FEEDBACK
Your Employees Need A Feedback Tool. Here's Why
There is no question that personal feedback is immensely useful and valuable. And not only for the recipient, but also for the person giving it. They have the opportunity to influence future events by appreciating the things they liked about actions of the other person – or by pointing out what they thought could be done better, differently next time. Moreover, feedback strengthens relationships and bonds between people. Yet we know that it is not abundant, and some people downright avoid it.
But can you, in fact, strengthen your people's appetite for giving feedback by offering them an app? Let's look at some ways properly designed feedback tool can enrich already sparse face-to-face reflections.
Time pressure
Personal feedback requires time, peace of mind and a suitable opportunity. Even though the theory says otherwise, in practice, it hardly ever can be given on the fly in between meetings. Unfortunately, we often don't do it later either - either we forget or in hindsight, our point no longer seem so urgent. On the other hand, feedback using an app can be given at any time, even on the way in the elevator.
Uncertainty or clumsiness
Giving good feedback (even positive one) face-to-face requires certain skill, confidence and speaking ability. If we don't posses a unique combination of these, the feedback may not come out the way we intend. On the other hand, anyone can give feedback using a tool that offers proper structure. As the matter of fact, we all are used to doing just that. Think feedback on services, accommodation or restaurants.
Safety
Whatever the content of the feedback, receiving and giving it within the app offers protection. Not only can it be anonymous, but even if it is not, we are not at risk of immediate confrontation or even conflict. We don't have to respond to it and can edit it until we are fully satisfied with its content. In the immediate interaction, we cannot take back our clumsy words.
Insight
Feedback is often accompanied by emotion. Both positive and negative. And they prevent us from taking the useful out of it. If we could return to it after the first emotion has subsided, we would be much better able to focus on its true nature and look at it with perspective and in context. In real life, however, this is not possible.
Well designed app allows us to have that perspective, not only through the ability to go back to it but also through what's called depersonalization - where I look at the feedback, I'm not part of it here and now, and I can better focus on the content. My own integrity is protected.
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Bias
Even when we can give feedback well, we cannot be sure that the other party will understand it in the same way we intended. And certainly not retrospectively after some time. It turns out that what people remember from feedback often says much more about them than what the content was. In application, the distortion doesn't happen. The content is still the same, even if we come back to it over time. So there's no danger of adding any of our own thoughts afterwards.
Comparison (also over time)
Immediate feedback is always here and now. It usually doesn't allow us to follow any developments, trends, and it doesn't tell us anything about how we stand in comparison over time or with others. We don't know how important or relevant it is. We are not given any clues to it, and it is up to us how we deal with the reflection. But the feedback within the app offers different perspectives and comparisons. It helps us with interpretation and prioritization.
Focus of attention
In addition to the above, apps have a tremendous ability to focus our attention on specific topics and help us move through them. Anyone who has been prompted to move by their smartwatch or appreciated for walking has experience of this. Even if you're not a fan of gadgets like this and a healthy lifestyle isn't your cup of tea, you've probably had a few times where you've told yourself you'll take the stairs today instead of the elevator. Not because you're a slave to your watch, but because the watch has focused your attention on how you take care of yourself. And that's the magic of modern feedback apps.
Give your people the best of what feedback tools have to offer and nurture feedback culture in your company too with LutherOne's Feedback platform powered by smart guided scenarios.
