2 Subtle (But Impactful) Feedback Phrases to Build a Team That Feels Like a Family
This is something that I learned from the book, "The Almanack of Naval Ravikant" about how to make feedback more enjoyable, and I thought it was awesome and very applicable our job in the Emergency Department. The advice is this: When giving feedback, criticize the general technique, rather than the person. When providing positive feedback, praise the specific person.
Why do we give feedback in the first place?
(1) To change an existing behavior.
(2) To reinforce a positive behavior.
What type of feedback generally doesn’t accomplish this?
(1) Feedback directed to somebody else (Ex. A nurse/resident is frustrated about someone on shift, and complains to others about it)
(2) Feedback that is not specific or actionable (Ex. “You seem to have a tough time with eye complaints”)
(3) Feedback that is specific and actionable, but not received well (resulting in the person being upset or defensive, and unlikely to change)
How do we counter each of these?
(1) Direct the feedback to that specific person. It’s almost always possible to be both positive and honest - Feedback directed to others only breaks down the team, and doesn’t accomplish change.
(2) Provide details and a suggestion to improve. Ex. “The differential for eye pain can be tricky, but its important that we always consider acute angle closure glaucoma. Here’s an article/podcast on this that I found really helpful.”
(3) Criticize the technique, not the person.
Bad example: “When you do it like that, you’re never going to get the shoulder reduced.”
Instead: “A technique I’ve found helpful to is approach it like this ____.“
Although many people receive all types of feedback well, there are many situations where good feedback is not implemented simply because person receiving it became upset or defensive after it was delivered. By criticizing generally and praising specifically, the person's identity is protected and leveraged toward positive change, not against it. This something that I found insightful and will try to use next time I have a medical student on shift, so of course I wanted to share! I hope you found it helpful.
Dan
