Diversity and Inclusion
Biased feedback gets in the way of inclusive career progression. It’s important to know how to give it, how to receive it, and be conscientious of who you’re giving feedback to.
Find a space to chat that’s quiet, private and distraction-free. NEVER give critique in public. Allow enough time for the meeting so that you are not rushed.
Set aside time to plan your approach and the outcomes you’d like to get out of your feedback conversation – and ideally a rough ‘script’ for the conversation. This may sound overkill, but it will help you land the message and drive real change.
And perhaps more importantly, the process of thinking through what you will say will actually ease your anxiety about the conversation.
That statement lets the other person prepare emotionally for what you’re about to say and, according to MIT Sloan School of Management lecturer Robert C. Pozen, “activates the calm, rational part of the employee’s brain rather than the defensive, emotional part.”
Most people kick off critique the wrong way, like by asking “Would you like some feedback?” This approach ignites a person’s fight-or-flight instinct: a panicked reaction like this is exactly what you don’t want.
Don’t waffle or dance around the issue with a long preamble – this will confuse and unsettle your colleague, who will sense that you have a point to make and holding back from saying it candidly. Instead, lead with the part you’re dreading.
EEC stands for Example, Effect, Change – and this should be the heart of your feedback message. Put these three things into a single, clear sentence that doesn’t allow for any confusion:
☑️ Example: give a specific example of behaviour or actions (NOT personality)
☑️ Effect: explain the effect caused in non-emotional terms
☑️ Change: discuss how to change the behaviour, knowledge or skill (this will involve questions and a two-way discussion – offer guidance and discuss options, but don’t impose your ideas!)
“When you arrived late to our team meeting this week and last week, it distracted others on the team and threw off the agenda. How can we fix this?”
“When you interrupted and spoke over me in our board meeting yesterday, it made me feel you didn’t value hearing my point of view, and I wasn’t able to get my message across. Next time, could you hold back until I’ve finished to make your point?”
If you don’t regularly meet, agree on a time (or even a rough timeframe) to follow-up on the issue at hand.
It doesn’t need to be a formal meeting – a brief email or “How are you getting on with that?” is enough to show that you’re committed to helping them improve. Reiterate your support then.
State of DEI 2020-2021
How has 2020 changed the way we work? Hive Learning reports on the State of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in 2021.
Fiona Young (she/her)
Having previously led Learning and Development for 3,000 people at Europe’s leading venture builder, Blenheim Chalcot, Fiona knows a thing or two about how to build high performance culture. As Content Director at Hive Learning, Fiona pioneered the organisation's leading guided content programmes which are designed to turn learning into action. Most recently, Fiona led the inception, development and delivery of Inclusion Works by Hive Learning - the world’s first diversity and inclusion programme focused on turning unconscious bias into conscious action - created from over 1,000 leading sources.
