Success Connections

How To Receive Feedback The Easy Way

Related Posts:

Add Feedback To Your Whitelist

Ask For Feedback Regularly

 

First, a couple of key points about feedback.

 

§            Most people tell you what they think you want to hear because either they don’t know how to provide feedback, or they aren’t comfortable providing feedback.

 

§            There is no universal “TRUTH” - We all have our own version of the truth – what is true for me may be different than what is true for you.  There are facts and data but in reality “truth” is in the eyes of the beholder.

 

If you agree with these points then it’s probably safe to assume that you understand the value of knowing what people are thinking…AKA getting feedback. 

 

On the flip side, there is probably a little part of you wincing at the mere thought of hearing something less than wonderful.  It’s sort of like sitting in the dentist’s chair through a root canal.  You know that when it’s over you’ll feel better, but the thought of sitting through the needles and drilling is dreadful.

 

Here’s one way to receive feedback the easy way.

 

Let’s assume for a moment that you’re responsible for managing the IT Help Line in your company.  What you know for sure is that the competition is stiff.  There are hundreds of little IT support businesses out there that would love to convince your company to outsource to them.  You know in your heart that there’s a good chance your company could save some significant money through outsourcing.  Your ultimate goal is make sure that your company is getting the best return on investment possible.

 

One of your strategies is to collect information from your users at least every quarter.  After all, the satisfaction of your users is an important factor in the success of your department.  You want to know everything they’re saying about the help line because chances are, they’re telling plenty of other people about their experiences.  So it’s in your best interest to uncover as much as you can.  You want the good, the bad and the ugly.

 

This is a bit of what you learned in your last survey:

§            75% of the users responded to your survey

§            50% of those who responded said that their issue was resolved in the first call

§            25% of those who responded said that their issue required 2 – 3 calls

§            25% of those who responded said that their issue is still unsolved

 

Now that you have the information you can decide what to do with it.  You decide how to react or respond.  Which response would you be inclined to choose?

 

§            “This is ridiculous!  Something must be wrong with this data.  The survey’s have never shown 25% of the issues still unsolved!”

§            “Hmmm…let’s take compare it to the last survey and take a look at the tech support database and see if we can learn more about what might be going on.”

§            “We know our users have been frustrated by the new software install.  Let’s just file this away and see what the next one shows.”

 

The beauty of collecting the information (getting feedback) is that you know more than you did before, and you can choose to act on it or default and do nothing.  It puts you in the driver’s seat.  Information gives you power…feedback gives you power.

 

So the easiest way to receive feedback is to look at it as an information collection process.  And that’s what you’re doing…collecting information that you can use to take charge of your future. 

 

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Add Feedback To Your Whitelist

Have you made a habit of asking for feedback regularly yet? If you don’t know what I’m talking about look back at the post I wrote a few months ago Ask For Feedback Regularly.

Why is feedback so important?

Let’s take an example of something easy to relate to. If you get on the dreaded bathroom scale, you know how much you weigh. You have more information. Before that, you may have noticed your pants were getting a little tight. But once the scale gives you the feedback, you have more information. Even if you know your scale is a little off, you still know more than you did before. You can then decide what, if anything, you want to do with the information.

So feedback is valuable information. That’s it! It’s simply information. If the information is coming from another person, it’s information from the other person’s perspective. In other words it’s what they perceive, their opinion, what they think, how they feel, it may even be their truth.

The really great thing about it is, you have more information. You know what people are thinking. And if you don’t get feedback from people, you can only guess what they might be thinking.

Stop a minute and re-read those last two paragraphs. I’ll wait.

Ok good. Stay with me here. This is really important stuff. Knowing what other people are thinking really matters, because you don’t see yourself in the same way that other people see you. None of us do. It’s like we have a built in spam filter on autopilot in our brains. If we hear information that makes us feel good about ourselves we automatically whitelist it in our brains. After all, who doesn’t want to bask in a little glory?

 

But if your internal spam filter is too aggressive, it may be filtering out information that you need in order to be more successful. Or it may be filtering out information that you should at least save for later use. In the worst-case scenario, it could be filtering out information that you need to know now! In other words, you’re in the dark about what other people are thinking.

