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How do you use feedback?

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feedback is a ball - Infographic by Carolyn Alchin

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More detail required

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Receiving Feedback

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Giving Feedback

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Receiving Feedback

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Giving Feedback

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Empathy map padlet

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Empathy map padlet

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Another possible reflection activity for ending workshop

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Possible reflection activity for ending workshop

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Talks about how students' perceptions of feedback & personal dispositions affect whether they appreciate, engage with and act on feedback they receive.

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You need feedback to learn and grow, and if you're waiting for your annual review to find out how you're performing, you're not getting enough of it. But how do you get the focused input you need? And if your boss is stingy with pointers and advice, how do you encourage her to give you more? Who else should you be asking to help you improve?

What the Experts Say
Receiving feedback can be "a stressful experience," says Ed Batista, an executive coach and an instructor at the Stanford Graduate School of Busines. That's why many people hesitate to ask for it. But the more often you do, the less stressful it becomes to initiate the conversation and to hear the comments. "If you're having a feedback conversation every week, there's less to be surprised by and more opportunity to modify your behavior," Batista explains. The process will also make you happier and more productive at work, adds Sheila Heen, author of Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well. "People who go out and solicit negative feedback - meaning they aren't just fishing for compliments - report higher satisfaction," she says. "They adapt more quickly to new roles, get higher performance reviews, and show others they are committed to doing their jobs." Here's how to ask for feedback that helps you get ahead.

Understand what you're looking for
Think about the kind of feedback you crave. Do you want more appreciation or acknowledgment? Evaluation of your performance on a particular project or task? Or general coaching about how you can improve and learn? Knowing this will help you craft your approach, says Heen. "You can go to your boss and say, I feel like I get a ton of appreciation around here. I know I'm valued. What I don't have a sense of is what I need to work on." And while advice on areas in which you can develop is often the most useful, "there is value in asking for positive feedback as well," says Batista. Don't hesitate to ask your boss to review your performance on an obviously successful project. "It's can be an opportunity to build a stronger relationship," he says.

Ask for feedback in real time
If you want some insight into how you did on a particular task or how you might improve on the next project, don't dawdle. It's best to ask sooner rather than later. Batista advises that you not try to do it all in one conversation. "Chop it up into manageable chunks and space out the interactions," he says. You also don't have to schedule time in advance or make a formal approach. "Don't think of it as sitting down to have an official conversation," says Heen. "Just reach out to your boss, colleagues, or clients and have a very quick and informal coaching exchange." You might pull your boss aside after a meeting, or close a conversation with a client with a parting request for her reaction to your role on a recent project.

Pose specific questions
Whatever you do, don't start off by asking, Do you have any feedback for me? "That's a terrible question," says Heen. "The answer is almost always no and you learn nothing." She recommends instead asking, What's one thing I could improve? so it's clear that you're asking for coaching and it's clear that you assume there's at least one thing you can work on. You can also tailor the question to the specific situation: What's one thing I could have done better in that meeting or presentation? You should also avoid asking questions that are likely to result in yes or no answers. "Asking questions that begin with 'how' or 'what' will elicit fuller responses," Batista says. He suggests questions like, How did that go from your perspective? or What do you think I might have done differently?

Press for examples
To get the most out the feedback once you've asked, you may have to probe for specifics. "Sometimes, the person will say 'I just think you need to be more assertive or more proactive or more of a team player,'" says Heen. "That's vague and what we call a label. It's not very helpful. You have to unpack the label." To do that, ask probing questions like, Can you explain what you mean? How could I have been more assertive just now? and What kinds of things should I do to be more assertive going forward?

Turn to colleagues
Your boss certainly isn't the only one qualified to give you feedback. "The people in the meeting with you or reading your spreadsheets are the ones who actually have the information to help you improve," she says. So when looking for input, don't just look up the organizational chart, but also left, right, and occasionally down. To kickstart a regular feedback loop with colleagues, offer input on, observations about, and praise for their work as well. "You'll get more feedback when you're giving some," says Batista.

On virtual teams, ask more frequently
It can be particularly hard for virtual team members to get regular feedback since physical distance often prevents informal exchanges. So "the onus is on you" to ask for more input, says Batista. Heen's advice is to "pick up the phone." Don't rely on email because nuances tend to get lost.
Principles to Remember: Do:

Understand the kind of feedback you want, whether it's coaching, praise, or an evaluation of recent work.

