This episode of Friday Feedback is the third episode of a series on strengths-based feedback:
- Intro: The feedback fallacy
- Strength-focused feedback
- You're definitely too much - once in a while (This video)
We think this idea that BALANCE is the essence of the strength-focused perspective is great. That's why episode 3 is about that.
In other words, the focus on strengths is not about praise or rosy comments. It's about starting from people's strengths and then recognising and/or criticising from there.
Guide to strength-focused questions
In the video we refer to several questions you can ask to guide you towards a strengths focus. That guide will be coming soon, and if you want a reminder, click here: Remind me about the guide when it comes.
Video transcription
Hi it's Danni here, and welcome to Friday Feedback
In this series, we focus on strengths-based feedback and how it can help create a different feedback culture that is actually more motivating and encouraging than just looking for mistakes all the time.
But what does it mean to talk about strengths-focused feedback, and what was that thing we talked about last week about finding a balance in your use of your strengths?
Let me give you an example.
One of my strengths is ideas. That is, being inventive or being creative about how we can do something in a different way.
Sometimes it's very useful. For example, when I make this video, all sorts of ideas for strange animations can come in.
It's good sometimes, but it's not always good.
My strength is creativity.
Can you be TOO creative? No. You can't, but you can use creativity wrongly.
You can use it too much. You can use it in different or wrong settings where it would be better if you tried to draw on some other strengths.
And that's what balance is all about, using your strengths. And that's where feedback can really help us a lot, because it's hard to see ourselves when we're using our strengths appropriately and when we're using them too much.
Well, I think it's mega cool to be creative! You can feel my energy right now.
The problem is that I'm blind to whether my use of my strength is too much, because I believe it's the right way. I do believe that ideas are good.
Okay, so if we ask you: "What are some of your strengths?", then you might actually be a little blind to when you're using that strength too much.
For example, I meet people in my work with engineers who are very critical and used to analysing and finding faults. That's great when you're building a space rocket, but it's not necessarily so great when you're working with a meeting culture where you want to tell someone how to tweak it a little bit and they're just sitting around looking for the flaws.
So a little question I can ask you here: What is a strength you have? What is something you feel you do well that you often think helps you, but if you're honest, maybe sometimes gets too much, or too used.
If you don't know what to say here, this is a great place to go and ask for some feedback.
You can ask:
"What's something you see me doing that typically helps me but that I sometimes get to do a little too much?"
You can read more on the website, feedwork.dk, where we have posted this video. There are also some guiding questions below (above, it's so here...).
Otherwise for now, drop a comment on LinkedIn
What's a strength you use that you sometimes overuse, but that's also really good to have around?
The balance is exciting...
Thanks for watching.
I look forward to seeing you in the next episode, where we'll look further at how sometimes strengths are what make us get mega annoyed with each other.
Stay tuned. See you soon!
Read also about examples of good feedback
.png)
