6 Ted Talks for Giving & Receiving Feedback

If you’ve read some of our other posts, we focus on six essential keys to building independent, accountable teams at Leader’s Cut.

They are the abilities to communicate, motivate, delegate, recruit, collaborate, and develop with the talent in your organization. The cornerstone of execution is undoubtedly feedback.

Where do we go astray when it comes to feedback?

When asking for it, we often mean validation; then, we become frustrated, confused, and even angry when being evaluated.

Even more common is when we ask for feedback and fail to articulate how and when we’ll apply this feedback, creating misunderstanding among those we solicited that we would implement their recommendations.

I would be remiss if I didn’t point out the error of the “praise sandwich” that most recipients see as inauthentic and unhelpful.

The following six feedback TED Talks will help you be more effective before you deliver or have delivered a performance review.

#1 Delivering Feedback: The Secret to Giving Great Feedback by LeeAnn Rennniger

I’ve lost count of the coaching sessions when a leader is apprehensive about delivering feedback, describing the interaction as walking on eggshells. That mindset creates a palpable vibe for the recipient, setting you up for conflict versus conversation.

Instead, LeeAnn Renninger will provide and guide you through a predictable, repeatable framework to be heard, understood, and gain commitment. She will cover the four steps that begin with a micro-yes, include a data point, provide insight into impact, and end with a question.

#2 Receiving Feedback without Fear: The Joy of Getting Feedback by Joe Hirsch

Based on his book, The Feedback Fix, Joe Hirsch coins the phrase, feedforward to reset our paradigm for receiving feedback. This approach will reframe the conversation toward viewing feedback as unlocking human potential.

Using his techniques, practitioners of his method can boost creativity, foster collaboration, and deepen self-awareness. His feedforward connects us to our future potential selves, and self-discovery anchors us in positivity with enduring results.  

#3 The Feedback Loop: Creating Healthy Conflict Through Critiques by Lianne Wappett

When working with leaders and their teams to resolve issues, we reframe our outcome from agreement with each other to commitment to action.

We let go of the notion that a successful resolution is one where we all agree on the solution.

Instead, we seek to discover, discuss, and dissolve a problem by uncovering the best overall outcome and then committing to the implementation. Lianne Wappett will guide you through using the critique as a helpful tool to transition from implicit to explicit, thereby seeing our work and ourselves from a new perspective.

#4 No Matter the Quality, Use That Feedback: How to Use Others’ Feedback to Learn and Grow by Sheila Heen

Heen makes a point I’ve observed when, with one or more leaders, we spend a great deal of time thinking about and practicing how to deliver feedback; however, she makes the case that the better investment is in receiving feedback.

She says that if you’re interested in improving your organization, gaining insight from feedback, even when off-base or poorly delivered, can be effectively applied to robust growth.

#5 Communicate, Communicate, Communicate: 10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation by Celeste Headlee

If my grandmother were alive today, she’d be over 100 years old. We didn’t discuss politics or religion at her house because they were polarizing.

In today’s world, we seem to be even more tribal, so Headlee guides us through an outline for having conversations with people we don’t like, don’t find interesting, or don’t even agree with.

She says we tend to act on our predefined beliefs without considering we might be wrong, misinformed, or misunderstand the other perspective. If you want to be honest, clear, and polite, this video is for you.

#6 Psychological Safety: Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe by Simon Sinek

No matter how well we receive or provide feedback, without safety, much of it will fall by the wayside.

You have likely seen or heard Simon Sinek speak to this issue, yet it’s always worth seeing again.

He says,

When we feel safe inside the organization, we will naturally combine our talents and strengths and work tirelessly to face the dangers outside and seize the opportunities.

Therefore, trust becomes the base ingredient to work collaboratively, knowing that you have each others’ backs.

Though we all acknowledge the importance of feedback, our misconceptions could limit all that giving and receiving feedback can do for personal development, talent retention, and business growth.

Before your next round of performance reviews for your team or you receive one yourself, build on the videos by scheduling a conversation with Ken. He is a former Fortune 500 executive leader and current entrepreneur working with entrepreneurs, business leaders, and their teams to bring simplicity, clarity, and direction to unlock what they’d like to achieve with and from their businesses. 

You can begin with a Meet & Greet to see if he passes muster. However, if you’re ready to kick the tires, schedule our signature Breakthrough Strategy Session and experience a complimentary coaching experience with Ken. Finally, sign up to receive his free e-book, The Six Silver Bullets You Need to Grow Any Business Fast. This 23-minute read is full of valuable tips, templates, and tools. You can use the links in the book to schedule a call with Ken anytime.