Welcome to the New Manager Podcast. I'm your host, Kim Nichol. Hello and welcome. I'm glad you're here and I hope you're doing well. Today, we need to talk about feedback first. It is a requirement that when you are a manager, you will be
required to give feedback. There will likely be some formal structure or process in your organization, but even if there's not, and actually especially if there's not, there will still be an expectation that you will give feedback to the people on your team so that they know how they're doing. If they need to course correct. If they need to do something differently, your job is to communicate that to them in a way that helps them know what they need to do and feel
supported in making any changes. And I'm talking about this today specifically because we are almost in September, which means the end of the year is quickly approaching. And if you do not have a feedback strategy then you risk ending up with a deadline and no data, no plan and trying to remember what people have been doing all year. And you risk not being prepared to have conversations with people that sometimes can feel a little uncomfortable.
I was talking with one of my clients recently and she is still remembers that one of her earliest work experiences, she had a manager who never gave her feedback until it came time for the performance review. And then she learned all of these things that her manager didn't think she was doing well and it ended up being kind of a surprise and kind of a dumping on her. She's like, why did she not tell
me any of this sooner? She's like, as my manager, isn't it her job to let me know ahead of time so that I can make any changes if I need to? And she had carried this weight for a long time. She thought, was there something about me that my manager couldn't tell me what was going on? Like, I trusted her. I thought we had a good relationship. She always gave me positive feedback until the performance review. And then all these things came
out and it just felt really bad. And as we coached, what occurred to her was that, you know what, her manager had never been trained, had 0 guidance in knowing how to be an effective manager and how to communicate and give feedback in a way that builds trust and creates a great working relationship. So it's not like she was being intentional in not giving the
feedback. She just had no framework for thinking about how to do it. And this happens so often, especially when there are lots of things to do and it can feel like there's a lot of work where you just need to get the work done. And when you're giving feedback, it requires that you pause, take a step back, look at the big picture, make some decisions about what feedback you want to give and why. And it's a different process. It's a different thought process.
It's a different strategic process and there may be some specific skills in terms of how to communicate in an effective way. And when I work with my clients, I teach you this like I will teach you how you need to be thinking and looking at the situation so that you are prepared so it is now September. Do not leave feedback for the last moment for the end of the year.
Let me tell you, you do not want to find yourself in November or December. Looking at the list of all the people you have to give formal feedback to and trying to reconstruct in your mind, what did we do this year? What? What did they do well? What problems did did they face? What is their growth going to
look like for the coming year? Trust me, that is not a fun place to be. Ask me how I know It is so common that when you get promoted to a manager, this one thing you know that you're expected to give feedback, is often neglected. And it doesn't have to be that
way. It's one of the smallest things that will make the biggest difference, both in terms of you being equipped, feeling prepared, feeling comfortable and confident about the way that you're able to give feedback, knowing that it is effective, that you are creating trust, that you are doing a good job. It's something that we can handle and it's something that I love to help my clients get a better grip on so that they feel more in control.
This is something where it's really important that you have a working perspective and a framework so that you can be more intentional about the way that you do this. So that is what I wanted to talk to you today, really short, you know, podcast episode. Because all you need to know really is that feedback is your job. It's okay if no one has ever given you training on it. That is normal. But your career is in your hands. Your professional development is
up to you. That's why you found this podcast, It's why you're listening and things can get better. You can learn how to do this. When I work with you, we will go over the strategic thinking you need to give feedback. We'll talk about the different communication skills and potential pitfalls. I'm going to give you a framework that does not involve sandwiches. If you've been listening to this podcast, you know I have some opinions about the sandwich
framework. It is not my favorite, although I understand why people use it. What I found is it turns turns out to be less effective over time.
People don't actually receive the message as intended and it is so important that you learn how to feel confident in the way that you communicate feedback and that you have developed the self-awareness to know where you will get in your own way, what your strengths are, and how to really do this in a way that works for you and also in the context of your team. So that is what I wanted to share with you today. Very short, very sweet. Sometimes that is all that we
need to make a big difference. Lastly, join the group program we're starting September 12th. You're going to learn more about strategic thinking, communication skills and how to feel more confident and boost that selfawareness so you can be more effective at work feeling better about it day-to-day. And it's also going to set you up for a longer term success in your career. Why wait until later when you can Start learning this in a great community of other
learners? Now you'll find the link in the show notes. All right, thanks so much for listening. Have a great week and I'll talk to you next time. Hey, before you go, if you like this podcast, leave a review. Tell me why you listen and what has helped you. Thanks so much. I'll see you next time.