Ask in real time. This will create a more organic feedback loop going forward.

Pose specific questions designed to elicit helpful information and examples.

Don't

Just ask your boss for feedback. Ask colleagues, junior staff, and clients as well.

Think you have to schedule a formal meeting. You can have brief, informal coaching moments after meetings, in the elevator, and over coffee.

Rely on email when you are on a virtual team. Pick up the phone.

Case study #1: Get the right feedback to grow
Michelle Morgan, who works in online marketing in Missouri, couldn't complain about the amount of feedback she was getting from her boss; he piled on the praise about her performance regularly. But she explains: "I wasn't hearing anything that would help me grow. I very much wanted to become a bigger piece of what was going on and have more impact."

She thought long and hard about the different kind of feedback she needed, and decided to approach her boss. She sat down with him and asked how she could exceed his expectations. "I told him I wanted to be taking steps up the ladder rather than remaining stagnant where I was." She also pressed him to create a specific set of goals for her: "If I were to wow you with my performance, what would that look like numerically?"

Her boss was impressed with her initiative, and began giving her more constructive feedback, detailing how she could expand her duties and stretch her skills. "If opportunities for growth came up, my boss would let me know in real time what step I could take," she says. "The benefits of the feedback ended up far outweighing the initial awkwardness of asking for it in the first place."

Case study #2: Keep your questions narrow
Chelsey*, a network engineer at a telecom company in Dallas, wasn't getting much feedback from her superiors, and when she did, it was usually generic and vague. "I would seek feedback on my soft skills," she says, "and they'd say 'you're very personable.' That feels good, but I can't exactly use it to improve myself." So she decided to look elsewhere.

After her first turn leading a project, she approached the client for feedback, asking specific questions about what he thought went well and what could have been improved. After receiving positive reactions, she then went to her boss, kicking off the conversation by sharing the encouraging feedback she'd received from the client. And since she specifically wanted to hear constructive criticism of her leadership on the project, she focused her questions on that topic. "I said, 'I would like to get your perspective and hear what I can do better next time.'"

Chelsey said this initial interaction helped create a "virtuous cycle" of future feedback. "Once someone knows that you like to receive feedback, it gets easier," she says. She also makes it a practice to ask specific questions like: "How effective would you rate my leadership style?" or "How do you think I could have handled situation X better?" she says. "It usually results in more constructive feedback."

* Not her real name

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You need feedback to learn and grow, and if you're waiting for your annual review to find out how you're performing, you're not getting enough of it. But how do you get the focused input you need? And if your boss is stingy with pointers and advice, how do you encourage her to give you more?

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Getting feedback is an important way to improve performance at work. But sometimes, it can be hard to seek out, and even harder to hear.

As today's guest post, Van Rooy offers these six tips for how to get the feedback you need to improve performance at work.

Guest Post By David L. Van Rooy

1. Don't forget to as k: One of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming things are going perfectly (until they make a catastrophic mistake). By not asking, you're missing out on opportunities for deep feedback: the difficult, critical feedback that gives you constructive ways to improve.

2. Make sure you listen: Remember, getting feedback is about improving your performance, not turning it into a "you versus them" mentality. Your reaction is critical. Do not rationalize the feedback or explain it away. Do not blame others or get angry. If you react in any of those ways, you are less apt to get accurate feedback from that person again. All too often, people let feedback that is given with positive intentions spiral into a negative situation by reacting destructively.

3. Ask clarifying questions: If feedback surprises you, it may be a matter of miscommunication or misperception, and asking questions will give you a clearer picture. Staying clearheaded enough to ask questions and listen to specific suggestions will help you understand the full scope of the feedback and ways that you need to take action to improve.

4. Take time to digest: This is especially important if the feedback is difficult to hear. Taking time to digest and process before you respond helps you react constructively. Say something like "Thank you for the feedback," and schedule a later time to follow up. Then, you can come back with additional clarifying questions and a plan to change and improve.

