Leading to Change Community Event: Feedback – empowering compassionate conversations and relationships

This event is in the past – view our Insights pack here.

“Can I just have a word…”

This phrase often strikes fear into people as we assume we are about to get bad news about our performance or are apprehensive in how the feedback may be given.  What is it about feedback that creates this reaction?  

What if all feedback came through a compassionate conversation that was focused on the relationship?  How different would we feel and how more open to listening would we be?

Going into a conversation from a position of fear or anxiety inhibits the mind’s ability to learn. If we can offer feedback by focusing on the relationship and taking a compassionate approach, we open up a conversation that allows the other person to listen and hear, we create an opportunity for both parties to learn.

Compassionate conversations allow us to talk about difficult things with truth in a way that respects and cares for the other person.  Sometimes that’s around performance or wellbeing, or relationships that aren’t working.

With our contributors, we will explore creating space for ourselves and how they focus on empowering others to have time for wellbeing and development, and the benefits that brings for themselves, others, and their organisations.

In this session we welcome:

–        Amy Landsbert – Life Coach

–        Trudi Marshall – Nurse Director, NHS Lanarkshire

–        Tracy McLeod – Population Health Project Manager, NHS Lothian

With a focus on storytelling and reflections, our contributors will share their experiences of empowerment and what this means to them in relation to creating space for wellbeing and development. Collectively, we’ll explore what this means for us, in our own workplaces and in our day-to-day roles using breakout groups.

Questions for us to consider:

• How do we move past our own negative or difficult experiences with feedback shape our view, feelings and approach to giving and receiving feedback now?
• How do we offer and receive feedback in a way that respects and protects positive authentic relationships?
• What difference can offering feedback in a compassionate way make for ourselves, teams and the way we care for and interact with others?
• What can we do to move the perception of feedback as a necessary evil or tick box exercise into a valuable conversation that can build relationships

Resources to consider:

If you would like to consider this topic in advance of the event, we recommend any one of these four, external, resources to read, watch or listen to. They are quite different and are offered as optional thought-provokers for those who like to get into the topic in advance. Click the title to find out more.

• Read – 7 mins – How to turn feedback into a gift
• Read – 2 mins – The engaged feedback checklist
• Watch – 9:27 mins – Feedback is a gift
• Listen – 17:06 mins – Why managers avoid giving feedback