Do you like getting feedback?

According to Ken Blanchard, leadership writer:

Feedback is the breakfast of champions

Feedback gives us information as to what’s working and what’s not working.  It gives us information as to how other people experience our actions and inaction.  We can use this information to make continual changes and get better at what we do.  Without feedback we live in a vacuum, at risk of repeating the same mistakes over and over. 

For over 15 years I’ve been providing others with feedback, and coaching people at different stages on how to receive feedback.  I’ve experienced many different ways in which people handle feedback – from people who hear it a a threat, and start to defend or even attack, and others who welcome feedback, and positively ask for it.  I’ve also experienced some of the stages myself.  I found a handy chart about how our maturity to feedback develops (Cook-Greuter, 2004). 

 

Magician	Views feedback (loops) as a natural part of living systems, essential for learning and change, but takes it with a grain of salt
Strategist	Invites feedback for self-actualisation, conflict is seen as an inevitable aspect of viable and multiple relationships
Individualist	Welcomes feedback as necessary for self-knowledge and to uncover hidden aspects of their own behaviour
Achiever	Accepts feedback, especially if it helps them to achieve their goals and to improve
Expert	Takes feedback personally, defends own position, dismisses feedback from those who are not seen as experts in the same field
Diplomat	Receives feedback as disapproval, or as a reminder of norms
Opportunist	Reacts to feedback as an attack or threat

 

How you could use the chart

1. It’s useful to first acknowledge how you receive feedback – because you’re likely to assume that other people will receive it in the same way.  Take a moment too to remember when you were at a different stage, and how you experienced feedback then – this will increase your awareness and empathy.
2. Think about which stage the recipient might be at, how are they likely to receive any feedback?  This will help you to be prepared for their response.  If you enjoy receiving feedback, it can be a bit surprising to be on the receiving end of someone who’s a bit defensive.  
3. Remember, feedback is better if you have a specific example, and it’s aimed at a behaviour that can be changed (or repeated).

References

Image:  http://www.firehow.com/2011010723023/how-to-make-toasted-muesli.html

Cook-Greuter, Susanne R. (2004). Making the case for a developmental perspective. Industrial & Commercial Training, 36(6/7), 275-281. doi: 10.1108/100197850410563902

Stages of Development

That there are stages of development in adults is sometimes considered a controversial topic because of the implication that higher stages are “better”.  They are different, but not better.  It seems that the way many researchers by-pass any potential controversy is to apply different stages to a particular context.  For example, as you can see in the table below Torbet looks at stages of Leadership, whilst Graves (Spiral Dynamics) looks at different stages of how values develop.

Not all of the stages have robust measures, but several do.  I’ve been curious as to why this knowledge isn’t more widespread.

The table below is an adaptation of one provide originally by Dr Popovic, but a similar one can be found in the work of Susanne Cook-Greuter