states how feedback will help them & implicitly states impact of their action)
Actionable
Make sure to indicate what they can do differently. We want problem solvers, not problem bringers.
Poor feedback: "the interviewing template is hindering the recruitment process" (Too indirect)
Better feedback: The organisational skills section on the interview template is quite brief and its making it hard for the interviewing team to test for them. Can you help? (If you can be specific about what they can do, it makes the feedback much easier to take action on)
Great feedback: "if you could explain to the team how to test for organisational skills in the interview, you'll build a stronger interviewing team. As a member of the interviewing team, I know we've been struggling". (The feedback is explicitly actionable)
Leading with Inquiry
Aiming to Assist and making feedback Actionable are key elements of giving feedback. Leading with inquiry is another useful tool. It can look like "how did you experience your delivery of the presentation"? or "how have you experienced your delivery at work recently"? It can be wise to lead with inquiry in some instances
When a circle lead delivers feedback to a circle member. While not needed every time, it can be power inducing for the recipient to come up with their own answers, over being told what to do
When a personal relationship is weak, feedback is more likely to be received in a defensive manner. By leading with inquiry, recipients are likely to be more open in their response
Feedback that elicits emotion can be hard to frame in a way that assists the other person or organisation. It may then be wise to use the matrix tools.
Feedback Steward
Owen, Dilan & Laila fill a Feedback Steward role. If you need support giving or receiving feedback, come and speak to us.
4A Feedback - Receiving Feedback
Receiving Feedback
Appreciate
Thank Them. It may feel strange, especially if you disagree. But expressing gratitude opens communication. It shows you value their desire to help you. A prime way to receive may be: "Thank you for your feedback. I'll have to think about that one, but I welcome your courage to tell me".
Accept or Discard
You are likely to receive lots of feedback. You are expected to listen & consider all feedback provided. You are not required to follow it. Say thank you with sincerity, but you and the provider must understand that the decision to react to the feedback is completely up to the recipient. If the feedback in unclear, its needs further discussion, Follow Up. Demonstrate your dedication to growth. Check back in with the person. Invite ongoing feedback.
Bonus tips to embrace feedback
Pause Before Reacting. When you get feedback, don't rush to respond. Take a moment to think. This pause helps you absorb the message.
Ask Clarifying Questions. Aim to understand. Ask for examples or specifics. It shows you're engaged and eager to learn.
Reflect and Decide. After receiving feedback, take time to reflect. Consider how this information can benefit you. It's okay if some aspects don't resonate.
Make a Plan. If action is needed, plan it out. Apply what you've learned. That's the path to growth.
Further information
Frequency
Anytime: Feedback using this model is encouraged to be given at anytime.
Monthly 360 feedback: Once a month, everyone will fill out the google feedback forms of everyone in their circle/s & anyone else it is worth giving feedback to that month. You can find these on peoples GlassFrog Profiles under Notes
Feedback can be given in person OR online depending on what you feel is appropriate.
Writing feedback online can take the pressure off having to deliver feedback well in real time. If the topic is sensitive, it's best to plan how your going to give feedback in advance and then give it in person.
Not-Anonymous: The google feedback forms will not be anonymous. We encourage people to follow up on feedback they received to help their development
Taking feedback with a pinch of salt / assuming good intentions: We're not expecting you to all be experts in giving feedback, yet we realise its paramount to success. When receiving feedback, its best to assume good intent. If you think they've got it wrong, have a chat with them and discuss. We're all mature adults, let approach feedback in such a way.
More Work-related feedback Examples - Note feedback can be too direct & too indirect.
Just Right
Aims to assist and is Actionable
1) If you stop picking your teeth in external partner meetings, the partners are more likely to see you as professional, and we're more likely to build a strong relationship with them.
2) If you consult your team members throughout a project, you're more likely to have a greater impact at then end. It might take longer, in the short-term, but you'll likely save lots of time in the long term-having avoided the need to make reparations for not consulting. Its seems that you could have consulted more during project X and consequently had a greater impact.
3) If you had shortened your presentation and left more time at the end for questions, I reckon we all would have benefited a lot more. I found the presentation useful, but the main benefit was the discussion.
Too Indirect
Typically by not indicating how feedback Assists the recipient or feedback is not Actionable
1) You're etiquette during the external meetings were unprofessional.
2) You're project seemed quite narrow minded.
3) I didn't find your presentation as useful as I'd hoped.
Too Direct
Typically because of: A focus of venting over assisting; using of strong modal verbs such as 'must', 'ought to', 'have to'.
1) Picking your teeth during meetings makes us look ridiculous. There's not a chance we'll be able to collaborate with them when you do things like that.
2) Did you even consult anyone on this project? Do you realise the time implications this has? We'll be trying to fix this for a while..
3) I had so many questions I didn't get to ask during your presentation. Its annoying that I only got in 1
Matrix
Appreciative Feedback
State what they did, how it positively impacted yourself or the wider organisation and how it impacts your connection with that person.
Differentiating Feedback
1) Ask to provide feedback - Its wise to see whether the recipient is in a good headspace to hear the feedback. If they are not, providing feedback may perpetuate the tension/
2) Provide the Feedback - We use the form 'when you did X, the impact on me was Y and the impact on our connection is Z.
If you're feedback comes with baggage, make sure to have processed your emotions before hand. Use the following resources for guidance. Remember, often the IMPACT and INTENTION of an action are not the same. The way someone is impacted by an action may be influenced by:
· Personality (e.g extravert / introvert, agreeable / antagonistic)
· Mood (e.g. tired / energised, calm / angry)
· Connection with the person (e.g strong friend / stranger / don’t get along)
· Baggage (e.g. trauma / anxiety)
· Needs (e.g need to be liked, heard, cared for) – More on needs in the following section on nonviolent communication
Its important to OWN the impact an action has on us. By doing so, the feedback we provided does not carry blame, an assumption of malicious intent and allows for open dialogue.
3) Recipient clarifies what they've heard - The recipient feeds back what they've heard to ensure they're heard correctly. This can be a bit tricky if the recipient is thinking through the lens of their own intention and not through the impact on the other person.
4) Recipient empathises with the other person - Despite what was intended, its important the recipient can recognise and empathise with the way the other person was impacted. It can be useful to understand why the other person felt the way they did in order to be able to empathise.
5) Recipient shares their intention - Once the giver of the feedback feels heard, the recipient can share what their own intentions were. At this point the two can have a discussion as to why there might have been miscommunication
6) Either person can make a request of the other to respect their differences - The end goal here isn't necessarily to always find a resolution. But rather for both people to have their emotions heard and there differences expressed and respected.
Further information
Click here to watch the Matrix Onboarding Videos
If the purpose is to restore connection, feedback is given in person
To build or maintain connection, appreciative feedback should be given in person, but can be given online for time purposes.
The Matrix framework is best used if there are emotions involved in the discussion.
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