7 key ingredients to ensure feedback is effective

The future is uncertain, but your gut can be your guide | practice (split each time) | 7 key ingredients to ensure feedback is effective Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [For more relevant content - Update Your Profile]( | [Web Version]( February 20, 2024 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [X]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE]( ADVERTISEMENT Leading the Way [] [The future is uncertain, but your gut can be your guide]( [The future is uncertain, but your gut can be your guide]( (Pixabay) Having an "a-ha" moment can be a sign of intuition, but you can hone that skill by clearly defining your goals, then getting curious about patterns or other information you may be taking in subconsciously that can be brought forward to shape the future you want, says Laura Day, a practicing intuitive and author. Be careful to check your biases, judgments or prejudices, adds Eboni Banks, an intuitive coach and healer, because they can cloud your intuition and take you off track. Full Story: [Fast Company (tiered subscription model)]( (2/13) [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Feelings "are the least accurate intuitive tool," Day says, [urging leaders to rely on bodily senses]( and look for repeating patterns that may be trying to get your attention. "Once you start to see things showing up, it's a sign that you are primed and queued to receive more information," Banks adds. [] Smarter Communication [] [7 key ingredients to ensure feedback is effective]( [7 key ingredients to ensure feedback is effective]( (Pixabay) Leaders can improve at giving constructive feedback to their direct reports by practicing, writes Lisa Kohn, who notes the feedback should be specific, timely, supportive, about behavior (not the leader's opinion) and invite a response. "By sharing supportive, positive feedback you allow others to feel good about themselves and what they're doing, and to get even better at it," Kohn writes. Full Story: [Chatsworth Consulting Group]( (2/15) [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Take time before any feedback session to thoroughly prepare by [reviewing the key ingredients]( and ensuring you're in the right emotional frame of mind, Kohn advises. "If you're angry, count to ten, or twenty, or one hundred. Wait until you can talk calmly and the other person can hear you." [] [How tech can both exacerbate and solve office stress]( Technology -- from email to remote meetings -- can be a source of stress for employees, but when used correctly, those same communication tools can ease that stress when they're used to develop training and conflict resolution programs and processes, writes Edward Beltran, the CEO of global leadership development and training company Fierce. "When it comes to reducing burnout and increasing employee well-being, getting to the true root of stress must play a fundamental role in any solution," Beltran writes. Full Story: [Chief Executive]( (2/15) [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Encourage employees to [use wearable technology to track biometrics]( such as an increased heart rate in certain situations to help them better understand their stress responses, Beltran writes. "Better communication with ourselves, and what our bodies are telling us about our stress, is an essential step to reducing workplace conflict." [] Smarter Strategy [] - [How to create a high-performing executive team]( Ed Batista Executive Coaching (2/15) [] - [Use this 10-step process when facing tough decisions]( LeadToday (2/15) [] - [Why global business services needs a more strategic role]( Boston Consulting Group (2/14) Featured Content Sponsored Content from Kellogg School of Management - Kellogg Insights [Leading Is Tough. But You've Got This.]( It's not about changing your style—you'll just need to kick things up a notch. From being a strong leader to an authentic one, Kellogg Insight offers advice from one of the world's leading business schools via research, podcasts, and webinars. Approachable. Curious. Straightforward. [Read now »]( [] SmartPulse [] What's the view in your company of people taking company time off to volunteer for non-profit causes? We encourage it strongly and have programs to support it 53.39% We encourage it but don't have formal programs 17.80% We're okay with it but it needs to be limited 14.84% We tolerate it but don't really like to do it 4.23% We discourage it and only support it in extreme cases 1.69% We prohibit it. Do it on your own time. 8.05% [] Supporting Non-Profit Support. Seventy percent of you work for organizations that support employees contributing to non-profit causes (with 53% of you having formal programs at work for doing so). That 70% jumps to 85% when there are clear limits on how much time people dedicate to such support. If your company does support time contributions to non-profit causes, it may be worthwhile to formalize your program. First, doing so sends a strong message to employees that you support those causes. Second, it can put in place limits on how much time people dedicate to those programs. You may as well get credit for supporting things you're already doing and avoid the headache of not being clear about boundaries. Formalize and communicate your programs now to increase participation and minimize confusion. -- Mike Figliuolo is managing director of [thoughtLEADERS](, which includes TITAN -- the firm's e-learning platform. Previously, he worked at McKinsey & Co., Capital One and Scotts Miracle-Gro. He is a West Point graduate and author of three leadership books: ["One Piece of Paper,"]( ["Lead Inside the Box"]( and ["The Elegant Pitch."]