We like the Lencioni model (outlined in this book “The Five dysfunctions of a team”) .  One of the things that the framework calls for is honest, regular feedback all ways within a team – from a leader to their reports, between peers, to more senior staff.  We have a simple Challenge Choice flow chart to help think about these options (available on request).

Practising giving feedback in a safe space (such as a team workshop with an external coach) can be useful. However, team members can be suspicious of neat solutions. The “start positive, then give the challenge, end positive” layered approach is regularly referred to as the ‘sh*t sandwich’ by client groups!

We like to think of practising feedback at 3 levels:

1) First, and simply, each member of the team lists one thing they appreciate about their colleague and one thing they would like to be different

2) Level two, allows for colleagues to list all that is on their mind, good or bad – a sort of ‘Personal Feedback Profit and Loss Account’

3) Level three, encourages colleagues to position themselves and each other on a 2×2 of aptitude (technical skill) by attitude (behaviours). This is gritty work and needs a well-developed level of trust.

If you want a couple of visuals to bring this to life (the Feedback Framework, The Challenge Choice Chart and the Aptitude x Attitude grid), let us know!

Tags: communication