No people in Denmark give feedback on a bigger stage than the 5 lions in the Danish Radio program "Løvens Hule", when they unfold every Thursday in prime time. The majority of the approximately 800,000 weekly viewers are probably most interested in the business ideas and the size of the investments, but here at Feedwork, we pay special attention to something else: the lions' feedback to the contestants.
Read more about good feedback.
Without giving too much away, we can give a little hint; we are impressed. The standard is high, and even the participants who leave the cave with no money leave richer than when they arrived.
Let's take a look at how we've analyzed the 5 Lions and their abilities in feedback.
About the analysis
The lions' primary task in the program is, of course, to invest in companies they want to take an ownership stake in. But a side effect of this is that they naturally give a lot of feedback to the participants on their products, business plans, pitches, strategy, etc.
Here we give our take on each of the lions' feedback styles, their strengths and weaknesses in relation to different parameters that are important in feedback. The level is high, although there are a few lions with clear room for improvement.
Parameters of the feedback analysis
We could have chosen a myriad of different parameters and combinations, because as most of you know, feedback is a complex social phenomenon that involves a wide range of variables. Therefore, we have chosen some of the most obvious and visible characteristics that are evident throughout the broadcasts. In random order, here are the 4 parameters:
Direct
There should be no doubt about the message from a feedback giver - therefore it is essential in feedback that you can be direct in your speech and not appear unclear and vague.
Recipient status
A good feedback giver knows how to give feedback - whether it's positive or negative - without diminishing the status of the recipient. The recipient should leave the conversation feeling worthy. If you fail to do this, your recipient will perceive the feedback as a threat, making it difficult for them to learn and stay curious.
As a wise person once said: "If to correct you must humiliate; you don't know how to teach"
Constructivity
Constructiveness is the ability to provide feedback that participants can use afterwards. The lions' ability to give constructive feedback is best expressed when participants receive rejections.
Humor and Likeability
The relationship between feedback giver and receiver is essential to whether the feedback is listened to at all. Therefore, we have included the parameters of humor and likeability, which partly reflect the giver's ability to connect with the participants.
The analysis is mainly based on the broadcasts from season 6 of The Lion's Den. Let's get started by assigning points to the 5 lions, starting with the most experienced and outspoken lion from Kolding, Denmark.
Jesper Buch
Jesper's strength lies in his direct approach. He doesn't sugarcoat things. Perhaps it's his background as an officer that comes through here? He is 100% clear in what he believes. But all strengths have a downside, and this is especially evident in Jesper's feedback, which is often quite blunt.
If Jesper likes people, there's no doubt about it, and conversely, if he's not happy with what he sees - well, he's not exactly leaving them with more spirit than what they went in with...
"X-factor" is something Jesper has, and therefore a certain part of the population likes him, but he still doesn't get a very high score on likeability, as you don't always feel the love from him.
The love and warmth, however, is something we feel from the next lion in line. The calm age president of the cave.
Jan Lehrmann
Jan the Hygge Uncle. You can't help but like him, as he appears calm, warm and well-considered. Like Mia, there's not much you can put your finger on regarding Jan and his ability to give good feedback (based on the 4 parameters described).
In other words, he doesn't really stand out in some areas, but perhaps excels in his appreciative approach to participants, regardless of the quality of their products and contributions. Therefore, he gets a particularly high score on the ability to maintain the recipient's status.
If we look over to Jan's neighbor, we find a little more edge and a clear value-based approach to feedback. Let's take a look at the only lioness in the den.
Mia Wagner
Mia generally does a good job from a textbook perspective. She speaks with respect to the participants, regardless of how good they come in with, and often manages to leave them with some good pointers on what areas they should focus on in business - especially for the participants who are rejected. Therefore, she gets plus points for constructiveness.
Her appreciative and smiling approach also makes her quite likeable. But whereas Jesper has an X-factor and edge that he can use to connect with certain types of people, Mia has a broader appeal to most people.
Another strength of Mia is that she clearly expresses her values when it comes to her investments. Some industries and products are simply not for her. This gives her integrity and respect.
She shares this value-based approach to some extent with her sidekick, the youngest lion in the den. Let's take a look at Christian's feedback.
Christian Arnstedt
Christian generally appears very analytical, wise and well-considered as a Leo. We would guess that Christian is C/D in a DISC-type profile (for those who know it). He shows a fine ability to give constructive feedback - albeit rather sporadically, in companies that pique his interest.
We have given Christian a low score on humor and likeability, for much the same reason as above. We seem to mainly feel the love in him when he is interested in investing.
Generally speaking, Christian always speaks with respect to the participants and doesn't make people crawl into a mouse hole when they get a rejection. He often helps to balance the good mood when the other lions bring out the rougher comments.
What Christian lacks in warmth and Jutlandic dialect, the last member of the lion group - internet veteran Jacob - possesses. But what traits does he play on in his feedback?
Jacob Risgaard
"Wilder!". Jacob's strength is his extroverted, smiling and humorous approach that makes him connect with people quickly, which is often a prerequisite for getting through with feedback. That's why he gets top scores in the humor and likeability category.
Although Jacob manages to make the participant feel comfortable, his feedback is not always as constructive as Mia's, for example. Instead, it comes in the form of an anecdote or story from his own life. Therefore, the score in this category is slightly lower than the others.
Jacob gives a clear impression of how he is as a human being, even outside the lion's den. This characteristic inspires trust, which is crucial for effective feedback.
Thank you for inspiring us all
As a new entrepreneur, you often get your ears pinned back, you take the hot seat, you take up residence in the earache holding area. There's enough uncertainty. Plenty of reasons to ditch your journey. But luckily, the lions treat budding entrepreneurs with respect, pats on the back and the bittersweet advice that can make the difference between success and failure.
Thank you to the participants, the lions and Danmarks Radio for promoting the entrepreneurial culture in Denmark.
Watch the latest season of The Lion's Den here.
Feedback, leadership, collaboration and communication - is that you?
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