Here’s the coolest thing about whitelisting feedback. You get to decide what to do with the information! You get to decide how you feel about it. And you get to decide what, if anything, you’re going to do with it.

That’s right! Feedback is only a big old scary vampire if you make it that way. If you create a big old scary vampire in your head and let it suck out your self-esteem, it’ll do just that. If instead you think of it as another morsel of information you dig out of a search engine, you can decide to bookmark it for later use, delete it or take action on it now. Either way, you have more information and that alone, gives you the power to make conscious choices and decisions.

 

If you’re serious about becoming more successful than you are today, whitelist feedback and ask for it regularly. Create your own Google search with real people. Get them to tell you things like…what you’re doing well, what you could do better, what you should change. You want to uncover as much information as you can so you can make the best possible decisions.

 

Stay tuned for, How To Receive Feedback The Easy Way.

 

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Interview - Masterminding Your Way To Greater Success

I recently had the opportunity to interview with Heidi Richards, Founder and CEO of WECAI (Women's ECommerce Association, International.  The topic was Mastermind Groups.  It was unique because I'd never done a real-time online interview before.  It was really quite fun!  Heidi was such a pro at it that she was facilitating an entire multiple-day conference for the group...all virtually!  There's no doubt she had her hands full, but she made it look amazingly easy!

If you'd like more info on Mastermind Groups and you'd like to check out the interview, just keep reading!  I've posted it below for you!

Thanks again Heidi!  Because of you it was a piece of cake for me!

Now here's the interview:

What is masterminding and how can it help my business?

I think of a mastermind group as a "success team". They are a success-minded, achievement-oriented group people who join forces to dramatically leverage the success of each individual within the group. They pool their talent, energy, experience and wisdom to build momentum and create powerful results.

A mastermind group can impact your business in a multitude of ways. Let's say for example you're leaving your job as a corporate sales director and you've decided to become and independent Realtor. You decide that you'd like to hit the ground running, so you assemble your own mastermind group. Your group consists of the following people:

* You (a successful corporate sales director)
* A seasoned successful Realtor
* A creative mortgage broker
* A licensed builder who runs his own remodeling business
* The woman next door who runs her own cleaning business
* Your college roommate who used to work for the township planning commission

You've got 6 people all with different levels of expertise, different backgrounds and skills. Put them all together in a room once a week and together they can help each other increase sales, solve problems, avoid pitfalls, achieve goals, shorten the learning curve and maybe most importantly... think bigger than they would think if each person were "going it alone".

Now that we know what it is, what are the key elements to an effective mastermind group?

1. Proper planning and strategy - In my opinion, this is the number one reason groups fail or never get off the ground. It takes a lot of planning, clarity and time to think it through properly the first time around.
2. Getting it right the first time if at all possible - Once you get your group together it's really important to start the bonding and collaboration process. Losing and trying to replace 1 or 2 people costs time & effort and drains the energy of the group.
3. Chemistry - You want the right personality mix and people who know how to collaborate and communicate.
4. Commitment & Purpose - Each purpose must be totally committed to the success of the others. You want "givers" not "takers". And each person within the group should have clear goals and measurable results.

How can I start my own group and how many people should I consider? And what characteristics traits or experiences should I consider when looking for people to create my own group?

First, I think the perfect number is 6. You could go to 8, but 10 is too many.

I look at the process in 4 - 5 Phases

Phase 1 - Get Clarity & Get Focused Clarify your wants and needs. Think through your intentions, expectations, logistics, required commitments, your ideal member, etc. Draft some preliminary documents to use as reference as you communicate your vision to potential members

Phase 2 - Target and Invite Target potential members (start with a list of at least 12 people - not all will accept) Identify "preferred" members. Invite them to join (call, email, letter) Give them time to consider. Compile replies. Determine next steps

Phase 3 - Ramp Up Schedule 3 - 4 weekly meetings.
Facilitate bonding, trust building, revisions to your preliminary documents (phase 1) so the group as whole can create a vision, operating principles, expectations, structure, additional needs, etc.

Phase 4 – Launch Finalize working documents.
Standardize the facilitation, process individuals, clarify personal goals and identify needs. Get feedback from the group on how things are going.

Phase 5 - Begin To Normalize

What characteristics should I consider when looking for people for my group?