5. Don't just look to bosses for feedback: Some of the best and most insightful feedback will come from colleagues and direct reports. These are the people who get to see and interact with you the most. Instead of relying solely on guidance from a supervisor, ask colleagues and direct reports to provide feedback, because they may spot potential problems before you or your boss would notice. Seeking feedback from people in other departments lets you hear different perspectives from people focused on other sides of the business.

6. Get feedback through observation: Learning from your successes and failures is a kind of feedback that helps you change your course of action. Consider the example of a speaker who notices people looking confused or inattentive and uses that feedback to change his approach and recapture their attention.

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6 Ways To Seek Feedback To Improve Your Performance In The Workplace

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Getting feedback is an important way to improve performance at work. But sometimes, it can be hard to seek out, and even harder to hear....

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Leaders at every level need candid feedback about their performance to improve. Feedback can illuminate blind spots about behavior that we just can't see without input from others. However, providing feedback to senior leaders can be intimidating. If the COO waltzes into a subordinate's office to ask, "So, how am I doing as a leader?", the likelihood he or she will receive honest, useful feedback is low. Fears of offending the boss or making a fatal misstep loom large for many staff, and they worry about risking their raise, bonus or job by speaking too freely.

The nature of feedback is to let us know how near to or far from our target we are. This data is an essential ingredient in strategic, real-time leadership development. Anonymous standard surveys, such as 360 reviews, provide some data, but they don't contain enough timely, specific or contextual detail.

Without accurate knowledge, senior leaders may adjust in the wrong direction, expend effort in the wrong places, and create even more distance between their intention and their actual impact on others. When a senior leader wants genuine feedback on their leadership skills, try these methods to help them get the real-time data they need to improve.

1. Commit to creating an environment of open dialogue.

In his book "Turn the Ship Around," U.S. Navy Captain L. David Marquet unwittingly gave his submarine crew an impossible command during important submarine tactical training. Because the crew's previous leaders hadn't allowed them to question their superiors, the crew knew it was a mistake but remained silent instead of informing the captain of his error. Luckily, disaster was averted, but the situation prompted Marquet to ask, "What happens in a top-down culture when the leader is wrong? Everyone goes over the cliff."

Creating open dialogue may challenge aspects of your organization's culture, but is a critical factor in learning what is needed. A culture of open dialogue has benefits beyond quality feedback. Younger staff, including millennials, appreciate an environment that encourages them to generate and share ideas. Open communication builds skills in having collaborative conversations about change and demonstrates respect for diverse thinking.

What would help staff trust that they will not be punished for their honesty? To cultivate an environment of open dialogue, start by acknowledging the perceived risk the provider of feedback is taking. Highlight the mutual benefit of improvement likely to arise from the discussion. Appreciate that you are receiving feedback, regardless of how you feel about the content.

2. Be specific when requesting feedback.

"How am I doing as a leader?" is too sweeping and leaves staff scrambling to say something that feels psychologically safe enough to share on the spot. Instead, give a specific aspect to focus on and explain why you're asking for feedback. Consider referring to a specific strategic objective, customer request or mutual project.

Here's an example: "I'm working on becoming a more engaging speaker so I can get more speaking engagements and increase awareness of what our organization does. Based on my speeches in the past few months, can you think of a couple ways I could improve?"

In some situations, critiques of the past might leave some people feeling uncomfortable, whereas asking about future opportunities leaves space open for idea exploration.
3. Acknowledge and mitigate concerns.
If you suspect a staff member would be nervous about giving feedback, consider meeting in an informal, enjoyable location such as a coffee shop or lunch spot. You may wish to give the staff member time to develop their responses by asking your questions in advance and then discussing their answers at a meeting. Many people appreciate having time to be thoughtful instead of being expected to answer on the spot.
4. Radiate a sincere desire to learn and improve.
Consider how you'll demonstrate that you want to hear what's on your staff's mind. One executive related her approach: "My eyebrows are up, my pen is poised and my mouth is closed. I don't shut down the conversation by defending myself." In the Harvard Business Review, Peter Bregman recommends taking notes because "a little silence communicates that you're taking feedback seriously and it gives those offering it time to think about what else they might say. Often they'll volunteer a second - and very important - thought while waiting for you to finish writing."

