When it comes to feedback, do you love discussing the details?
Some people love details. They want to go into the nitty gritty in their feedback conversations. They offer highly detailed feedback and want to receive highly detailed feedback. They believe clear is kind, and so are EXTRA clear! They leave no stone unturned when it comes to providing feedback.
When it comes to feedback, do you prefer the bigger picture?
Some people are bored by the details and would love their feedback conversations to be broad and encompassing. They are global, big-picture thinkers and details BORE them. They don’t have time for details! They get it, enough already! All these details can be experienced as overwhelming for some.
Let’s consider four different feedback conversation scenarios:
Details + Details = A match made in heaven, if you have time!
If you are offering feedback (and you love details) and the other person also loves details, your conversation will go well. The other person will feel they have enough information to consider and implement the feedback.
Tip: Ensure you have time for this highly detailed conversation and be aware that you are operating without considering the bigger picture. To bring the bigger picture into the conversation, simply ask, ‘What is the bigger picture here?
Details + Big Picture = The other person may fall asleep.
If you are offering feedback (and you love details) and the other person prefers big-picture thinking, you may lose them. They may disengage or feel overwhelmed and not see the value in your detailed feedback. You may bore them to the point where they fall asleep.
Tip: Even though YOU love details, match the other person’s thinking styles by including some bigger-picture language.
Big Picture + Big Picture = Great conversation, but little action!
If you are offering feedback (and you love big-picture thinking) and the other person also loves big-picture thinking, you may have an awesome conversation! Be aware that although you both love this feedback conversation, important details could be missed.
Tip: Make an effort to consider what details are valuable to include in the conversation and plan moving forward. Use a simple, Who? What? When? How? to come back to earth.
Big Picture + Details = The other person may perceive your feedback as ‘fluffy’ and unactionable.
If you are offering feedback (and you love big-picture thinking) and the other person loves details, your conversation may not land well for them. The other person may perceive your feedback as fluffy, vague, and general. They may be left wondering what you meant, trying to fill in the missing gaps. They may be reluctant to initiate follow-up conversations with you to ask for more details.
Tip: Even though YOU love the big picture, match the other person’s thinking style by including some important details.
Three Actions you can take to improve your feedback conversations:
Self–awareness: Notice your preference in feedback Conversations. Are you more likely to want to discuss details, big picture, or both?
In your Warm Up Conversation, ask the other person about their preferences when it comes to the level of detail they prefer. They will say, ‘It depends’. Ask them about their ‘it depends’. Talk about the times when it is important to include details AND the big picture. Discuss what to do in future feedback conversations if either of you believes there is too much or too little detail.
When offering feedback, (in the Work Out part of the Feedback Fitness Framework), match the other person’s preference when possible. If you both have the same preference, be aware of this blind spot and add in the missing details, or the missing bigger picture.
Use the Warm Up Conversation to talk about the amount of detail the other person finds most useful when having feedback conversations with you.