11 Sep Good Question
Marble has learned to give feedback in constructive and helpful ways, and she prides herself on maintaining steady communication with her staff. Good work, Marble.
But recently Marble’s new supervisor invited her to a meeting to discuss work assignments. It seems that the supervisor has ideas about how to structure the work load that differ from what Marble has been doing. Marble hears criticism of her choices.
The supervisor, like Marble, has been trained to give feedback in constructive and helpful ways, and her comments to Marble fit the standard practices. But Marble has not been trained to receive feedback in a constructive and helpful way, and she is surprised at her various reactions.
Marble is stunned that her choices have been questioned; she is embarrassed to be in a position that makes her feel like she has done something wrong; she is resentful that the situation has come up at all; she feels that she should have been given more guidance about what was expected; she considers arguing that she probably knows better than her supervisor about what should happen; she feels guilty that her excellent work will now be blemished; she is worried that maybe she should have considered the ideas the supervisor is proposing, and she is angry that she doesn’t feel in control of this situation. Wow. This is a lot for Marble to process!
Marble manages to say things that she hopes are appropriate and that won’t cause her to lose her job, and exits as soon as she can.
What happens next is important and can have an impact on Marble, the supervisor, their work, and their relationship. Marble has several choices, not all of them constructive or helpful. So why wasn’t’ this covered in the Feedback training, wonders Marble.
Good question.
This, and other, good questions can be answered in our communication courses. Let us help you help your staff. Feel free to call us directly at 202-298-7700.