As the current CEO of Ralph Lauren Patrice Louvet recently wrote, he has spent decades battling workplace culture wars. He uses the principles of science to create the most impactful solutions. His main goal is building a culture where people feel comfortable giving candid, constructive criticism. By changing the discussion about feedback Louvet wants to reengage employees and in turn create a more positive work environment where people will want to come.
Louvet’s biggest takeaway for reimagine feedback participants is that these feedback situations are happening every day in the professional world. And he’s convinced that developing what he likes to call the “feedback muscle” is critical both for individual development and organizational health. This new concept is based on the belief that people need to have deeper dialogues that replace small talk with big talk.
The Importance of Proposing Alternatives
To reinforce his mission of building a feedback-rich culture, Louvet recommends employees come prepared with alternatives in feedback conversations. This method fosters a more participatory environment in which people are motivated to take action for their own growth.
He advocates for a specific method when giving feedback: “How would you feel if we each wrote down three specific things that you could improve and three specific things that you should definitely keep at the end of the presentation?” This approach not only offers clarity and direction, but allows people to get thoughtful, objective feedback on how they’re doing.
Louvet’s tactics aim to get rid of the pat-on-the-back, wishy-washy compliments that you might find in conventional feedback at work. For instance, comments such as “Good work!” are too vague, and they don’t help the employee know how they could do better. Instead, Louvet urges specificity in feedback in order for it to be helpful and to drive action.
Managing Emotions in Feedback Conversations
Louvet goes on to touch on the emotional nature of feedback, especially during high-stakes conversations such as salary negotiations. Yet he knows that feelings often derail these important conversations, resulting in worse experiences for job candidates and employers alike.
In fact, his advice is all about staying cool and calm so that you can think clearly through negotiations. He suggests preparing in advance by identifying key points to discuss, which can help manage anxiety and ensure that important issues are addressed effectively.
By fostering an environment where emotions are acknowledged yet managed, Louvet believes organizations can create more productive and fulfilling discussions about compensation and career advancement.
Avoiding Superficial Small Talk
Louvet sees a call to leave behind uncomfortable, transactional small talk that so often fills professional conversation. He argues that these abbreviated exchanges can often damage authentic relationships between coworkers.
His advice is to think about the more important, substantive conversations that lead people to more engaged interactions. This change can help foster more productive working relationships between the team members and in turn will improve teamwork and collaboration.
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