Dealing With Negative Feedback

Three quick points about dealing with negative/constructive criticism -

1. Assess.  Was the feedback legitimate?
2. Review.  Was what was said relevant to your performance or your behavior?
3. Implement.  If you need to change something go ahead and do it.  If the feeddback was irrelevant or unnecessary - then ignore and move on.

In my view I find it is best to deal with what has been said and move on.

(Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/timbutton/2554303661/\

Constructive Criticism

Here's a quote from my mum - "If you've got nothing good to say - don't say anything at all".

I'm down with that.

Constructive Criticism

I got nailed today.  I thought I had a lot of the paperwork setup in the correct formats and styles but I was wrong and got it pointed out to me.

I wasn't too about it because some of the persons who provided the criticism had taken the time before the meeting to look over it, make recommendations and capture their thoughts.

So why was I able to accept the criticisms? -

• The people involved displayed the fact that they had taken the time to look at my work.  I don't mind being corrected provided that you actually care enough to do your research first.
• The criticism was valid.  The attendees were persons with a history of getting right and the judgements they made were hoest, frank and necessary.
• The tips and corrections were written down as well as verbalised.  That way I have the criticisms in a form that I can use as references and starting points for making changes.  (This too says that the person had enough reepect to take their time and make corrections).

If you feel the need or have the opportunity to correct someone - follow the tips I put just above.  Next time the person you are speaking to may be more open to what you have to say to them.

(Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/akbar2/4421862682/

Crisis Management - Telecom New Zealand (Case Study)

Telecom New Zealand has been having a real hard time recently.  They engaged a new project and product offering.  Telecom installed an entire new network, called XT, with high speed capability across the country.

The system was buzzing along fine for a few months and then the unthinkable happened - the network failed!

Okay - they set to work to fix the problems as quick as they could.  Then a few weeks later the system crashed again, and then crashed again with a grand total of four crashes.  The crashes ranged from being nation wide for a few days, to occuring in a localised area for a few hours followed by inability of users to call emergency services.

Once the media sensed there was a 'news-worthy' story they started watching out for further fails.  Like vultures awaiting the dying prey to fall, the media waited.  And, unfortunately, they got what they wanted.

This post isn't bout the media and their coverage - it's about accountability.  Given the service crashed four times and affected different locations and types of customers who is responsible?  The most obvious place to start is the CEO.  They have the final sign off for crucial projects and therefore the buck stops with them.  Right?

Not necessarily.  Like the Toyota hearings being held in the Senate earlier in the year management may not have actually been at fault!

If I were the CEO of Telecom or Toyota here's what I would endeavor to do -

• Stay put.  I would do everything within my power to see the problems/projects completed.
• Be open and transparent.  There was no hiding the fact that there were issues going on.  Hiding away or trying to ignore the problems does nothing to solve them.  Create a plan or strategy for dealing with the issues (the more comprehensive the better) and then use the media to broadcast those ideas instead.  Make the media work for you and not the other way around.
• Rally internal support.  I would seek out those loyal to me firstly and make sure I had a team who were prepared to take the rap as well and see the project satisfactorily completed.  If I was unable to gather the level of support I needed then I would reconsider my first decision to stay put.
• Rally external support.  Ultimately shareholders and stakeholders are your employer.  I would be seeking out ways to get those persons on board as quick as I could.  The rlationship you have as CEO with the Chairman of the Board can be the making or the breaking of your employment position as well.
• Know when to call for help!  I would seek out extensive experts in their field.  No one person has the capability to deal with this type of situation.  Cool heads and intelligent people are needed to work through these issues. 

I am lucky(?) that I am not in the position of those CEO's and I wouldn't wish those fail scenarios on anyone.  But I do relish the opportunity to muse on what the Telecoms and Toyotas have done in their hour of crisis so that I can plan now for whatever may come in future years.

(Images - http://www.flickr.com/photos/francescobellu/3488788000/sizes/t/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/hulk4598/3381433179/)

Frontline Managers

McKinsey have released yet another great piece of research on front line managers and their staffs views on them.

Head over to McKinsey to check it out here.

Here's what they found -

• Most managers don't feel prepared for the role they are in.
• Many managers don't receive training in leadership.
• Most managers do receive training in technical work skills but not in people skills.
• Many managers feel senior management don't understand what they do.

Where there any good points? You need to read between the lines to get to the points about "here's how you could do better". I largely agree with the survey results but I would be interested in thinking about - what are the solutions?

That is a question I will seek to answer over the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned as I attempt to develop strategies to help you build your own "everyday managers Swiss army knife".

Dilbert - Classic!

There are two stories being told in the above -

1. The way you see yourself is powerful. If you let negativity to cloud your thinking your actions will follow in a negative way as well. Think positively and see yourself in the same way and you can change your life! See 'The Winners Bible' for some great ideas to get you started.
2. The way you see a task is powerful. You can choose to get better and follow a line of constant improvement or you can stay stuck.

"I realized that if I was going to achieve anything in life I had to be aggressive. I had to get out there and go for it ... I know fear is an obstace for some people, but's an illusion to me." Michael Jordan.

Feedback and Criticism - the how and when to take it

Being told that you aren't as good as you think you are can be pretty hard to swallow - especially when it comes from someone you think highly of.

So what do you do in this situation?

You can either get upset, get angry and blame the other person for being wrong OR you can analyse what they said and change the way you do things.

It is important that when receiving feedback that you differentiate between the feelings and the facts of the situation and comments. Try not to confuse the two.

Here are some quick fire steps for receiving criticism -

1. Who. Who said it, do do you respect their opinion, does their opinion count in the current situation?


2. What. What was said? Was the criticism relevant to the situation?


3. How. How was it said? Was the person fired up and angry? Even if they were - was what they actually said worthwhile and valuable (after you take all the heat out)


4. Why. What situation arose whereby the criticism became necessary? Was there a genuine situation to apply the comments to?

After you have evaluated these things then you can choose how to respond or change your future approach or management style.

This is exactly one situation I was in during this week. I knew a particular work setup was working okay but was far from the best. I asked a person what their view was - and guess what - they confirmed my suspicions! I became upset and angry because I knew they were right and I was so wrong.

After a day or two of re-evaluation I have decided to write up a new plan for 2010 that hopefully will begin to correct some of the problem areas. Were the problems huge or personal? No way, they were actually quite minor. However it was what I heard (the way I listened) that was the real problem.

So now I move on and start again next week, with fresh feedback, fresh thinking and a fresh plan for 2010.

"We need very strong ears to hear ourselves judged frankly, and because there are few who can endure frank criticism without being stung by it, those who venture to criticise us perform a remarkable act of friendship for to undertake to wound or offe". Michel de Montaigne.