March/April, 2021  

Giving Fantastic Feedback

Kay Fittes, April, 2021

In a business group I belong to, we have been discussing the importance of feedback, both giving and receiving.  I have addressed receiving feedback in this newsletter previously.  Now let’s talk about giving feedback.  Most people are giving feedback at work daily.  Sometimes it is to colleagues, sometimes to team members, sometime to employees.  You likely have experiences in your history that evidence how you flourished because of some fantastic feedback.  [Read More]

Kay’s Consulting Corner

Each month in this section, Kay offers actionable career consulting tips.

3 Forgotten Steps for Feedback Success

1. Your body says it.  As you know with any communication, mixed messages garble the intent and result.  If your words and tone are saying, “I am serious”, you want your body to match.  That means an erect body, with neutral affect, and likely behind a desk.  If your words and tone are saying, “I understand and empathize”, you also want your body to match.  That means a relaxed demeanor, open body language, open gestures, and seated side-by-side.  Think about what your usual demeanor and placement are and determine if that underscores the what and the how of your feedback.
   
   
2. Your expectations precede you.  When you need to give some feedback that might not be well received, positive expectancy is key.  We are not just talking about being positive in our thinking, tone, and body, we are talking about crafting your words to convey a positive self-fulfilling prophesy.  It may sound like, “Jenny, because you are eager to advance your career, I know you will listen with openness, willingness, and curiosity to this feedback.”  You hear the setup for a positive, right?  Take 10 minutes today to think about holding people to higher expectations when giving feedback, jot down 2 or 3 different versions of how it might sound.  This will give you some practice for the next time feedback is on the horizon.
   
   
3. Leverage and nurture relationships.  It’s smart to comment on social media posts but take it to the next level.  Recently I commented on a colleagues’ posts for lawyers.  I am not an attorney but what she said applied to many women and I acknowledged that.  She thanked me and we had several back-and-forth conversations.  I invited her to connect on LinkedIn, then messaged her and suggested we do a one-on-one.  What a fabulous phone call that was.  We resonated, I have quoted her, and she has quoted me.  She is starting a Podcast that I will be on and we are talking about a guest spot in this newsletter.  You get my drift?  There is no telling where this may lead.  What is your version of this?  Take 10 minutes and brainstorm what leveraging and nurturing a professional relationship might look like.

Are you stumped?  Really not sure what would be valuable to your career and what would be a waste of time?  It is a lot more difficult to come up with ideas when it’s your life.  Call me at (513) 561-4288 or email me at kay@highheeledsuccess.com to schedule a complimentary consultation to discuss what it would mean to your career to take action on this.

Client Testimonial – Sheri Wood

I first met Kay when she was a guest speaker at my Toastmaster Club’s first Virtual Open House.  As Vice-President of Public Relations for our club, I was immediately drawn to Kay while working with her to promote our event.  She was professional and quick to respond, yet friendly and enjoyable to interact with.  On the night of our open house, I was impressed while watching how she used her fun, friendly, and energetic personality to draw the audience into her presentation.  As a gift, she offered a free 45-minute telephone consultation to the first twelve people who emailed her after the event, so I sent her a message as soon as possible.

I found myself in tears as I hung up after my first consultation with Kay.  It had been so long since I felt I could really express my fears and concerns about my future to someone who really listened.  I immediately decided that working with Kay as a personal coach to help me explore some type of fun and enjoyable work to pursue in my retirement years was the best thing I could do.

One thing about Kay I quickly discovered was that you always walk away with something actionable after meeting with her.  She often suggests things to think about or explore that have immediate impact.  The most helpful thing Kay has suggested so far was to keep a weekly “Success Journal.”  I was amazed how much more confident I felt about my efforts and accomplishments after a few weeks of implementing this practice.

I’ve looked into personal coaching before but couldn’t find the right fit.  Most coaches want to push you hard towards defined goals, but I wasn’t at that point yet.  I needed someone to help me think through and explore different ideas for a fun, enjoyable, and satisfying career in my retirement.  Kay’s mixture of compassionate listening along with her vast business experience has been the perfect fit for someone like me.  She’s helped me to stop putting off my ideas for tomorrow to a time “when I’m not so busy,” and start taking steps towards my future now.  Instead of drifting like a leaf in a stream and adapting to whatever situation I find myself in, she’s showing me how to take steps to end up where I want to be.

Sheri Wood
Graphic Designer
ariongroup.net

High-Heeled Success^® supports Dress for Success through donations of clothing, time and money.  We offer complimentary seats at every workshop for women participating in the Dress for Success program.

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