Angela Krites, SPHR-SCP, ProSci CCP

Did you ever get feedback that you didn't like? This question is different from have you ever gotten feedback that you didn't agree with? Many leaders have gone through the Executive Coaching feedback process and gotten feedback they didn't like but was true from a perspective they may not have recognized. Part of receiving feedback is recognizing it for the value of a different or new perspective that you can learn from or at minimum at least have the awareness too. This is all part of seeking and embracing the gift of feedback.

1. Listen 2. Respond with Empathy 3. Remove any obstacles you can These three things can drive high impact quickly when dealing with change overload. I have met too many leaders who didn't listen, who did not respond with empathy and did not help to remove obstacles and the team continued to suffer or deteriorate. Although these three things may seem small; small things can make a huge difference.

Let's be honest that many of us have come into situations with someone who completely lacks EI (both in the professional and personal realms) of our lives. And for those individuals who lack EI, they may never know how limiting this can be on their future opportunities or the future potential of the team they lead or manage. After time, if the lack of EI transforms into consistent bad behavior then it can become part of the team culture and can lead to long term issues for the members as well as the leader. Part of overcoming this is to be able to take feedback and coaching, maybe even do a 360 with team. When someone gives feedback; he/she may not like it however important to understand where it is coming from (empathy).

This was very powerful for me to step back and pause on the root cause and think about what type of conflict I was experiencing. Here are four types of conflict for easy reference: 1. Task Conflict over What 2. Process Conflict over How 3. Status Conflict over Who 4. Relationship Conflict is personal When one is able to identify the root cause, it can be easier to work through and start to move forward. And remembering, not all conflict is bad. Conflict can drive better creativity and healthier relationships.

In my experience, defining core values first will anchor the team and then actions can be be taken to build around those core values. The more employees align to the purpose, mission and vision; it will then drive to the better outcomes and higher employee commitment.