Now that’s a KEEP

I was in a bank last week and was served by Rick, a friendly young man.  I was impressed by the effort Rick made to connect.  He showed a genuine interest in my line of work so I gave him some feedback at the end of our meeting. 

I told him I was impressed with the interest he showed.  Rick followed up the standard: ‘So what do you do?’ with questions suggesting he genuinely wanted to find out more .  I said it didn’t feel like a ‘tick the box’ type of exercise before he got down to business.  That it made me more willing to engage with him.

‘Rick – that’s a keep!’

Rick’s response was interesting, but not surprising.

The instant I finished delivering the feedback, he asked: ‘So is there anything I could do better?’ 

It was as if Rick was echoing what seems to be a deeply ingrained view about feedback.  That the only feedback which really counts are comments identifying where we have to improve.

Don’t get me wrong.  Feedback to challenge poor or ineffective behaviours is absolutely crucial and too often avoided.  But let’s not overlook the value of pointing out to someone the stuff they do really well.

I’m not talking about a ‘Well done’ or ‘That was great’ comment.  They are nice, but they’re unlikely to result in learning.  Telling someone exactly what they did well and why you rated it.  Now that’s different.  

You just might have cemented excellence in that person.  Increased the chances they will intentionally repeat what they did.  That’s what keep feedback can do.

So the next time you see someone doing something you reckon is a sign of excellence – tell them what they did and why it was so effective.  

And if someone gives you some ‘keep’ feedback, don’t fall into the trap Rick fell into.  Take the time to process the keep, and consider how you can ensure it doesn’t merely happen again by fluke.  Make it a part of your repertoire.