You're coaching a senior executive. How can you give feedback without undermining their authority?
Giving feedback to a senior executive requires tact and respect for their position. Here's how to approach it:
How do you balance providing honest feedback with maintaining respect?
You're coaching a senior executive. How can you give feedback without undermining their authority?
Giving feedback to a senior executive requires tact and respect for their position. Here's how to approach it:
How do you balance providing honest feedback with maintaining respect?
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Sudip Ghosh
Commercial Unit Head
(edited)If I were to facilitate the discussion, I would avoid giving any feedback. Rather I would steer the conversation deeper, acknowledging and listening with empathy and may help the client visualise a successful outcome thus raising the self awareness of the client. The strategic question , “If you are saying Yes to this, what are you saying No to?” helps.
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Questioning & leading to the feedback , gives room to think & reflect on their personal journey , also helps in Self realisation , & they know it inside out , being senior executive , small nudges & well framed Questions can itself give them the feedback needed without undermining their AUthority
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As a coach,don’t give a direct feedback , navigate the conversation in a respectful manner where self awareness increases and Blindspots reveal during the session which converts as a takeaway for the coachee. Give triggers to take them to feedback and you convert them as insights. Appreciative tone, evidences , probing in depth to self discover the actual feedback always helps. Be creative with the triggers and language used to make the discussion futuristic and celebrate the authority of the leader.
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Authority is not fragile and does not need to be treated like glass. Feedback - actual feedback - isn’t nagging or harping. It is an alignment tool so unless you’re committed to publicly dragging someone (which is NOT feedback), you’re not undermining anything. My favorite opener for tough conversations with executives is, “We have a potential misalignment between actual behaviors and intended outcomes. I want to share this with you as a collaborative partner. What’s the best way for you to hear this?” I am framing feedback as a collaboration, not correction. I am respecting the dynamic while calling them in. And I am prioritizing alignment over “delivering the message to you”. The key is believing in the human being coached.
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Use storytelling to create a meaningful connection. Share examples that not only provide food for thought but also resonate with the client on a personal level. Tailor your stories to their unique challenges or aspirations, ensuring they see themselves in the narrative. This approach not only clarifies complex ideas but also fosters trust and engagement, making your message more impactful and relatable.
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It is the short track to conveying your knowledge to the recipient, be frank and respectful. Do not over think the way to send and receive information with the person you are coaching as IT IS NOT A CHALLENGE between both of them, it is a mutual exchange of discussions and knowledge in either direction.
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One thing thing I find successful is leverage the value of their knowldge and understanding for the business while steering the conversation to a new prospective allowing them to deduct the feedback as an opportunity on their own. Beware from falling into the ego trap which will cause then to completely shut down
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It's crucial to balance respect and honesty. I would start by acknowledging their strengths and achievements to build rapport. Then I’d frame feedback as a shared goal for improvement, using "we" instead of "you." I would be specific and focus on behaviours, not personal traits, and offer actionable suggestions and emphasize the positive impact of changes. It would be essential to maintain a collaborative tone, showing that I value their expertise and am there to support their growth. This approach fosters mutual respect and encourages a constructive dialogue.
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Coaching a senior executive as a coach, I would probably ask questions that would provoke his thoughts instead of framing a feedback directly as he/she might get offended and also might not connect to feedback with his heart to think around it. So I would need to frame my questions right without undermining authority on a collaborative tone so that he/she also understand that I am trying to make a point which is gonna be really helpful.
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