Feedback Techniques

"Feedback is a gift. It's an opportunity to learn and grow" At Google, we believe in the power of feedback to drive improvement. Sometimes feedback can be tough to hear. But taking the time to unpack it, understand the perspective, and reflect on it is crucial. Why feedback matters: - It reveals blind spots we cannot see ourselves - It accelerates learning by shortcutting trial and error - It demonstrates that others are invested in your success - It creates alignment between perception and reality How to receive feedback effectively: 1. Approach with curiosity, not defensiveness When receiving feedback, your first reaction might be to justify or explain. Instead, listen deeply and ask clarifying questions: "Can you give me a specific example?" or "What would success look like to you?" 2. Separate intention from impact Remember that well-intentioned actions can still have unintended consequences. Focus on understanding the impact rather than defending your intentions. 3. Look for patterns across multiple sources Individual feedback may reflect personal preferences, but patterns across multiple sources often reveal genuine opportunities for growth. 4. Prioritize actionable insights Not all feedback requires action. Evaluate which points will have the greatest impact on your effectiveness and focus your energy there. 5. Follow up and close the loop Demonstrate your commitment by acknowledging the feedback, sharing your action plan, and following up on your progress. Creating a feedback-rich environment: - Model vulnerability by asking for feedback yourself - Recognize and celebrate when people implement feedback successfully - Make it routine through structured check-ins rather than waiting for formal reviews At Google, we've learned that organizations with robust feedback cultures innovate faster, adapt more quickly to market changes, and build more inclusive workplaces. Let's commit to seeing feedback not as criticism but as a valuable investment in our collective future. The discomfort is temporary, but the growth is lasting. #motivation #productivity #mindset

Anthropic’s “Prompting 101” is one of the best real world tutorials I’ve seen lately on how to actually build a great prompt. Not a toy example. They showcase a real task: analyzing handwritten Swedish car accident forms. Here’s the breakdown: 𝟭. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲. You don’t write the perfect prompt on the first try. You test, observe, refine. Just like any other product loop. 𝟮. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀. The best prompts follow a playbook: - Start with task + tone context - Load static knowledge into the system prompt - Give clear rules and step-by-step instructions - Show concrete examples - Ask the model to think step-by-step - Define structured output 𝟯. 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘁. In the first version, Claude hallucinated a skiing accident. Only after adding context, rules, and constraints did it produce reliable results. You wouldn’t let a junior analyst guess on regulatory filings. Don’t let your LLM do it either. 𝟰. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲. In traditional software, interfaces are buttons and APIs. In GenAI, the interface is language. Your prompt is the program. Most teams still treat prompts like notes in a playground. High-performing teams treat them like production code. That's why in our IBM watsonx platform, prompts are assets just like code or data. 👉Access the video tutorial here: https://lnkd.in/gUdHc2uy ________________________ ♻️ Repost to share these insights! ➕ Follow Armand Ruiz for more

Excellent tips here illustrating how a subtle change in tone can have a massive influence upon how your message is received. 1) Acknowledge Delays with Gratitude "Sorry for the late reply…" "Thank you for your patience." 2) Respond Thoughtfully, Not Reactively "This is wrong." "I see your point. Have you considered [trying alternative]?" "Thank you for sharing this—I appreciate your insights." 3) Use Subject Lines That Get to the Point "Update" "Project X: Status Update & Next Steps" 4) Set the Tone with Your First Line "Hey, quick question…" "Hi [Name], I appreciate you. I wanted to ask about…" 5) Show Appreciation, Not Acknowledgment "Noted." "Thank you for sharing this—I appreciate your insights." 6) Frame Feedback Positively "This isn’t good enough." "This is a great start. Let’s refine [specific area] further." 7) Lead with Confidence "Maybe you could take a look…" "We need [specific task] completed by [specific date]." 8) Clarify Priorities Instead of Overloading "We need to do this ASAP!" "Let’s prioritize [specific task] first to meet our deadline." 9) Make Requests Easy to Process "Can you take a look at this?" "Can you review this and share your feedback by [date]?" 10) Be Clear About Next Steps "Let’s figure it out later." "Next steps: I’ll handle X, and you confirm Y by [deadline]." 11) Follow Up with Purpose, Not Pressure "Just checking in again!" "I wanted to follow up on this. Do you need any additional details from me?" 12) Avoid Passive-Aggressive Language "As I mentioned before…" "Just bringing this back in case it got missed."

