jen briggs

It’s time to rethink feedback processes. We started using check-ins as a more frequent scenario over feedback years ago at New Belgium. Feedback has been done so poorly over the years that it causes people to hear that same sound as fingernails on a chalkboard. One report says 25% of employees dread their performance view more than anything else in their working lives. Feedback became synonymous with criticism. Also, there is a real issue with feedback fatigue. We think we have become more data-driven because we administer more surveys of each other and our consumers. Yes, we may have more information, but potentially less helpful wisdom. Too much negativity and blame becomes paralysis by a 1,000 cuts. Ya, that always leads to great performance (writing sarcastically). Out with on-time-all-the-time-feedback and in with progress-focused-check-ins.

It is important to realize that check-ins are different from feedback. It isn’t just a euphemism and if your company did that to help people feel better you’ve already lost. A check-in is about checking in on progress made and next steps. This means goal setting is critical – for both hard and soft skills. A check-in is about self-ownership and giving your leaders (yes, plural, because you are probably in a job, on multiple teams, and multiple projects with different leaders) a chance to be caught up on what you are doing well and not so well. But, more importantly, it is your chance to get advice for next steps. It’s about making progress forward.

{Low performers with negative contributions are a distinctively different matter and need to feel the consequences of their behavior. Piling on negative feedback is the wrong tool.}

Each person should have the equivalent of a performance map. A basic you are here and this is where the business needs you to go. Remember, culture is the pattern of actions and attitudes of any given community so this map isn’t just the roads, but it shows the mindset and norm guideposts along the way. The more successful experiences a person has, the less detailed the map can be. The newer the person, the more powerful and helpful the details. Context, capability, and capacity will help drive the level of details.

A check-in is not a scorecard. It is a progress update with advice for the next stage of progress. Balanced scorecards are always necessary, but the scorecard is an outcome of the work and can help people think through the need for change or repetition. But, the scorecard is not the answers. Just like football – the score tells us a win or a loss, but it doesn’t tell us what the offense and defense did well or not. No, a winning score does not mean a good offense – the defense can score too. It is the observations and insights that help us build our plan for better success next time.

I’ve met very few people in my life who wake up and say, “I hope I fail today”. Actually, I can’t think of anyone – really. But, for any of this to work, there must be trust and a freedom from fear. Vulnerability + trust + frequent communication are the three fundamentals. A strong leader is one who serves the business by building successful people and teams who do great work with unity to purpose, mission, and values. A strong leader builds a plan that aligns the effort and energy of the people while also building agency for task-work autonomy along the way. A strong leader seeks insights from the team (yes, the leaders needs check-ins too!).

To be clear … this isn’t some kind of pollyannaish perspective that lacks reference to history and self-reflection. The best check-ins will involve both. The better the relationship between person and leader combined with clarity and purpose will create a better foundation allowing for more reflective reference. However, what it will not involve is ruminating on negative news or victim thinking.

Where to start? Check-in with people. Ask how they are doing, how is work progressing, what issues are they experiencing, what problems are they solving, what do they need? Just start. If you haven’t been checking in with your team, it might be awkward at first, but that will change. All great relationships need to start somewhere and trust is built one positive interaction at a time. Over time, this can morph into a more robust performance system, but for now, just start.

Employee Ownership addendum. Self-ownership is a powerful idea in the employee-owned company. Start embedding self-ownership as a keystone in the ownership culture and use the check-in process as a norm that exemplifies the EO values. As people feel more comfortable with checking in, shift the responsibly to the individual. The leader serves as a resource to support and drive performance and future capabilities, but the only one who can own an individual’s performance is that individual.  People who exhibit high levels of self-ownership will use this leader resource wisely to benefit their own growth while making an integrated impact on the long-term performance of the company. We, not me.