Crafting Feedback Questions That Matter

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗮 𝗵𝘂𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀?   (And a fresh idea for you to use)   Re-interviewing.   No- They aren't re-applying for their position.   And this isn't about their fit for the position.   It's about evaluating the job and 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 fit to them and their expectations.   Instead, take the opportunity to look back to when they first applied for the position.   Here are three powerhouse questions:   1. 𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲? 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁? 2. 𝗔𝗺 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿? 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁? 3. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻, 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁? 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁? I used to do this exercise with my teams in direct sales.   It was a high-stress job and I wanted to ensure I had my finger on the pulse.   If there answer was "no" to the last question, there was some work to be done.   This provided innovation, employee engagement ideas, and improvements to interviewing.   It also led to the lowest 12-month employee turnover in the company.   Expectations on both sides of the table are important.   How often are we checking in on how the job is meeting those expectations?   𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 3𝗿𝗱 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆? P.S. If you don't think your people would be comfortable being honest here, you also have work to do.   #LeadershipDevelopment #EmployeeEngagement #FeedbackCulture #CareerDevelopment   -------------- Want more like this in your feed? ➡️Engage (like/comment/repost) ➡️Go to Matt Antonucci and click/tap the (🔔)   𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀. 😊   Repost to your network if it can help someone else. ♻

Early in my career, I made the mistake of asking for feedback poorly. Here's what I did wrong and how you can do better: I'd ask for vague feedback such as "How can I improve?" This approach fails because it's reactive (focuses too much on what you did wrong) and it puts too much work on the feedback provider. Instead, shift to future-focused and specific questions. Three better questions to ask: 1/ “How could I make this deliverable 50% better in the future?” 2/ “For future proposals, what would make you LOVE something instead of just like it?” 3/ “What are 2 things I can improve on XYZ next time?” Focus your question on improvement and moving forward (not blame or criticism). Remember, the quality of your questions determines the quality of the feedback.

Ever feel like turnover is draining your organization? For a 100-employee company, it could cost you up to $2.6M annually. That’s money you could invest in growth and innovation—instead, it’s going out the door. According to the BLS, the average US company in 2017 saw 26% turnover. A 100-person team with an average salary of $50K translates to $660K—$2.6M in turnover/replacement costs annually. Beyond dollars, turnover disrupts customers, piles extra work on remaining employees, and drains institutional knowledge. One powerful (and often overlooked) solution? Equipping managers to have meaningful one-on-ones that drive retention. Here are a few sample questions: Which parts of your work feel most meaningful, & how do they affect others? ↪ Why it’s crucial: Highlights task significance, reinforcing purpose How do current tasks engage your skills, & which abilities would you like to use more? ↪ Why it’s crucial: Addresses skill variety, fueling growth & satisfaction Which projects give you a clear sense of ownership from start to finish? ↪ Why it’s crucial: Emphasizes task identity, boosting motivation How much autonomy do you have in deciding how to approach your work? ↪ Why it’s crucial: Reveals autonomy needs, a core driver of engagement How do you prefer to receive feedback, & what format helps you grow most? ↪ Why it’s crucial: Improves feedback quality, essential for retention What recent accomplishment are you proud of, & why? ↪ Why it’s crucial: Fosters recognition, reinforcing intrinsic motivation Are there challenges or new tasks you’d love to tackle to stay motivated? ↪ Why it’s crucial: Identifies growth opportunities that strengthen retention What barriers hinder your job satisfaction, & how can I help remove them? ↪ Why it’s crucial: Addresses obstacles that undermine retention Where do you see opportunities to deepen your sense of purpose here? ↪ Why it’s crucial: Enhances task significance & personal meaning How do you like to learn new skills—projects, training, or peer collaboration? ↪ Why it’s crucial: Aligns learning methods with development needs What level of decision-making power would energize you in this role? ↪ Why it’s crucial: Clarifies autonomy preferences, fostering ownership How does this role fit your long-term goals, & what could enhance that? ↪ Why it’s crucial: Ensures alignment with aspirations, driving engagement Simply asking these questions can spark trust, uncover growth opportunities, and help you keep your best people. What’s your go-to question for one-on-ones? Drop it below! Source - Gallup: "This Fixable Problem Costs U.S. Businesses $1 Trillion" *** ♻️ Re-post or share so others can identify these red flags 🔔 Turn on notifications for my latest posts 🤓 Follow me at Scott J. Allen, Ph.D. for daily content on leadership 📌 Design by Bela Jevtovic

Feedback can bruise. Or it can build. But the right mindset turns it into momentum. Ask these 15 questions in your next 1:1: (unlock your next career level) ✅ Growth Mindset Questions: 1. "What skills would make me most valuable to the team in the next 6 months?" ↳ Aligns development with team needs 2. "Which of my current strengths could be leveraged in new ways?" ↳ Uncovers hidden opportunities 3. "What experiences or projects would help close my skill gaps?" ↳ Creates actionable growth paths ✅ Strategic Impact Questions: 4. "How does my work directly impact our team's major objectives?" ↳ Connects daily work to bigger picture 5. "What metrics should I focus on improving next quarter?" ↳ Quantifies your value 6. "Which of my current responsibilities has the most growth potential?" ↳ Identifies scaling opportunities ✅ Leadership Development Questions: 7. "What leadership qualities have you observed in me?" ↳ Surfaces natural strengths 8. "How can I take on more ownership while maintaining quality?" ↳ Shows initiative responsibly 9. "What would make me ready for the next level?" ↳ Creates promotion roadmap ✅ Relationship Building Questions: 10. "How can I better support you and the team?" ↳ Shows emotional intelligence 11. "What's one blind spot you see in my work style?" ↳ Demonstrates self-awareness 12. "Who else should I be collaborating with more?" ↳ Expands influence ✅ Future-Focused Questions: 13. "What industry trends should I be preparing for?" ↳ Shows strategic thinking 14. "How do you see my role evolving?" ↳ Aligns expectations 15. "What would you do differently if you were in my position?" ↳ Gains mentor perspective 3 out of 4 high achievers say feedback shaped their success. Don't just wait for it! → Guide it → Shape it → Transform it into action Which of these will you use right away? 🔄 Repost to help others