A format for Strengths Based Feedback

This is a format that we used when I was working with my Leadership Coach Stacey Sargent. I use it often and have found that it normally leads to an insightful, constructive discussion, and it’s so much more interesting than “what did I do well and what can I do better”.

Strengths based feedback:

(a) what do I do really well that I should capitalise on more, and never stop doing?

(b) If I shift one thing, that would be the biggest leverage point, what would I focus on?

Why do I like this format so much?

It still conforms to the effective feedback principles of strengthening confidence and increasing effectiveness.

I’ve found that in part (a), people often come up with things that you take for granted and “just do without thinking”, but actually, these are your super powers, you should embrace them and build on them. You might also find that people point out reasons that they value you that you wouldn’t have even noticed or realised.

Part (b) is about what can you focus on to grow. I like the word “leverage”, to me it implies that sometimes the smallest adjustment can have the biggest difference. What is that one thing? Maybe it’s some new behaviour that you haven’t shown before, maybe its building on something that you are already strong in, but taking it to the next level. Notice also that it doesn’t use the word ‘change’, but instead “shift”, which seems like a much more reasonable ask.

The other thing I love about this is it is written in the style of a conversation. Rather than writing feedback in a way for others to consume, it is written to the person you are giving feedback to. I feel it changes the tone of the feedback and becomes much easier to write and to consume.

Love to hear if you’ve used a format like this before and how you got on?

Response

Kaki Flynn

December 10, 2022

Hi Anne!

Kaki Flynn, Outward Bound Instructor & Leadership Trainer, Ski Patrol Rookie & US Olympic Committee Tech & PR Team alum here!

In this article, you mentioned liking feedback written directly to the person.

I agree! Here is one of my favorite feedback sessions that really unites a group while also providing powerful individual feedback (also easy to adapt to your teams unique needs).

Feedback Circle
Goal:
Deep dive into feedback with team members who have just finished working together on a project. Magic comes from writing feedback with everyone in the room.
Group Size:
° 3-15 team members
Time: 1-3 hours.
Flexibility & Creativity:
Lots of ways to customize this activity to your group!

Setting
° Informal, outdoor-type setting. Examples include renting a house for the day, sitting on the floor at a yoga or sound bath studio, or at the beach around a fire pit ideal types of settings. Fill with lots of snacks & warm drinks.

Supplies:
°1-3 sheets of legal-sized, unruled, really nice paper per person. Lots of cool colors, along with high-end pens.
-> Write name of teammate at top of paper
-> 1 horizontal column for each person giving feedback, with ‘+’ ‘^’
-> People giving feedback generally do not put names, although certainly can if this is better fit for group.

How to Do:
° Everyone in the same room or space
° 5-10 minute guidance on how to write feedback.
° Hand out sheets randomly. Each person does themselves last.
° A big part of this is that you are writing the feedback about a person with them present in the same space. This is really cool, especially in the age of social media & electronic communications.
° Important: While you do want to write the feedback in mostly silence, it is important to allow people movement ~ get up for a snack, move places, ask questions, whatever.
° 10 minutes per person:
You have 10 minutes to write a teammates feedback. You will then pass the paper to the person next to you, and start next 10 minutes for next person.
° Teammate gets completed feedback sheet of paper.
° You read what your teammates just wrote, and then write your own ‘+’ / ‘^’

On a personal note, this is one of the coolest feedback sessions I’ve ever had with Outward Bound teammates; I carried that piece of paper around until it fell apart.

~ kaki

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