Description
Two major causes of stress and poor team engagement regularly reported by vets, nurses and receptionists are:
I don’t get consistent, regular one-to-one feedback on my performance
There’s no point giving my colleagues or management feedback as they will either do nothing or respond defensively
The benefits of effective feedback are well-known and much discussed, with many articles available on the WHO and HOW of giving feedback in practice, so why is it that many practices still find it hard to implement these processes successfully?
The reason is that the processes alone do not help us deal with the uncomfortable feelings that inevitably arise in us when either giving or receiving feedback. Both positive and negative feedback can be equally uncomfortable to give or receive as you may well have found!
Cultivating and maintaining a culture of learning, growth and creativity in practice is often accompanied by uncomfortable conversations hence the term ‘disruptive engagement’.
Paradoxically however, a practice that fosters the ability within its team members to tolerate the discomfort needed for these vital interactions achieves a culture that is significantly less stressful, more compassionate, more effective and way more engaged.
