What is the biggest difference between Formula 1 drivers and business leaders?
The emphasis they place on feedback.
F1 drivers rely on feedback from their crews and their cars to reduce risk, compete and win races. The drivers are connected by radio to race engineers who provide real-time telemetry on how the car is performing—everything from brake temperature to suspension settings, torque levels and tire condition—and what is happening on other areas of the track.
On the other hand, business leaders tend to think that giving feedback to their direct reports is like a trip to the dentist: something unpleasant that they must do once every six months whether they want to or not.
The aversion to feedback demonstrated by many leaders is a shame because, as F1 drivers clearly demonstrate, effective and timely feedback can be the difference between success and failure.
One of the biggest challenges I face when speaking with leaders is that they often don’t fully understand what feedback is and what it is not.
Feedback isn’t recognition, although that is an important tool for motivating us. It’s not coaching, and it’s not really what happens during your annual performance review.
Feedback is pinpointed information about one’s performance. It lets us know if we’re on or off track—no pun intended. It can come directly from the activity we’re engaging in (think driving a car) or from another person—a peer, direct report, mentor or manager. And just like for F1 drivers, the best feedback is provided in real time as you and your team tackle important jobs.
Regardless of the source, feedback can be positive or constructive. Positive feedback is information that tells us we’re doing the right things the right way. Constructive feedback tells us that a change is needed in our actions. We need both types of feedback to learn and grow. In fact, people learn faster when they’re given positive AND constructive feedback.
Many leaders don’t invest much time in feedback because, quite frankly, too many of us don’t recognize how it is valued by the people we lead.
In a deep dive into its extensive data on employee engagement, Gallup found that more than 80 percent of workers who claimed to be fully engaged also reported getting “meaningful feedback” from a manager weekly. That’s solid evidence that feedback helps build engagement, which boosts performance.
It comes down to two reasons—can’t do or won’t do.
In my experience, far too many leaders haven’t received specific training on how to have a feedback conversation. They can’t do it because they simply do not know how. They’re left to their own devices, making the idea of giving real-time feedback seem awkward.
On the flip side, leaders won’t provide feedback because they feel it is unnecessary or falls into the “soft stuff” bucket. Managers say they don’t give feedback because people should know what is expected. My favorite is this: “The only time people need to worry is when they see me coming.” Others won’t do it because they feel they’re too busy. Frankly, that’s a poor excuse. One of your most important jobs as a leader is to give feedback!
There is no getting around the fact that feedback builds engagement and boosts performance. As leaders are constantly being evaluated on the performance of their teams, it makes sense to incorporate feedback into your leadership toolbox. Here are four things to know about giving performance feedback:
The final point I’ll make on this is that you are doing a disservice to your direct reports by withholding feedback. No feedback means no learning, no growth and no progress.
In a future post, I’ll shift focus and explain why leaders must also be good at receiving feedback.