Prepare to express sincere gratitude and consideration. Staff members need to know that you heard what they had to say and are taking it seriously and that you understand and appreciate the risk they've taken in being honest with you. Some helpful phrases are "I appreciate your willingness to give me that idea," "I'm going to take that into consideration," and "I'll put some time and thought into that to see where it leads." Expressions of gratitude set the stage for establishing a culture that truly values feedback to leaders at all levels.

One of the best ways to receive future feedback is to act on what you have received thus far. Feedback is most effective when it gives guidance for improvement, and how an executive decides to respond to the suggestion determines its impact. Bolster staff's confidence that feedback is a worthy time investment by showing that you have listened to ideas and are considering changes as a result.

For instance, if the feedback points to a lack of information or communication flow, spend time figuring out how to put accurate information in more people's hands. If the feedback points to professional development, share how you are working on improving and what plans you have for growing. If you receive a specific suggestion about effective speaking, such as avoiding verbal crutches, enlist the person who gave you feedback to help track progress, and celebrate the success of measurable and sustained improvement.

Maximizing the benefit of feedback begins with being open and ends with using what you have learned to become a better leader. Using these methods, everyone wins.

Training Industry Logo Emblem Avatar
Default Training Industry Avatar Kate Goff and Jessica Hartung

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Get Feedback to Get Better: 5 Tips for Leaders Seeking Feedback - Training Industry

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Training Industry - by Training Industry. Published on TrainingIndustry.com, Articles, research and tools for the L&D professional. Insights for managing the business of learning.

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Student response data

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Created by Isabelle Franich

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BET and BEAR models of giving feedback

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understanding how students process and use feedback

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Oh, the joys of being criticized.

There's nothing like being told you're bad at something, especially when the dig comes from someone you respect. Some, including my former employer, harangue you into believing that every piece of feedback is a gift -no matter how badly it stings. These people are probably right. They also make me want to slam my head into a wall.

The truth, of course, is that without criticism we cannot improve. However, negative feedback can easily trigger defensiveness, which is a great way to stifle learning of any kind. Even pointing out a spelling error may piss someone off, if delivered in the wrong way, or at the wrong time.

As a manager, these sensitivities can make giving feedback intimidating. Per recent research, 44% of managers say they find it stressful and difficult to give negative feedback, and one-fifth avoid the practice entirely. Even more surprisingly, nearly 40% of leaders conceded to never giving positive reinforcement, either.

However, research from Northwestern University suggests there may be an optimal time to give negative feedback. This timing has to do with our capacity for self-regulation, which plummets when we're worn out.

In their 2016 study "The strength to face the facts: Self-regulation defends against defensive information processing," published in the journal Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, researchers at the University of Toronto set out to understand who might be more receptive to negative feedback.

"Specifically, we thought that people high in self-control (i.e., high in the capacity to override their impulses, either at a trait-based, individual level, or as a temporary state) and those high in self-improvement motivation would be more able to withstand the short-term pains of accepting negative feedback in order to yield the long-term rewards," study author Rachel Ruttan, an organizational behavior professor at the university, told Quartz via email.

Through five studies, Ruttan and her colleagues explored the impact of self-regulatory capacities on defensive information processing-the tendency to deny, distort, or avoid diagnostic self-threatening information.

People who are both low in self-regulatory capacities-both as a personality trait, and temporary state-were significantly more likely to deny the validity and importance of negative feedback, and were less willing to seek self-improvement based on this knowledge. The opposite was true for people high in self-regulatory capacities. The researchers ruled out explanations for these results based on self-esteem and competence-based deficits.

Additional research cited in Ruttan's study suggests that people's capacity for self-regulation and self-control declines as the day progresses. This isn't particularly surprising, said Ruttan: The more tired and worn down we get, the less patience we have, and the more testy we can become. This is why many psychologists and feedback experts suggest waiting a few hours, or a day, before critiquing a colleague if they're upset about their performance, like a failed presentation.

"In the moment, feedback can be one of the most painful experiences," Harvard Law School lecturer Sheela Heen, author of Thanks for the Feedback, told Quartz last year:

"This is partly because of these two core, human needs that start off at cross-purposes with each other: On one hand, we actually do want to learn and grow. That's a big piece of happiness research, and it's very satisfying. But we also want to be accepted and respected and loved just the way we are now. So when people want us to change it somehow, it suggests that how I am now is not great or not cool."