👧🏽 Free Guide PDF: Children-Centered Design (https://lnkd.in/dfj52fNe), a lovely free handbook on children-centered design approach in Save the Children Finland — with activities, games, design process and tips on working with children, respecting children’s needs, perspectives and rights. Kindly written by Reetta Kalliomeri, Katja Mettinen, Anna-Maija Ohlsson, Sonja Soini, Hanna Tulensalo, Inari Savola, shared by Maija Hansen. Children are rarely invited to take part in actual design efforts. But to grasp their needs and perspectives, we need to engage with their thinking and behavior. This is a very unique guide exploring how to involve children in co-designing digital products with them, not for them. --- 🔸 1. Key takeaways 1. Ask explicit consent first — participation must be voluntary, never assumed. 2. Trust in children’s ability to talk about and express themselves. 3. Safety first: child’s ability to choose what to talk about, how, how much, how quickly. 4. Children find it easier to understand explanations that are supported with pictures. 5. Draw or use pictures of what is going on and what you’d like to understand. 6. Leave a picture on a wall, so children can easily go back to it to ask for more details. 7. Physically get down to the child's level — sit on the floor, not across a desk. 8. Take notes openly; tell children what you're writing and why, let them comment. 9. Close every session by explaining what happens next with what they told you. 10. Take note of how specific children behave alone and with others. 11. Listen to how children speak, and the words they use. Don't “translate” it. 12. Use props instead: sun/ghost/tree drawings, puppets, hand-built models, picture collages. 13. Cap group interviews at 6 children per 2 adults, so everyone actually gets heard. 14. For ideas, let children draw, build, or act it out rather than describe it verbally. 15. When children can't be present, keep their exact words and photos visible. 16. Notice when children describe the same issue differently for themselves vs. parents. 17. Adults will underestimate what a child finds imaginative or worth building on. 18. Give children with disabilities extra support, so participation stays equal. As Deb Gelman wrote, children communicate volumes by how they play, what they choose to play with, how long they choose to play with it, and when they decide to play with something else. Yet they don’t get as disappointed when something isn’t working. They just choose to browse or play something else. Designing for children is difficult. Children tend to lose focus and motivation. They quit when they get bored, and they move on if they can’t get anywhere quickly enough. They need steady achievements. So as designers, we need to appreciate, reward, and encourage small wins to develop habits and support learning — with progress tracking and gamification. Useful resources and books in comments ↓

Want better feedback? Stop asking for it. Ask for advice instead. Here’s why this simple shift makes people more helpful, more honest, and way more likely to give you actionable insights 👇 Most people think asking for feedback is the best way to improve. It’s not. The problem? Feedback puts people in critic mode. Most won’t be as honest as they should be. Even when they are, it’s often vague or unhelpful. There’s a better way. Instead of asking, “What do you think?” ask: 💡 “What advice would you give me to make this better?” Why? Three big reasons: 1️⃣ People love giving advice. It’s flattering. It makes them feel valued. When you ask for advice, you’re engaging them as a partner, not a judge. That alone makes them more invested in helping you improve. 2️⃣ It makes tough feedback easier to give. Most people hate being critical—even when it’s justified. But advice allows them to wrap honest feedback in something constructive. They’re not just pointing out flaws; they’re showing you how to fix them. 3️⃣ Advice is actionable. Research shows it doesn’t matter if feedback is positive or negative. What matters most? Whether it gives you a clear next step. Advice naturally leads to solutions, not just opinions. Biggest mindset shift: 🚫 Asking for feedback creates a critic. ✅ Asking for advice creates a partner. The next time you need help, don’t ask for feedback. Ask for advice—and watch how much better the responses get. Try it today: What’s one thing you’re working on that could benefit from better advice? Drop it below and see what happens 👇

