What if the learner has a strong personality?
- Advance notice: Give the learner a “heads up” when you are going to enter a continuous improvement opportunity and indicate you are happy to discuss it when appropriate.
- Neutral rating: Use a neutral number and leverage the observation/impact note to provide additional insight.
- Check in: As you and the learner get started, suggest a 5-minute check in with the learner to calibrate on the “how” of giving feedback. As a rater, ask the learner to coach you on how to give him/her feedback he/she is able to process. Within three weeks, the need for check-ins tends to dissipate.
What if the learner I am rating is my boss?
- Clarify: Get very specific requests from your manager on what he/she wants feedback on.
- Value: Extend gratitude for being a part of his/her growth and development.
- Risk: Using your own language, discuss with your manager the vulnerability he/she has taken in seeking feedback and the reciprocal risks being taken by you to rate. It is important to note that it is hard to grow without taking some risk and being vulnerable.
- Relationship: Discuss with your manager what prompted him/her to seek your perspective. This is often a revealing conversation about the strength of your relationship, which may ease some tension.
- Strong personality: Apply the guidance from the above question, “What if the learner has a strong personality?”
General tips to help you and the learner get the most out of LUMEN
- Clarify: What is it specifically the learner wants you to rate? Be sure to ask about both constructive “do different” and positive “keep doing” behaviors.
- Rating frequency: Commitment to rate the colleague on a regular basis. This helps the learner become accustomed to continuous feedback. Use the “alert” feature so the system will prompt you for regular feedback.
- Event ratings: Remember to provide feedback outside your regular cadence if there is an event that would prompt feedback. This is particular critical when your colleague has done something spectacular. A rating and a note to the learner lets him/her know what to keep doing.
- Immediacy: Life gets busy; be sure to provide feedback as close to it happening as possible so it is crisp in your mind and you can provide further color or clarification if necessary.
- Rating hints: Try not to get stuck in giving an absolute number; focus instead on directionality. For example on a 10-point scale, an 8 is directionally positive, while a 4 or 5 may signal a continuous improvement opportunity.
- Observation/Impact hints:
- In a hurry? Leave a cue word so you can recall what went on in case the learner follows up with you.
- Keep doing. Be very clear about what the learner should keep doing. This is critical as it sends a signal to the learner regarding effective behaviors and areas of strength.
- How you say it. Use non-evaluative language. For example, “Your body language in the meeting could be perceived as defensive” vs. “You were defensive in the meeting.” versus
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