Give More Valuable and Engaging Feedback -- Tips by HBR

 Do you dread giving feedback? You’re not alone—many managers feel anxious about these conversations. However, your feedback is crucial to helping your team grow—even your highest performers. Here are five actionable tips to ensure your feedback is valuable and engaging.

Don’t hold back on constructive feedback. Instead of vague praise like, “You did great,” offer specific insights like, “Your detailed analysis helped us make a decision. However, try to engage with team questions to enhance collaboration next time.”

Avoid all-or-nothing language. Skip exaggerated statements. Replace sweeping declarations like, “You always contribute XYZ” with specific observations like, “Your questions in the last meeting opened up a vital discussion.”

Don’t get too personal. Focus on skills rather than traits. Instead of saying, “You’re a joy to work with,” try, “Your clear communication improved our pitch.”

Be extra mindful of negative framing. Position your feedback constructively—especially to avoid reinforcing racial or gender stereotypes. Instead of “You’re difficult to work with,” say, “I noticed you shut down ideas quickly. Let’s work on fostering open dialogue.”

Map out clear paths for growth. Offer specific next steps by saying something like, “You excel in client communications. Let’s set a plan for you to lead the upcoming project."

Interested to know more?

Read the complete article at:

https://hbr.org/2024/11/high-performers-need-feedback-too

Stop Hurrying All the Time

From the article "The Insidious Effects of Hurrying" by HBR

In an era of hyperconnectivity, hustle culture, and frequent change, hurry sickness—the constant feeling of needing to rush—can leave you exhausted and irritable. Here’s how to slow down without sacrificing your performance:

 

• Build in buffer time. Schedule space between tasks to handle surprises or reflect. Block out undistracted time for deep work or reevaluating priorities.
• Pause before committing. Before saying yes to a request, ask: Is this mine to handle? Does it align with my goals? Enlist a trusted person to give you feedback if needed.
• Write it down. Spell out the consequences of agreeing to a request. Will it cost you more than it’s worth? Seeing the trade-offs in writing can clarify your decisions.
• List the benefits of slowing down. Visualize what you gain by easing up—for example, more rest, better relationships, and less stress.
• Use prioritization tools. The 4D method (Do, Defer, Delegate, Delete) helps distinguish urgent tasks from distractions. Avoid adding tasks until others are completed.
• Show yourself grace. Celebrate what you’ve accomplished instead of fixating on what’s left to do. Treat yourself with the same kindness you’d offer a friend.
• Practice mindfulness. A few minutes of deep breathing, a body scan, or a mindful moment with a cup of tea can reset your mental pace.
• Seek support. Therapists, coaches, or accountability partners can help you make long-term changes to your pace 

Interested to know more?

Read the complete article at:

https://hbr.org/2025/01/the-insidious-effects-of-hurrying

What can be said in New Year rhymes, That’s not been said a thousand times?

 While I was tempted to write the typical New Year Blog about "Let's do something new, bring in change," I will avoid using the same old pattern that you see every year. This presents another challenge for me on what to write…

An interesting alternate proposition is to ask -->  "Why change? Why not accept the Best practices that have been in place for a while?" Let's build on this notion... The customer uses Japanese quality standards and best practices which have been demonstrated to be the best in the world.  Let us embrace and learn from this ongoing theme.

Looking forward, in order to satisfy customer's exacting standards, we must implement Japanese quality best practices. At first, the requirements could seem overwhelming. But upon closer inspection, we see that it's for the account's overall benefit.

Let us look at the Japanese quality concepts of "horizontal checks" and  "vertical checks". In quality control, "horizontal checks" examine a single process across multiple departments or stages of production, analyzing how different areas within the workflow interact with each other, while "vertical checks" inspect all aspects of quality within a specific department or function, looking at the entire process from start to finish within that single area. Essentially, a horizontal check looks "across" the process while a vertical check looks "down" through a single department.

I acknowledge that the terms “horizontal checks" and  "vertical checks" are a bit alien to most of us and add a bit of overhead. However, if implemented diligently over time, it will improve the quality and, eventually, our work-life balance. So, let's embrace the tradition from the Best!

I'd like to conclude with Ella Wheeler Wilcox's poem, which summarizes the editorial and our focus for the upcoming year:

What can be said in New Year rhymes,

That’s not been said a thousand times?

The new years come, the old years go,

We know we dream, we dream we know.