That. Yes, that!

Really interesting article in the current issue of the Harvard Business Review, on “The Feedback Fallacy — why feedback rarely does what it’s meant to”.

Thanks for the share, @davidhinchliffe

“the research is clear: Telling people what we think of their performance doesn’t help them thrive and excel, and telling people how we think they should improve actually hinders learning.”https://t.co/86B6gli7ko

— David Hinchliffe (@davidhinchliffe) April 3, 2019

As coaches, I think we have all been there — “no, don’t do it like that”; “great, I like that!”

The article investigates why giving feedback based on our own definitions of “excellence” can be ineffective, or even damaging to the recipient.

And even gives an explanation, based in neuroscience, as to why affirmation can be more effective than praise.

The role of the coach is (should be) to draw excellence out, not to hammer it in!

There are a couple of quotes from the article that really should be pinned to every coaches’ home screen.

“If we continue to spend our time identifying failure as we see it and giving people feedback about how to avoid it, we’ll languish in the business of adequacy.“

The Feedback Fallacy
Marcus Buckingham & Ashley Goodall
Harvard Business Review, March-April 2019

And who aspires to “adequacy”?

“That! Yes, that!”

By the use of affirmation “…you’re highlighting a pattern that is already there within her so that she can recognize it, anchor it, re-create it, and refine it. That is learning.”#RefineAdaptExcel @raecricketcoach https://t.co/z2QJJqRqQP

— Andrew Beaven (@TheTeesra) April 3, 2019