A sidebar to Chapter 4 by Kiana L. Wilson, PHR, GCDF, Tampa, FL:
Workers must take the initiative to own and cultivate this process. They can start by doing the leg work to
make this technique simple for those who may be involved. They should put together a list that outlines the specific criteria for the feedback they seek (i.e., what did I do especially well during this task? What lessons learned should I be aware of and take away from this task? What areas, if any, would you suggest that I further strengthen?). This preparation takes the guesswork out of the process, and people are more likely to participate.
Next, workers should be direct with their co-workers, manager, clients , and others by asking for continuous feedback and explaining why it’s important and how they plan to utilize the information. It is also a good idea at this point
for workers to gather initial thoughts and suggestions from these individuals to ensure the process is well received.
Finally, workers should ensure that they provide regular updates on their progress to those that have provided feedback. This check-in will let these individuals know that their time and feedback is valued and workers have taken steps to utilize this information in the manner that was originally communicated.
In the beginning, the brunt of this process will fall on the worker to ensure that he or she is continuously receiving this feedback. However, if cultivated correctly, feedback will start to become a normal workplace practice.