seX & whY Episode 10: How to Give Better Feedback

Jeannette WolfePodcast Episodes

Show Notes for Podcast Ten of seX & whY

Host: Jeannette Wolfe

Guests: Adam Kellogg, Associate residency directory and medical education fellowship director UMMS – Baystate and Mike Gisondi, Vice-chair of education at Stanford

Topic: How to Give Better Feedback

What is bad feedback –

  • Vague
  • Nonactionable
  • Feedback on non-malleable attributes – like gender, age
  • Sandwich model
  • Done in public place in front of peers

Know what role you are playing (from Thanks for the Feedback)

  • Cheerleading: encouragement
  • Coach: real time pointers
  • Evaluator: comparison of performance to peers or expected benchmark

We are most effective giving and receiving feedback if expectation of roles match up – ie a novice putting in their first central line needs a coach not an evaluator.

Radical Candor- Develop as a Leader and Empower your Team by Kim Scott

  • Caring personally
  • Challenging directly

Feedback formula by Lisa Stefanar KSE leadership

  • Ask permission
  • State intention (be a better doctor)
  • State behavior
  • Describe impact
  • Inquire about learner experience
  • Identify desired change

General tips

  • Feedback is also received best if the learner has a sense of belonging and a believe that you recognize their potential
  • Is it the right time (asking them helps)
  • Praise in public, give tough feedback in private
  • Label it – as in “I’d like to give you feedback, is now a good time?”
  • If you anticipate that you might get emotional during feedback, prepare and practice a response. For example, “I obviously have a powerful response to this information could we please take a 5 min break and regroup”
    • Emphasize your desire to hear feedback
    • If needed ask for clarification
  • If you are giving feedback and the other person becomes emotional
    • Consider using “Name and Tame strategy
      • “Last time I gave you feedback, I noticed that you did…….. and I have to tell you, honestly now I’m a little more hesitant. As I want you to be the best doc you can be, is there a particular way that would work best for you to receive feedback?”
    • Switch-tasking- many times conversations can change
      • Recognize which conversation you are going to tackle
        • The one about a specific behavior
        • The one about an emotional tag

Suggested books

Thanks for the Feedback- Douglas Stone Sheila Heen

Radical Candor by Kim Scott

Articles by Mike Gisondi and Lisa Stefanac and the Feedback Formula

https://icenetblog.royalcollege.ca/2018/10/02/the-feedback-formula-part-1-giving-feedback/

https://icenetblog.royalcollege.ca/2018/10/23/the-feedback-formula-part-2-receiving-feedback/

Wise feedback intervention: https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/xge-a0033906.pdf

Harvard Business School article on gender differences in receiving feedback https://hbr.org/2016/04/research-vague-feedback-is-holding-women-back

Harvard Business School article with deals with managing emotional response to feedback

https://hbr.org/2016/09/how-to-give-feedback-to-people-who-cry-yell-or-get-defensive