Do you have five minutes to give some positive feedback?

Colleagues,
 
Yesterday I promised you two strategies to grow people. Please understand that these strategies need to be carried out on a consistent basis to really make a difference. While the immediate goal is to help an individual grow, the cumulative value is in getting people to be more reflective about their own performance.

1. Engage in 5-minute coaching every morning with at least one person. I know I beat this like a hammer hits a nail, but this is one of the single most powerful practices you can implement. You can find a one-page guide on my website here.
2. Provide consistent and specific positive feedback:
   1. Identify a success.
   2. Describe a key behavior the person did that led to the success.
   3. State how the specific behavior led to a specific result that had a significant impact.

 
Here are three examples for providing specific positive feedback:

• On a team project: “Name, your agenda came out three days before the meeting and included explicit outcomes we needed (behavior). As a result, the meeting was very focused and productive (result), and we’ve made great strides on the project (impact).”
• Customer service: “Name, our customers are leaving with smiles on their faces (impact). When you are serving them, you look right at them, and you paraphrase what they’ve said to you (behavior). They really feel listened to (result).”
• Teaching: “Name, when you provided an extended 10-second pause after asking your question (behavior), I noticed that five students volunteered towards the end of the pause (result). Giving those students time will help them stay more engaged and perform better (impact).”

I’d love to hear the results from your efforts to implement these two strategies, please consider sharing with me by replying to this email.

Do good and be well,

Frederick