Rick Rubin went on stage in Helsinki the day after my talk. Someone asked how he resolves creative differences with artists. His answer was simple: change the conversation from "I disagree" to "let's build it." Then he shared a story: An artist played him a song. The transition didn't work. Rubin told him so. The artist said, "We'll just cut that part in half." Rubin thought to himself: What a dumb idea. But he didn't say that. He said, "Let's try it." The artist played it. It worked. Rubin is a legend. He's produced everyone from Johnny Cash to Jay-Z. Instead, he bit his tongue and let the artist prove him wrong. The principle: when you make an idea tangible, it stops being the person's idea. It becomes something you can both look at objectively and improve together. Once you build it, the truth is obvious. Here's what this looks like in practice: Your designer wants to change the entire homepage layout. You think it's too risky. Instead of three meetings debating it, you say: "Let's build a prototype and test it with 50 users this week." Your sales team wants to restructure the pricing page. Instead of blocking it because you're worried about conversions, you say: "Let's run it as an A/B test on 20% of traffic for two weeks." Your engineer wants to rebuild a core feature from scratch. You think it's overengineered. But instead of killing it in the planning phase, you say: "Spike it out in three days and show me if the performance gain is real." You're not saying yes to everything. You're saying, "Let's find out." Rubin also said something that stuck with me: "If there's disagreement, I always side with the artist's vision. Because to them, it's their career. To me, it's just one piece of my portfolio." Most leaders think backing down makes them look weak. Rubin knows that siding with the person who has the most at stake makes better work happen. Your job isn't to be right. It's to create the conditions where the best idea wins. Stop debating. Start building. P.S. This insight is from this week's newsletter where I break down why Yamaha dominates while Steinway got sold to private equity: https://lnkd.in/efSqP_9K P.P.S. Access additional research links, the podcast, and the full archive in the first comment 👇 Thank you to Nordic Business Forum!

Over the last year, I’ve seen many people fall into the same trap: They launch an AI-powered agent (chatbot, assistant, support tool, etc.)… But only track surface-level KPIs — like response time or number of users. That’s not enough. To create AI systems that actually deliver value, we need 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰, 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻-𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 that reflect: • User trust • Task success • Business impact • Experience quality    This infographic highlights 15 𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 dimensions to consider: ↳ 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 — Are your AI answers actually useful and correct? ↳ 𝗧𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 — Can the agent complete full workflows, not just answer trivia? ↳ 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 — Response speed still matters, especially in production. ↳ 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 — How often are users returning or interacting meaningfully? ↳ 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 — Did the user achieve their goal? This is your north star. ↳ 𝗘𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 — Irrelevant or wrong responses? That’s friction. ↳ 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 — Longer isn’t always better — it depends on the goal. ↳ 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 — Are users coming back 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 the first experience? ↳ 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 — Especially critical at scale. Budget-wise agents win. ↳ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗵 — Can the agent handle follow-ups and multi-turn dialogue? ↳ 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 — Feedback from actual users is gold. ↳ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 — Can your AI 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳 to earlier inputs? ↳ 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 — Can it handle volume 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 degrading performance? ↳ 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 — This is key for RAG-based agents. ↳ 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 — Is your AI learning and improving over time? If you're building or managing AI agents — bookmark this. Whether it's a support bot, GenAI assistant, or a multi-agent system — these are the metrics that will shape real-world success. 𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝗜 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀? Let’s make this list even stronger — drop your thoughts 👇