For many of us, this dissonance gets worse as the day progresses, which led Ruttan to her proposal that the best time to give negative feedback is in the morning. Perhaps not first thing when your colleague walks into the office-best to let them settle in. But in the first half of the day, for sure:

"Given that we found that those low in self-control had a harder time accepting negative feedback, we connected these two findings to propose that people may also be less receptive to negative feedback as the day progresses," said Ruttan.

While there's no specific day of the week that's best for negative feedback, managers would be smart to heed their employees' personal lives, said Ruttan. If they have a tough meeting, or trouble at home on a given day, avoid giving negative feedback, as their capacity for self-regulation and motivation to learn from it will probably be low.

Beyond timing, one of the most effective ways to optimize learning from criticism is to combine it with positive feedback, said Ruttan: "We like hearing that we're doing well, and positive feedback has been found to increase positive affect and mood. And feeling good can serve as a resource enabling people to tackle negative feedback."

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There's an optimal time to give negative feedback

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Oh, the joys of being criticized. There's nothing like being told you're bad at something, especially when the dig comes from someone you respect. Some, including my former employer, harangue you into believing that every piece of feedback is a gift -no matter how badly it stings. These people are probably right.

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2017 Journal article on Feedback for education students

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2017 Journal article on Feedback for education students

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Designed to add value to academic feedback.

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My notes are still on here for your persual too!

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How would you use this?

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Workplaces are constantly evolving and becoming more complex, and leaders need to adapt to this. It is a challenge to lead a single team effectively, but what about leading different types, including remote/virtual teams?

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Forbes has lots of useful articles

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Receiving criticism can sometimes be a messy situation, especially when it's unexpected, harsh or given when others are present.

You might feel shocked, angry or even embarrassed by the comments. But before getting defensive, try switching your mind-set and treating the feedback as a gift, rather than criticism. Here's how.

Who gave the feedback? First, consider who is providing you with the criticism. Is it your manager, a mentor, your coworker, someone who reports to you? Is it someone you respect or trust?

People are human and that means we aren't perfect beings. Sure, their approach might have been a bit clunky or inappropriate. But before getting angry, open your mind to the possibility that they were just trying to be helpful.

Most people don't want to see others fail. Just the opposite. Have you ever sat through a presentation where the speaker was struggling - and silently tried to will him or her to do better? It's human nature to want to help. That's probably why so many people feel the need to provide unsolicited advice to new graduates, pregnant women, new parents and even new homeowners.

We like helping others succeed and don't want to see people struggle with the same issues we had to overcome ourselves. So no matter how harsh the criticism, try to keep an open heart that maybe, just maybe, the person is simply trying to be helpful.

What was the feedback about? The next step is to think about what the person said. How would you categorize the criticism? Is it about your preparation, the content or quality of your work, the speed, the results (or lack thereof)? Was it about your behavior, actions/inactions, or style? Trying to categorize the feedback will help remove some of the emotions you might be feeling from the comments.

Giving feedback can be difficult for many people, especially introverts, so seek to understand the content of what they said and ask clarifying questions. Good phrases to use when trying to clarify the comment include "Help me understand..." and "When you say (insert comment here), are you referring to..."

How could you use the feedback? Finally, consider how you could turn their comments into improvement actions. Sure, you might have been surprised by the criticism, especially if it wasn't something you were expecting to hear. But what would happen if you treat this as a unique chance to learn about yourself - or about how someone else perceives the situation?

It isn't a perfect world and feedback doesn't always come across as we might have hoped. Instead of being angry or suspicious about the criticism, switch your mind-set by recognizing you've potentially been given a golden nugget of insight. How might you use this information? Given the feedback, what actions could you take?

If you keep your heart and mind open, you might realize that what you first thought of as criticism is actually a very special gift that will help you grow and develop.
Lisa Quast is the author of Secrets of a Hiring Manager Turned Career Coach: A Foolproof Guide to Getting the Job You Want. Every Time.

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Here's How To Take The Sting Out Of Receiving Criticism

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Receiving criticism can sometimes be a messy situation, especially when it's unexpected, harsh or given when others are present. You might feel shocked, angry or even embarrassed by the comments. But before getting defensive, try switching your mind-set and treating the feedback as a gift, rather than criticism. Here's how.

