FC103 Effective Feedback (1)

1. How do you feel about receiving feedback?
It is not easy to receive feedback from others especially when I am confident of myself. However, I prefer having feedback to being concealed to improve myself.

2. What kind of feedback has made a difference for you?
Direct feedback with evidences and suggestions has made a difference for me. I used to be a person who liked to be the focus of attention among friends or in the class. I was not aware of that I often interrupted others' conversation. One day, one of my best friends shared her observation on me and advised me that I should remind myself to keep my mouth shut and listen to others before I wanted to cut in others' talking again. It was harsh but I knew she gave me the feedback sincerely. Since then, it's been 14 years. Thanks to her, I have become a better listener and which helps me a lot in work and in coaching.

3. What is the purpose of feedback in a coaching situation?
The purpose is to help our clients to gain objective perspectives of their situation and help them to figure out a solution to change/improve that situation.

FC102 Perspective (2)

About six months ago, my director asked me to review my coachees’ working efficiency and quality. One of them had some problems to perform her job well. I have been supervising her for almost one and half year. I understood that this “job (not career)” might not be the most ideal one when she joined our team. She did not have a clear plan of future. She seldom had feelings of achievements in our work due to requirements for lots of quality and details in daily work. She was frustrated. Therefore I designed a plan of coaching my coachees (including the target one).

First, I asked her to bcc me all her e-mails that I could review her process and give her some advices for improvement. Second, we had pre-work meeting every Friday for discussing our work in the following week. In the meeting we exchanged ideas and experience for better practice. Third, we had monthly studying gathering for Harvard ManageMentor. In each gathering, we used ORID to discuss a scheduled topic. We shared our reflections and how to implement the learning in work. Last, the most important one, I had arranged three performance feedback meetings with her to help her re-frame her perspectives of this job: from “Reaction” to “Action”, from “Struggle” to “Challenge” and from “Doubt” to “Commitment”.

By the end of 2008, she has showed her commitment of this work and took action to improve working process without my frequent reminders and monitoring. She told me that in 2009 she would present a new image and continue proving her determination. I am very looking forward to it. ^^

FC102 Perspective (1)

1. When have you experienced a change in your perspective? What did it take for you to change your point of view?

• When I obtained the current job as Learning and Education Manager, I had experienced a change in my perspective from a team member to a team leader. I took the challenge and responsibilities, respected my supervisor and trusted subordinates by putting myself in their shoes as well as contributed what I had and learnt to teamwork and team success.

2. How will helping your clients change their perspective make a difference in their lives?

• Changing our clients’ perspective could help them change their attitudes from negative and limited to positive and open-ended, and then further enhance their lives.

3. In your view, what are the three most powerful Perspectives from which someone could live their life?

• Respect, Contribution and Commitment
  

4. What is a disempowering perspective you have been using lately?

• Reaction

1. Pick an area of your life, or someone else’s life, where a problem has persisted for some time. Discern the Perspective, and ReFrame it.

• My coachee (subordinate / staff / junior colleague)
• from “Reaction” to “Action”
• from “Struggle” to “Challenge”
• from “Doubt” to “Commitment”