After decades of attempts by thousands of companies to improve how managers give feedback, research still suggests that feedback does nothing – or even makes things worse. The session launches an extensive research project to finally transform the entire concept and implementation of "feedback." Prepare to be surprised, it turns out many things we've been told about feedback are wrong. Presented by Dr. David Rock, Director of the NeuroLeadership Institute, at Goal Summit 2017.

1. RETHINK FEEDBACK
Dr. David Rock

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About the NLI
A research-driven
leadership institute,
building a new
language for leadership
since 1998.
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Performance
Three practice areas
Transform performance by lifting
the quality of conversations
Diversity & Inclusion
Move the needle on today's
diversity and inclusion challenges.
Learning & Change
Accelerate and embed new behaviors
through brain-based learning strategies.
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Trends: 2016
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Results • Conversation quality improves
• Conversation frequency rises
• Employee engagement goes up
• Pay differentiation increases
• Yes, it is worth the investment
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The one thing everyone agrees on…
It’s all about the quality of the
conversations
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1. Goal setting
2. Everyday feedback
3. Regular check-ins against goals
4. End of cycle reviews
5. Compensation conversations
6. Career conversations
?
The ‘big 6’ conversations
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Kluger & DeNisi (1996)
Is it time for a feedback revolution?
Feedback does nothing, or makes things worse,
more often than it improves performance.
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The current (implicit) hypothesis
Managers need to be reminded,
encouraged, cajoled into giving more
feedback, and trained to do so.
Yet, after over 40 years of training
programs, this is still a huge
problem globally.
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A number of common perceptions
about feedback are wrong.
What our RESEARCH found
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MISTAKE 1:
We think we hate feedback
“Can I give
you some
feedback?”
What they say:
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MISTAKE 1:
We think we hate feedback
What we hear:
“Can I
criticize your
work so I can
feel better
about
myself?”
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MISTAKE 1:
We think we hate feedback
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MISTAKE 1:
We think we hate feedback We think we hate feedback…
Yet perhaps we just don’t like
it when it comes unsolicited
from other people.
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It’s best to focus on errors
We are built to
detect errors,
so that’s how we
focus
MISTAKE 2:
We believe:
Poor performance is from not
knowing one’s errors
People will change once informed
of an error
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It’s best to focus on errors
Yes, it can be helpful
to outline errors.
MISTAKE 2:
Yet, without knowing what to
do more of, we can over-focus
on what not to do.
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Feedback must be
giver-driven
MISTAKE 3:
In the old world of
work, managers knew
more
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Feedback must be
giver-driven
MISTAKE 3:
In the old world of
work, managers knew
more
Prosocial motivation:
It feels good to feel
helpful
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Feedback must be
giver-driven
MISTAKE 3:
In the old world of
work, managers knew
more
Prosocial motivation:
It feels good to feel
helpful
Status & autonomy boost
to the giver
The “I told you so” effect
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A NEW approach
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A NEW approach
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1. Both sides feel less threatened
2. You get feedback more quickly and regularly
3. You can ask many people, reducing bias
4. You can get the specific feedback you need
...
Asking is better for you
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What to
build on
Where to
refocus
Getting specific feedback
Ask for both types:
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What happens now
Someone presents
poorly to a client
Feedback from one person, often well after
the fact. It’s uncomfortable for both, often
too general or too detailed. The feedback is
easily discarded for being biased.
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What happens now
Someone presents
poorly to a client
Feedback sought from 2-3 people.
Immediately. Uncomfortable but manageably
so. Receiver gets the exact information
needed, and can try to improve immediately.
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Mental Contrasting
Mental contrasting engages
prefrontal, temporal, and occipital
areas; significantly greater activity
than indulging in positive fantasies.
Achtziger, A., Fehr, T., Oettingen, G., Gollwitzer, P. & Rockstroh, B.
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• Start from the top
• Emphasize this is what top performers do
• Show people clearly what this looks like
• Build into work streams and technology
...
How do we get everyone asking?
??
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June 13 | Santa Clara, CA
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29. Thank you