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Thanks again Lynda.com

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Learn about the importance of being gracious and appreciative of feedback. Feedback is a gift, it helps you to develop and it's hard to progress without it. Even if you find feedback hard to hear, you can learn to take a step back and be objective.

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The 12 rules of giving negative feedback

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The 12 rules of giving negative feedback

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Check the statistics, and the research in this article from 2017

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Giving feedback is a sensitive issue. If you see a colleague struggling, your instinct is to help them improve. But if you've got nothing positive to say, you risk hurting somebody's feelings. How can you let your teammates know they could be doing better work?

With a change of attitude, the feedback process can become a positive force within your team. It is all about creating a culture of feedback and learning how to criticize effectively. For example, you might begin by organizing a pre-feedback meeting to discuss the importance of feedback and the best ways of giving and receiving it.

If you avoid giving feedback because you're worried it will go badly, try to look at it the other way around. Start thinking in advance about how you can make the most of a tricky situation: It is widely believed that conflict can be good for your business. If your feedback is professional and your attitude is open, healthy debate will lead to stronger and better outcomes.

Figuring out the best way to give negative feedback is a good start. Our new infographic provides 12 essential do's and don'ts for the feedback process to help you avoid any pitfalls. Share it with your team, and you will be on the same page the next time a difficult discussion is needed.

Remember, you give negative feedback because you care. Try to introduce the subject to those around you, and you should start to see the quality of work improve over time.

Sources
Grant Halvorson, H. (2013). Sometimes, Negative Feedback Is Best. psychologytoday.com
Schwarz, R. (2013). How Critizizing in Private Undermines Your Team. hbr.org
Knight, R. (2014). How to Give Your Team Feedback. hbr.org
Ashkenas, R. (2014). Stop Pretending You Can't Give Candid Feedback. hbr.org
Bregman, P. (2011). Don't Be Nice; Be Helpful. hbr.org
Phoel, C.M. (2009). Feedback That Works. hbr.org
Correll, S. (2016). Research: Vague Feedback Is Holding Women Back. hbr.org.
Schwarz, R. (2013) The "Sandwich Approach" Undermines Your Feedback. hbr.org
Petersen, D. (2014) Carole Robin: How to Create a Feedback-Rich Environment. gsb.stanford.edu
Roth, D. (2013). Supporting Healthy Conflict In The Workplace. forbes.com

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Jennifer G. is a Social Media Associate at Enova International, Inc., and is interested in finding new and creative ways to be financially savvy. Find out more about her on Google+.

Comments

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The 12 Rules of Giving Negative Feedback (According to Experts) - Headway Capital | Blog

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Giving feedback is a sensitive issue. If you see a colleague struggling, your instinct is to help them improve. But if you've got nothing positive to say, you risk hurting somebody's feelings. How can you let your teammates know they could be doing better work?

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Blackboard based modules aligned with
the Career Development Learning Framework. You can link these modules  into your blackboard site.

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Another take

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One of the most challenging parts of becoming a manager or a leader is delivering feedback. And because it can be so difficult, many of us fall back on what people have called the "sandwich" approach to giving feedback: where you sandwich negative feedback in between doses of positive feedback, with the bread representing the positive and the meat representing the negative.

This is the traditional form of sandwich feedback - and probably something many of you have heard of, or likely even done. But this got me thinking: Sure we often use a sandwich approach to giving feedback, but is there really only one way of doing this? Is there only one version of sandwich feedback out there?

Few of us love to give negative feedback, but as you see there are many different options on the menu. The key in the end is to pick one that works for you, enables you to deliver the message the other person needs to hear, and to do so with honesty and dignity.

Have you ever tried a sandwich approach for giving feedback? What's your favorite version?

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Reinventing the Feedback Sandwich - Andy Molinsky - Medium

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One of the most challenging parts of becoming a manager or a leader is delivering feedback. And because it can be so difficult, many of us fall back on what people have called the "sandwich" approach to giving feedback: where you sandwich negative feedback in between doses of positive feedback, with the bread representing the positive and the meat representing the negative.

