Feedback of some form is required for us to improve. Good feedback needs to be both timely and specific, otherwise some of that great utility is lost.
All tagged management
"Its broken"
Having a solid relationship in place before something goes wrong is incredibly important to helping folks navigate challenges.
"I had to give" someone feedback
Feedback is can be hard to give or accept. It requires a culture that is open to providing and receiving it, and an open mind set that everyone can do better.
Beginning Background Knowledge
Understanding underlying concepts is critical to being successful. Not only will they help in whatever you’re up to now, but they can be applied across tools areas and people to make other ventures more successful as well.
Broken Comb Skillsets
Broken Combs have expertise in a few areas, in addition to general skills. This makes them a great addition to any team since they can fill multiple gaps. This can, however, result in them getting spread too thin…
T Shaped Skillsets
T shaped skillsets offer a single deep area of expertise, with a broad general base to support it. They can be great at helping bridge gaps, and filling in where others need support. Their depth, however, may not be as deep as someone with an I shaped skillset, and their general skills may not be strong enough in some situations.
"I" shaped skillsets
“I” shaped skillsets are deep in on area of expertise, and light on others. This results in an individual very well versed in specific topics, but they may need support to fully maximize their impact.
Skill Shapes
We all build skill sets as we grow… but we can built them in different ways. Understanding the depth and breadth of our (and our teams) skills is important to our success.
Keep communicating until they tell you to stop
Communication is vital to our success, so don’t leave it to chance. When sending important messages, keep communicating until someone says “stop”.
Flexibility
Flexibility is an ever-more-important skillset. Bending yourself to a task lets you meet new folks, explore new areas, and even avoid things you don’t want to do.
Make Time to Connect
Frequently back-and-forths are a signal that text communications are failing. When you notice this it’s best to change the medium - look for voice or video (or in person!) based communications to break the cycle.
Connections are incredibly important for work (and life!). This makes it important to know how they form, and how they differ.
I’ve found there’s two types of basic skills - generic and specific. Understanding which one needs to be addressed helps folks better address underlying problems.