I Have Some Feedback for You.
By Chris Foy, Executive Coach and Mentor Coach at Chris Foy Coaching & Consulting Corporation and Level 52 Associate
As a leader and coach, I have seen many struggle with offering feedback. Frankly, it took me a long time to overcome my own fear of delivering feedback clearly and effectively to the people I work with.
Leaders often fear giving feedback because they worry about causing discomfort, being disliked, or being misunderstood. They may also fear potential retaliation or the possibility of demotivating the recipient. However, with self-awareness, courage, and effective feedback skills, these fears can be managed.
In my experience, avoiding feedback is one of the most selfish things a leader can do. In fact, when leaders overcome their fear of giving feedback, they discover that it strengthens their relationships and serves as a powerful tool for growth and development.
I have used and been exposed to many approaches to feedback in my work, and the one I keep coming back to in my coaching was created by Level 52. It's covered in detail in the Level 52 Accelerated Leadership Program (ALP) as a simple yet powerful framework for giving feedback, whether it's recognition or redirection, and is called the BID model.
BID stands for Behaviour, Impact, and Do. Here's how it works:
Behaviour: Start by describing the behaviour you've observed. This isn't about making judgments or assumptions, but simply stating what you've seen.
Impact: Next, use your curiosity approach to help the individual understand the impact of their behaviour. Instead of telling them what the impact is, ask a question that guides them to see it for themselves. Be prepared to share the impacts you see.
NOTE: Consider all “dimensions” of impact.
to the person receiving the feedback
to you (the person delivering the feedback)
to the work at hand, the organization as a whole, or even the customer.
Do: Finally, make a clear request for the action you'd like the person to take. This should be a specific, actionable step that they can take to improve.
Let's consider a few examples. Here is one which offers redirection towards more active meeting participation:
Behaviour - I noticed during the meeting that you were quiet and didn't contribute much.
Impact - How might your silence during the meeting have affected the team's decision-making process?
Do - In future meetings, I'd like you to share your thoughts, expertise, and experience. All are valuable. When we hear your perspective, it helps us make better decisions as a business.
Using this model (in its entirety) for reinforcement is also very powerful. So often we say things like “thanks for the suggestions on my draft”, when we should have a BID conversation. Here is an example:
Behaviour - I appreciated the time you took to review my report and the specific suggestions that you made on areas for improvement.
Impact - The final report was improved by your ideas, and the clarity that you provided made it easy to implement them. How else do you think your suggestions helped?
Do - Going forward, please continue to be open and specific with your comments to me and the rest of the team; this will help us to grow as writers.
The goal of the BID model is not to criticize or control, but to foster understanding and growth. It's about helping individuals see the connection between their behaviour and its impact, and empowering them to take positive action.
Although the model is straightforward, it requires practice to master. Fortunately, every leader I know has lots of opportunities to practice, whether it’s to recognize and reinforce or redirect.
As you take advantage of these opportunities, here are some actions and thoughts to consider:
If you’re already great at giving feedback to the people you work with, try the BID method.
If you’re like most of us and find feedback challenging, what's holding you back from trying this model out?
If you would like to know more about how mastering feedback can make your leadership more meaningful, reach out and book some time with me to discuss it via this link or connect with Level 52 to learn what else is offered in the Accelerated Leader Program.