-People who will get along and collaborate well.
-People who are open minded, respect differences, other viewpoints.
-People who are undoubtedly committed.
-People who communicate well and are creative.
-Innovative thinkers.
-Big thinkers.

So tell us, what are the various formats for a mastermind group?

Lots of people still prefer to meet in person at least occasionally. Today though, the virtual options are almost endless. I'd recommend more than one option so that people have a place to collaborate in-between official meetings. Some examples:
-Listservs :)
-Yahoo or Google groups
-Wikis
-Webinars
-Teleconferences

How often meet, for how long, and where?

This really depends on your group. Have an official meeting (regardless of format) at least monthly, for about 2 hours.

Regardless of where you meet, be in a place you can focus and have a place to write.

In person meetings could be held at a library, chamber of commerce offices, restaurants, church facilities, etc.

Do you recommend we create a list of "rules" for the group?

I recommend a "structure" or "process"...and mostly I recommend that everybody knows what's going on. You'll probably try more than one way before you get your rhythm.

Should there be a leader in the group? Someone to coordinate meetings?

Yes...but I recommend 2 things about that.

First, "shared responsibility" so everybody gets to lead. With a group of 6 people everybody would do it 2 months each year.

Secondly, provide information/coaching on "how to facilitate". Don't assume everyone knows how to keep the meeting moving, keeping conversations lively, etc.

Should we incorporate a list of rules for the group?

Yes, at least initially (or if the group changes). Your group needs to have a shared understanding about expectations, "how" you work together, and other do's and don'ts. What's most important is the discussion, although I do favor a list of ground rules.

Could some of the rules include accountability and in your opinion, just how important is accountability to the mastermind process?

Yes, ground rules are a perfect place to address accountability. If you have no accountability...you have no mastermind group. It's that simple. It might be helpful to create a document called the "Laws of Participation".

How do you deal with difficult members?

Difficult Members? First, if you've done a good job of selecting members up front, you don't have to deal with difficulties.

If someone becomes "difficult", assume something is changing (going wrong) for them. Talk to them privately as if you were talking to your best friend. Tell them what you noticed/observed. Tell them how it might be impacting the group today, and what might happen if it continues. Ask how you can help/support.

One of the ways we have addressed members who have not been "committed to the process" (by that I mean show up) is to include attendance requirements in our "rules." Then we can address them when or if we must. And you are so right - without accountability, there is no group.

Are there any resources you would recommend to our guests to learn more about masterminding?

Yes, 2 pretty good pieces online (other than mine at
http://www.connectionscoach.com/documents/Masterminding.pdf)

An example here:
http://www.nawbotucson.org/MasterMind/GuidelinesForGroupMeetings.doc

Pretty good article here:
http://www.awesomelife.com/business/a05-the-secret-of-the-giants.htm

A good online collaboration space here:
http://www.writeboard.com

A wiki here:
http://www.pbwiki.com

Just a couple of final thoughts....

Understand the investment - Up front there's a huge investment in time and planning. Your investment will come back to you many times over if you can just get through the first phase. Consider hiring a coach/consultant to help you.

It's an evolution - not a revolution! If your group is working well together at the end of the first year consider it a success! These people will be your trusted advisors and it takes time to create deep relationships.

It will change! - After you put in all of the up front time and planning it's likely to change. For the sake of creating a cohesive group, THEY need to take ownership of the vision and operating principles. So look at your initial set of documents as a "first draft"...and detach from personally "owning" them!

Lora, how can our guests get in touch with you?

Always through my main website http://www.connectionscoach.com

By email coach@connectionscoach.com

By phone: 616 956 5662

Lora J Adrianse
Coach, Consultant, Facilitator - Essential Connections
Your Partner In Developing Your Self, Your Staff, Your Business
http://www.connectionscoach.com
Essential Connections Blog http://blogec.typepad.com
Get Your Career In Gear Blog http://www.getyourcareeringear.com

Fine Tuning Direction

I've been re-evaluating what matters most!  If you don't do that on a regular basis, it might be time to start.

In case you just received a rush of posts, I'm in the process of combining 2 blogs.  I'm merging Get Your Career In Gear with the Essential Connections blog.  You may notice some changes to the front page as well.

Stay tuned for more details!  The momentum is building!

Lora