Feedback - What, Why, How …

A introduction to Feedback

It was about 1 o’clock in the afternoon and I was damp with sweat. Mum and I had been out in her garden all morning, working hard to meet our goal of planting this year's selection of goodies by the end of the day. 

As I was leaning the shovel against the fence, I looked back over our work. I was encouraged to see we had weeded five out of the seven beds and worked in manure. The trellises were up for the sweet peas, as well as wires for the tomatoes and raspberries. New rocks were added to the contours of a flower bed and the cage to keep the racoons out of the strawberries was significantly improved.

There was still plenty more to get done after lunch, but it looked promising that we were going to meet our goal. A wee break for lunch and then back at it!

Hello Reader,

WHAT IS FEEDBACK? 

Feedback is any information we receive as a result of our actions. 

I recognize this is a broad statement, but think about it … feedback isn’t just the positive or negative criticism we received from our bosses, friends, teachers, coaches, etc. Feedback is a burnt tongue after a spoonful of piping hot soup. Feedback is the rumble strip on the side of the highway telling you that you are drifting tired. Feedback is the sweat dripping from your forehead after giving it your all at the gym! Feedback is seeing a freshly weeded bed in the garden. All of these situations demonstrate information we receive as a result of our actions - feedback is not just from people.

Reader, take a quick sec to ask yourself this; ‘In my daily life, what feedback am I receiving from the world?’ 

WHAT IS THE POINT OF FEEDBACK?

For me, the aim of feedback is to help us achieve our goals. 

We don’t want feedback for the sake of feedback; giving or receiving it because it is a necessity of the job. Instead, we want feedback to help steer us towards our goals; be that driving safely to the cabin for a long weekend, getting an ‘A’ on an assignment, getting the garden ready for planting, being the best employee possible or starting up a business. We want to receive feedback so that we have a better idea of our next steps and give feedback to help others make steps toward their objectives. 

In order to ingrain this future focused mindset of feedback within myself, I like to replace ‘feedback’ with ‘Feed-Forward’. Feed-Forward encapsulates the idea that we are using the information we receive to look ahead towards our goals.

FEEDBACK LOOP

Brilliant, we now need to understand feedback in the context of a Feedback Loop. 

As you can see from the diagram, ‘Feedback’ is only one piece of the puzzle, alongside ‘Plan’ and ‘Action’. We need to cycle through the Feedback Loop; once we have performed an action, we collect feedback, then plan our next steps so that we can restart the loop with an improved action. It is by iterating through this cycle that we can adjust our sails in order to achieve our goals. 

A common error is that we don’t close the loop. We perform an action, receive feedback and often do nothing with it. We don’t take that learning forward, but leave it to waste away, unused. In order to maximise the benefits of feedback, we need to act on the information we receive. 

Quick clarification - I am not saying we need to heed every piece of feedback that comes our way. No, there will be anomalies, irrelevancies and useless advice that won’t directly influence our goals. Instead, I argue that we need to acknowledge the information we receive and consciously use that data to help us make informed decisions.

Let’s bring this concept to life with an example: 

Yesterday, I got a new haircut [Action]. I really just wanted to try something new and see how I liked it, but it is definitely bolder than my previous style. Walking back from the hairdresser’s, I kept on having double takes when I saw my reflection in the shop windows. 

When I got home, my partner gave me a big thumbs up [Feedback] and that evening, when zooming my friend, I got eloquent praise on the new style [Feedback]. This morning though, I met colleagues and received a look of shock from one, silence from another and an exclamation, ‘that’s different!’ from the last. [Feedback]. 

What do I do? [Plan] Some like it, some don’t. I care most about my partner’s reaction, but I don’t like the idea of going into work and always getting those comments … but they will get used to it. In the end, it is my decision and I wanted to try something new - I still do. I understand that it is different and might not suit the work environment as well as before, but it is me and I am happy with the new style!

As you can see from the example, sometimes we receive conflicting, unclear, or irrelevant feedback - the world is not black and white. In situations like this, I reflect on the different information and use that data to guide my decisions - always aiming to close the loop and figure out an informed action.  

Bringing it all together, I see feedback as any information we receive as a result of our actions. The aim of feedback is to help us achieve our goals. We do this by closing the loop; taking the information we receive as a result of our actions to inform our next steps. 

If you would like an immediate opportunity to practice the skill of feedback, dive into my Self-Feedback Exercise. 

Wishing you joy and enthusiasm!

Helping Young Professionals & Postgraduate Students Improve