I've coached 400+ CEOs. The best ones don't communicate better. They communicate differently. While average leaders wing it, great ones use proven methods that turn conversations into opportunities. After 20+ years studying top performers, I've identified 7 communication systems that separate good from great. (Save this. You'll need it for your next big meeting.) 1. The 3 Levels of Listening Stop listening to reply. Start listening to understand. Level 1: You're thinking about your response Level 2: You're focused on their words Level 3: You're reading the room—energy, tone, silence One CEO used this to uncover why his top performer was really leaving. Saved a $10M account. 2. What? So What? Now What? Transform rambling updates into decisive action. What = The facts (30 seconds max) So What = Why it matters to the business Now What = The specific decision needed Cut meeting time by 40%. 3. PREP Method Never fumble another investor question. Point: Your answer in one sentence Reason: Why you believe it Example: Proof from your business Point: Reinforce your answer Practice this for 5 minutes daily. Sound prepared always. 4. RACI Matrix Kill confusion before it starts. Responsible: Who does the work Accountable: Who owns success/failure (only ONE person) Consulted: Who gives input Informed: Who needs updates Projects with clear RACI are 3x more likely to succeed. 5. Story of Self/Us/Now Move hearts, not just minds. Story of Self: Why YOU care (personal conviction) Story of Us: Our shared challenge Story of Now: The urgent choice we face This framework has helped politicians win. It'll help you raise capital or inspire your team to meet a big goal. 6. The Pyramid Principle Get board approval in half the time. Start with your recommendation Give 3 supporting arguments (max) Order by impact (strongest first) Data goes last, not first McKinsey consultants swear by this. So should you. 7. COIN Feedback Model Make tough conversations productive. Context: When and where it happened Observation: What you saw (facts only) Impact: The business consequence Next: Agreed action steps No more avoided conversations. No more resentment. Your next funding round, key hire, or major deal doesn't depend on working harder. It depends on communicating better. Because in the end, leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about asking better questions, listening deeper, and communicating with precision. Your team is waiting for you to lead like this. P.S. Want a PDF of my Leadership Communication Cheat Sheet? Get it free: https://lnkd.in/dbaSN9fJ ♻️ Repost to help a founder level up their communication. Follow Eric Partaker for more leadership tools.

5 Ways to Take Criticism Without Shutting Down: (high performers hear it differently) Most people hear criticism as an attack. High performers hear it as intelligence. Here's how they do it differently: 1/ Pause Before You Respond → Your first reaction is always emotional. → Count to three before speaking. → Defensiveness lives in the immediate response. → Wisdom lives in the pause. 2/ Ask "What's the Outcome They Want?" → Criticism isn't about you being wrong. → It's about them wanting something better. → Focus on their goal, not your ego. → This shifts you from defense to problem-solving. 3/ Repeat Back What You Heard → "So you're saying [specific behavior] is creating [specific problem]?" → This forces clarity instead of assumptions. → Most criticism fails because of misunderstanding. → Confirmation prevents escalation. 4/ Mine for the Specific Behavior → Don't accept vague feedback. → Ask "can you give me an example of when I did that?" → Specifics are actionable. → Generalizations just create resentment. 5/ Thank Them for the Risk → Giving criticism is uncomfortable. → Acknowledge they could have stayed silent. → "Thank you for caring enough to say something." → This creates safety for future feedback. Defensiveness kills learning. Curiosity accelerates it. The criticism you resist is often the growth you need most. ♻️ Repost and follow Justin Bateh, PhD for more.

Unsolicited career advice: Stop being defensive when you get feedback. Someone is telling you how they experience you. They might fumble the delivery. They might be insensitive. They might even be wrong. Who cares? Say "thank you" so they'll keep doing it. This is the data you need to improve. What separates people who grow from people who don't: It's not just "taking" feedback once. It requires a steady stream from trusted sources. Here's how to receive feedback like a pro: START WITH YOUR OWN HONEST ASSESSMENT Before they say a word, go first. "Here's what I think went well..." "Here's where I fell short..." "Here's what I'd do differently..." Why this works: The more honest you are about your gaps,  The more they want to help you close them. They stop feeling like the critic. They start feeling like your coach. LISTEN WITHOUT DEFENDING When they add to your assessment, just listen. No "but..." No "the reason I did that was..." No explaining away what they experienced. Their perception is their reality. Arguing with it doesn't change it. Understanding it does. CLOSE WITH CLARITY Before you leave, summarize what you heard. "The key thing I'm taking away is..." "What I'm going to do differently is..." This shows you actually heard them. And makes them far 10x likely To tell you the truth next time. ♻️ Share to help someone get the feedback they need. 🔔 Follow Dave Kline for more practical leadership insights. PS - A great place for feedback? Your 1:1 check-ins.  Most people waste them on status reports.  Let us show you a better way.  And how AI can help. https://lnkd.in/gqeptGQm   Join 354 leaders. Next Thursday.  30 minutes.  11am ET.