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The hidden Power of Assuming Positive intent

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The hidden Power of Assuming Positive intent

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Giving feedback is often about reacting

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As an entrepreneur, you're going to run into conflict. Full stop, no doubt. Whether it's a dissatisfied employee, a difficult client, or a ruthless competitor, conflict is a certainty in both business and life. But one valuable lesson that I've learned over the years is that how you handle it often does more to shape the outcome than the conflict itself.

Sometimes, you have to meet fire with fire. Other challenges demand a moderate response - or no response at all. But in still other instances, actively taking the high road can yield surprising, positive, and occasionally huge benefits.

Back in 2006, my director of HR rushed into my office to angrily show me something online. Another company had stolen one of our job descriptions for a senior software developer, posting the same ad, word-for-word. My HR team was irate and they wanted to go to war.

"They can't do this! Sue them!" was their cry.

I was pretty angry myself. We spent a lot of time crafting job ads to find the right people with the exact skills that we need, and prided ourselves on bringing in and on-boarding the best developers in the business. Now, another company wasn't only trying to move in on our territory, they were doing it by stealing our intellectual property.

I listened to my employees and thought about what to do for a few minutes. After some deep breaths, I considered my options: a cease and desist letter or, at minimum, a professionally testy phone call? In the end, I decided to take a different tack.

"How can we spin this?" I asked my team. "How can we turn this to our advantage?"

A helpful offer - coupled with a subtle brushback pitch

I decided to broach the issue with the other company. I called their CEO and after exchanging pleasantries, said, "Hey, you have a really great job description on this ad. We've used it to bring in some really great people with that exact skillset. In fact, many of them are sitting outside my door right now. Any chance you're interested in bringing some of them in on a contract basis for your project?"

The CEO's reaction was sheepish embarrassment. He'd known they'd stolen the ad and while he didn't directly apologize for it, he thanked me for the offer and told me that he'd consider it. When I got off the phone, I knew they'd take the ad down (or at least change its language) and hey, who knows? Maybe some new business would come out of it.

I didn't have to wait long. Two weeks later, that CEO referred us to another company who ended up hiring us. Over the next three years, we billed over $3 million dollars in services.

How to evaluate adversity - and when to meet it with a smile

There have been many instances in my career when I've turned a negative into something positive, including employee conflicts, business setbacks, and yes, dealing with direct competitors or other companies that step out of line. I've learned to do these three things to help me decide whether to ignore the challenge, go on offense, or simply extend a friendly hand:

Step back and take a deep breath

The first, crucial step is to let any initial upset subside. Emotional business decisions - especially those based on anger or fear - are rarely good ones. Unless it's a three-alarm fire, take a little time to think about how you'd like to handle the issue. And sleep on it, if necessary.

Analyze whether or not the issue poses a threat to your company's finances, future, or reputation. If it does, you may need to take immediate action, and that action may require an aggressive stance. If it doesn't, you have room to run in a range of other directions.

Assess any opportunities

Brainstorm approaches and possible outcomes that can actually benefit your firm. This could be as simple as negating something that has the potential to do you harm (such as getting a job ad taken down that steals your language and potentially siphons away qualified developers), or it could be a beneficial result, such as a new partnership, a trade agreement that exchanges goods or services, or a referral (ideally to a $3M dollar contract).

Successful leaders always assess the angles. And while doing so is commonly understood as quickly seizing opportunities, these aren't always as straightforward as simply developing an innovative product or cornering the market on a new service. Sometimes, the routine setbacks and challenges we face can be turned into golden opportunities. A smart leader will look at all options and make a rational decision that's free of anger, ego, or fear.

The results will often surprise you.

Bruce Eckfeldt

@beckfeldt

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The Hidden Power of Assuming Positive Intent

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As an entrepreneur, you're going to run into conflict. Full stop, no doubt. Whether it's a dissatisfied employee, a difficult client, or a ruthless competitor, conflict is a certainty in both business and life. But one valuable lesson that I've learned over the years is that how you handle it often does more to shape the outcome than the conflict itself.

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Business Balls

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Workplaces are constantly evolving and becoming more complex, and leaders need to adapt to this. It is a challenge to lead a single team effectively, but what about leading different types, including remote/virtual teams?