6. Building A Culture Through A Healthy Relationship With Feedback

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

FEEDBACK: information about reactions to a product, a person's performance on a task, etc., used as a basis for improvement.

CANDOR: the quality of being open and honest in expression; frankness.

QUOTABLE

"I think it's very important to have a feedback loop, where you're constantly thinking about what you have done and how you could be doing it better.  I think that is the single best piece of advice: constantly think about how you could be doing things better and questioning yourself."  

                                                        -Elon Musk

"The most important component of accelerating growth is changing someone's relationship with feedback."

                                                         -Shaka Smart

"People don't do things to you, they do things for themselves."

                                                         -Dr. Leeno Karumanchery

THE THOUGHT PROCESS

As the leader of this program, my vision for creating  the "most comprehensive student athlete experience possible" is a daunting one, as it is a bit of a moving target.  As our competitors innovate and improve, the "elite" space in our market can seem more and more challenging to reach. In today's post, I will explain how we are trying to stay ahead of the curve by creating a culture built on a healthy relationship with feedback.

The first task I have faced in both programs I have run is establishing how we will communicate. Regardless of the message we were communicating, it was clear we needed to redefine how we interacted with each other.  In order to build an engaged culture, we needed to communicate ways to improve, through opening lines of accountability which in turn fosters ownership throughout the program.  One of the most fundamental changes of perspective (among others detailed below) was the idea that feedback can come from anywhere in our program.   In many organizations, I have noticed a culture of seniority, where you have to earn the right to speak.  Although I will always hold great respect for respect for years of service, the "freshmen should be seen and not heard" model is disastrous for engagement and the long term vitality of the organization.  In my opinion, as soon as an individual forfeits all other opportunities to commit to our program, they have earned a voice in our program.  Although they have not accrued much social credit in the bank, it does not mean that they should not be extended the respect to have a voice in bettering the organization.

Upon continuing to dive deeper, it was evident that the majority of our players needed to change how they communicated with themselves before we could really move forward as a program.  In short, we could not consider ourselves a championship program if our players did not believe they belonged in such an environment.  Variations of the word "champion" became commonplace in our dialect and it had become the standard.  The championship or elite standard allowed us to approach feedback from a different angle.  Feedback became the road map for tangible action between where they were to where they needed to be.

The payoff was quick and powerful.  From the most public indicator of the health of our organization, our win total went from 16 in 2016 to 34 in 2017; however, behind the numbers, the true value of our program's relationship with feedback is in the way our young men communicate and care for each other.  Our program will always be a work in progress but I can say with great confidence that we are in a much stronger position to champion our vision because of our relationship with feedback.

Certain elements have been necessary to creating our healthy relationship with feedback:   

1. "Anchor" perspectives by: 
• defining our standard and defining what it looks like across all facets of the program
• continually communicating each person's role within our program 
• creating an understanding that candid feedback is a key component to growth
• allowing EVERYONE to have a voice
2. Create avenues to recognize, offer, and receive feedback from all points in our program.  Below are some examples that we use in our program.
• START/STOP/CONTINUE.  Each player comes to our end of fall and end of year meetings with things they would like to see us START, STOP, and CONTINUE.  This exercise has been influential in "saving our program from myself."  Often times our perception of things that work and don't is skewed.
• "WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE, IF YOU WERE NAMED HEAD COACH TOMORROW?"  The questions can change; however, the concept remains: what do you see that I may not be seeing?  This is much more of an informal and infrequent opportunity for feedback.  Our coaching staff answers this question occasionally throughout the year.  At times, I will pull a player aside to get their feedback, as well.
• GAP ANALYSIS.  This one is new to our avenues for feedback thanks to Robin Green from Sandler Training.  We ask our players to rank themselves on a scale of 1-10 in a particular facet, hopefully leaving a gap between their self reported score and their goal. The space between the two scores houses a powerful improvement plan, assuming the player can properly self evaluate.  This exercise also challenges your ability to coach a player to a desired frame of reference.
• "IF WE HAD A CHANCE TO DO THAT AGAIN, WHAT WOULD WE CHANGE?"  In a lot of ways, the framework of operations as it relates to our program does not need to change; however, it can always improve.  This is an exercise that I personally do with most every activity.  For example, the week before our team's introductory meeting each fall, I get out my "FIRST MEETING" file and reread our handouts to improve them; however, I will pay close attention to the notes that I made immediately following the meeting.  What did I like?  How was the flow of the conversation?  Was my delivery clear enough?  These post meeting notes allow me to improve while keeping the essence of the meeting intact.
• "WHAT DID WE DO WELL, WHAT CAN WE IMPROVE?"  For years this was a daily conversation after certain drills.  We now use this while we are introducing or reviewing concepts where the learning curve can be shortened through feedback sessions.
3. Model how we want feedback to be recognized, offered, and received
• Be clear about the intended outcome of the feedback. 
• Will it improve: a relationship, a process, an outcome, etc.
• Be candid about the content of the feedback.
• Respect is built through trust that we have their best interests at heart.
• Understand that feedback is not a personal attack.  Being questioned or corrected can seem like an attack on our character; however, it is merely insight on the processes we employ.  In negotiation, we are taught to separate the person from the problem; I believe the same needs to be done with feedback.  Physiologically, feedback puts us in defense mode.  Regardless of how willing we are to hear feedback, it is rare to be told how we can improve without feeling emotionally charged.   Defining what feedback means to the organization can improve your player's relationship with this crucial avenue for growth.
• "People don't do things to you, they do things for themselves."
                                                           -Dr. Leeno Karumanchery, Enkidu
• Show respect to all parties.  
• Dr. Leeno Karumanchery, Chief Diversity Officer at Enkidu (enkidu360.com), describes 4 very important keys to communicating feedback.
• SAY THINGS IN A WAY THEY CAN HEAR.  Don't make them feel: let down, put down, or shut down.  We will measure our interaction on our intent, while others will measure it on its impact.  We need to be cognizant of the impact of our words and actions.
• SAY THINGS IN A WAY THEY CAN UNDERSTAND.  Communication is not a one size fits all endeavor.
• SAY THINGS IN A WAY THEY CAN INTEGRATE INTO THEIR WORLD.  Ask yourself: can they apply this information?  
• SAY THINGS IN A WAY THAT MAKES THEM WANT TO WORK WITH THE INFORMATION.  Ask yourself: are they inspired to take action?    

The most prevalent challenge in developing this culture was my own immaturity in receiving feedback.  My immaturity as a leader and communicator manifested itself in way that made me hard to approach with new ideas, as I desperately tried to "drag" our program along.  Fortunately, my desire to move our program forward overshadowed my desire to protect my ego and my relationship with feedback began to develop.  As I grew as the leader, so did our program.  

In closing,  our program has grown exponentially through anchoring our team's perspectives, creating avenues for feedback, and modeling what offering and receiving feedback looks like.   As Shaka Smart, men's basketball coach at the University of Texas, put it: "The most important component of accelerating growth is changing someone's relationship with feedback."