( [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] How do you handle it when a customer is surprised by a fee you charge that is clearly stated in your contract? [Vote]( [We point out the clause and charge the fee]( [Vote]( [We compromise somewhat on the fee but still charge something]( [Vote]( [We forgive the fee the first time and acknowledge the miscommunication]( [Vote]( [We renegotiate the contract to remove controversial fees]( [] In Their Own Words [] [Why this fashion CEO remains hopeful on sustainability]( Christina Dean, founder and CEO of Redress and The R Collective, has been fighting textile waste in the fashion industry for 17 years, and even though data shows the problem worsening, Dean says she realizes "change happens slowly and that our work is just a few little sprinkles of goodness at this point in time." Dean says she's not discouraged, though, echoing their saying at Redress: "I'd rather be a pirate than join the navy. And this sums up our spirit, so each day remains a hustle in the office as we're always on our toes for the next roller-coaster ride." Full Story: [Green Queen (Hong Kong)]( (2/16) [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Could your voice be bringing all the kitties to the yard?]( Could your voice be bringing all the kitties to the yard? (Pixabay) Captive undomesticated cats respond more quickly to familiar human voices than unknown voices, indicating they share domesticated cats' ability to recognize caretakers' speech, according to a study in PeerJ Life & Environment. This recognition is triggered by proximity rather than domestication, according to the analysis of cheetahs, cougars, lions, tigers and other cat species, which also determines that animals of varied social cognitive abilities use the skill. Full Story: [Discover magazine]( (2/15) [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Most Read by CEOs The most-clicked stories of the past week by SmartBrief on Leadership readers [] - [3 key pieces of emotional intelligence all leaders need]( SmartBrief/Leadership [] - [Boost your leadership with a personal SWOT analysis]( SmartBrief/Leadership [] - [Leadership is about peacemaking, not peacekeeping]( Talk Business & Politics (Little Rock, Ark.) [] - [Good leadership isn't a double-edged sword]( Fast Company (tiered subscription model) [] - [3 strategies to keep your top talent on the team]( SmartBrief/Leadership [] SmartBreak: Question of the Day [] How old was Martin Luther King, Jr., when he enrolled at Morehouse College? [Vote]( [15]( [Vote]( [19]( [Vote]( [25]( [Vote]( [29]( [] About The Editor [] Candace Chellew Candace Chellew Chellew I used to have a cat named George, who would come whenever I called him. At least, that's what I thought. The new research on how [cats recognize the voices of their caretakers]( may mean that George just knew my voice, and when I called, it usually meant food. I'll keep my sentimental memory of him bounding out of the woods at dinnertime because he knew his name and not just my voice. Either way, it's a fascinating study and may explain why all the stray cats in the neighborhood come to our yard (that and the food we tend to put out for our indoor-outdoor kitties). If this newsletter helps you, please tell your colleagues, friends or anyone who can benefit. Forward them this email, or [send this link](. What topics do you see in your daily work that I should know about? Do you have praise? Criticism? [Drop me a note](mailto:candace.chellew@futurenet.com). And don't forget to send me photos of your pets, your office and where you spend your time off. [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Sharing SmartBrief on Leadership with your network keeps the quality of content high and these newsletters free. Help Spread the Word [SHARE]( Or copy and share your personalized link: smartbrief.com/leadership/?referrerId=japnABMSAp [] [] I'm not interested in creating a book that is read once and then placed on the shelf and forgotten. I am very happy when people have worn out my books, or that they're held together by Scotch tape. [Richard Scarry](, writer, illustrator [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email](   SmartBrief publishes more than 200 free industry newsletters - [Browse our portfolio]( [Sign Up]( | [Update Profile]( | [Advertise with SmartBrief]( [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy policy]( CONTACT US: [FEEDBACK](mailto:leadership@smartbrief.com) | [ADVERTISE](mailto:lengel@smartbrief.com) [SmartBrief Future]( Copyright © 2024 SmartBrief. All Rights Reserved. A division of Future US LLC Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036.