Article #1
The Second Pillar of Reinforcement: Ongoing Feedback
The following story is true. I know, because it’s about me.
Several years ago after my company, Performance Support Systems, had published 20/20 Insight, a customizable performance feedback system, we decided to use our technology on ourselves. We set up a comprehensive people skills survey, and each of us received ratings and comments from each other.
I’ve always thought of myself as someone who appreciated feedback, asked for feedback, depended on feedback, and even paid people to give me feedback. But when my team rated me low in the area of listening, the feedback was hard to swallow. After all, I was an expert on listening! I had created models for listening; I had written extensively about it; I had taught thousands of managers how to listen more effectively. Apparently, however, I wasn’t practicing the skills I understood so well.
When I finally accepted the reality that I was causing problems among my coworkers, I resolved to change my behavior. I didn’t need training. I knew what ideal listening behavior was. I simply needed to make a good-faith effort to do what I already knew how to do.
That’s when the ongoing feedback started. You see, my business partners were also in the feedback business. They were adept at giving effective feedback, thank you very much, and they didn’t hesitate to do so when I failed to measure up. They let me know every time I happened to regress into my old patterns. I was dismayed at how difficult it was to change the way I listened.
Developing new skills means gradually growing new neural pathways in the brain. This process takes time and persistent effort to overcome decades of ingrained habit, even if these patterns cause problems. With strong commitment, it could take a year of dedicated effort to become comfortable with a new behavior pattern. Along the way, it helps to know how you're doing.
For me, it took over a year. But thanks to the ongoing feedback of the people I cared about, I continued to reset my pattern and persist in my efforts to be a better listener. Today, these effective patterns come naturally to me. I am now (most of the time) a very good listener. But I had to pay lots of dues to achieve this.
I know now that an effective program of follow-up reinforcement has four basic elements:
- Ongoing learning
- Ongoing feedback
- Coaching
- Accountability
Ongoing feedback is essential during the reinforcement phase because most people aren't good judges of their own behavior. For one thing, they just don’t see themselves the way others see them. For another, it’s hard for people to know how their actions affect others. For an objective viewpoint, they need feedback from the people who work around them. They need these people to hold a mirror up to the way they act.
There are several effective techniques for getting ongoing feedback during an extended period of follow-up reinforcement.
- One powerful method is the post-training feedback survey—a multi-source, behavior-based assessment powered by a flexible feedback platform such as 20/20 Insight GOLD. The post-training survey should be identical to the pre-training survey—focused on the specific content of the training. An interim post-training survey can be administered three to six months after training, and a final survey can be administered a year or more after training.
- Informal verbal one-on-one feedback is also powerful, provided that feedback givers are willing and adept at giving it. The feedback-givers may be previous feedback respondents or members of a team or learning support group. Supplemental training may be needed to help participants perform their feedback roles effectively.
- In addition, feedback can be solicited and given using various online media, such as e-mail or private web forums. In addition, using 20/20 Insight GOLD's unlimited usage licenses, learners can create highly personalized, ultra-brief customized 360-degree feedback requests, which can be launched as often as the learner desires them - at no extra cost.
- Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., CEO, Performance Support Systems
Next Month: The Third Pillar of Reinforcement: Coaching
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