How to turn feedback into powerful feedback!

An acknowledgment is a description of what is so, it's neither good, nor bad, right or wrong, better than or less than. It's just how you see it based on your own experience, what the other person has told you and on that gut feel you have.

When you acknowledge someone, you are challenging how they are experiencing their life at that moment: their Mindset.

In fact, your acknowledgement can uplift their sense of themselves, make them more aware of their personal purpose and even improve their performance on many different levels.

Phew! That sounds powerful enough doesn't it?

Well, let's take it to another level.

People only hear what they are capable of hearing. Whenever you acknowledge someone, their listening of your acknowledgement is based upon: who they think they are, what they think they are capable of and whatever they might be feeling at the time.

When you acknowledge what their listening to your acknowledgment is, then you take it to a new level.

This is what empowering leaders do.

So what do you listen for?

Miss Manners always tells us: "Whenever someone compliments you, no matter if you think you deserve it or not; say 'Thank you!'"

And most of us don't act like that - we give away clues in what we say if we think we don't deserve acknowledgement. In fact, acknowledgement is so rare in our lives, that when we finally get one, it's really hard for most of us to process it!

So if you can hear ..or see, that someone is not accepting your acknowledgment, here is an opportunity to explore their listening with a light and playful question like: "I don't think you heard what I said then!"
or "Don't you think what I just said was true?"

That will open up a conversation about what they really think and give you an opportunity to discuss their mind set...and in the process, transform their mindset so that they accept the acknowledgement and start operating on a higher level.

This is how you turn feedback into powerful feedback.

The main difference is that in giving powerful feedback, you make sure that they get it and that it sinks in and makes a difference to their mindset, their lives and their performances.

.....and that's what an empowering leader does!


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