Continuing with what the Neuroleadership Institute found in their research on FEEDBACK, here are a lot of common misperceptions:

1. We think we hate feedback. When someone asks if they can give us feedback, we hear, “Can I criticize your work so I can feel good about myself?”
2. It’s best to focus on errors. The brain is built to detect errors, so that’s how we focus. The belief is that poor performance is from not knowing one’s errors and that people will change once they know what the error is. You have learned in Results Coaching training that what the brain focuses on – gets stronger. So when we focus on errors you never know what to do more of.
3. Feedback must be giver driven. Up until the 20^th century the view was that supervisors knew more. It really felt good to be helpful to others. The giver had a nice boost to their status and autonomy.

The new approach is to STOP GIVING FEEDBACK and to START ASKING FOR FEEDBACK! When we do, both sides feel less threatened; people get feedback more quickly and regularly; you can ask many people, and you can get the specific feedback you need.

So how do we teach and support our teachers and employees to ask for and share feedback?

• Explicitly – what to build on and where to focus.
• Broadly – ask and share with many – it lessens bias.
• Often – get feedback close to the source and make it a habit.
• Start from the top – what are the standards/expectations for the work; not just what someone says, what does the standard say? Provide examples of top performers in what they do, not who they are. What does the standard look like?