Feedback (and Other Dirty Words):Why We Fear It, How To Fix It

Description

A practical and irreverent guide to taking the sting out of feedback and reclaiming it as a motivating, empowering experience for everyone involved.

Feedback: the mere mention of the word can make our blood pressure rise and our defenses go up. For many of us, it's a dirty word that we associate with bias, politics, resentment, and self-doubt. However, if we take a step back and think about its true intent, we realize that feedback needn't be a bad thing. After all, understanding how others experience us provides valuable opportunities to learn and grow.

Authors M. Tamra Chandler and Laura Grealish explain how feedback got such a bad rap and how to recognize and minimize the negative physical and emotional responses that can erode trust and shut down communication. They offer a new and more ambitious definition of feedback, explore the roles we each play as Seeker, Extender, and Receiver, and introduce the three Fs of making feedback focused, fair, and frequent. You'll also find valuable exercises and strategies, along with real-world examples that illustrate how you can put these ideas into action and join in the movement to fix feedback, once and for all.

When it's done right, feedback has been proven to be the most effective means of improving communication and performance for you and your organization. It's too important to give up, and with Chandler and Grealish's help, you'll be able to use it deftly, equitably, and effectively.

About the Author

M. Tamra Chandler is a bona fide people maven. Drawing on her years of experience and research into what motivates us, she offers innovative solutions for organizations seeking the ultimate win-win: inspired people driving inspiring performance. She’s also the CEO and cofounder of a thriving Seattle-based consulting company called PeopleFirm. Twice recognized by Consulting magazine as one of the top consultants in the United States, Chandler is an award-winning leader in her field with more than twenty-five years of experience guiding clients through varied and complex business transformation projects. She draws inspiration from her husband, two children, and three pedigreed mutts.

Dave Ulrich is the Rensis Likert Professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan and a partner at the RBL Group and the author or coauthor of many books, including The HR Scorecard and The Why of Work.