9 tips for inviting useful ideas and feedback
By: Lydia Hooper
Tags: Communication, Community Engagement, Collaboration, Ideas, Design Thinking

Let’s face it: All of us struggle with feedback. We generally avoid receiving it unless we have to, we frequently deny it when we do get it, and we rarely use it to make any substantial changes.

It’s horribly tragic because when we turn to one another, we always have the answers we are looking for. To get these answers, we not only have to be open to feedback, we have to actively invite it in. This is the only opportunity we have for real, lasting success.

Have you heard the saying about how success happens at the speed of trust? We all know that trust takes time to build, and that it’s pretty easy to damage too. Perhaps this is why group success is more of an exception than a rule. Trust can be difficult to cultivate, even when we know it is essential to progress.

Yet it’s relationships built on trust that create the containers in which we can bring our best selves to the table, the ones that are honest, open, and willing to contribute. When we come together in this way, we have all the information and ideas necessary to make our best decisions. When we invite feedback, we hear the ideas that can change the game and unlock new frontiers.

Photo by You X Ventures on Unsplash

How can we get the best ideas on the table? Something I’ve learned over the past decade of working in design and communications (more often than not within collaborative contexts) is that there are two basic ingredients that enable groups to generate the very best ideas:

The goal must be to generate as many different ideas as possible. Not stopping after the initial easy ideas are on the table pushes us to think beyond where we have before and unlocks creativity. There must be plenty of different people participating in the ideation process. This helps achieve the goal of having lots of different ideas, and it helps people stretch their own thinking.

Both of these are not as easy as they may sound. First of all, we’ve been trained to constantly filter ourselves, only sharing those ideas that we like and that we think will be liked by others. Secondly, we tend to surround ourselves with those who think like us, because, well, we don’t like stretching our thinking. It’s uncomfortable.

The results are often that our thinking stays inside the box, we choose to implement ideas that do not generate real progress, and we miss valuable opportunities to do things better. Sure, we may get feedback along the way, but it may be too infrequent, too late, or eventually too costly (the latter is the most tragic as it often makes us even less likely to be open to it).

If we want to take every opportunity to grow, if we want to cultivate success, if we want to build trust intentionally, we must learn how to invite lots of other people to give lots of feedback. Here are some suggestions to consider.

1.Ask for feedback early and often. If we can start a new project, initiative, or team by establishing an expectation that we’ll be asking for input throughout, we are setting yourselves up for success because it’s harder to shift norms that have already been set from the beginning. As early as we can, we can signal to others, through our actions not just our words, that we care about what they think, we are willing to listen, and their input will indeed guide everyone’s understanding of the problems and potential solutions. It is very important to follow through by regularly asking folks to help us reflect, especially at key decision points. Follow through is what creates trust over time.

2. Remove barriers. This may be the easiest suggestion to implement so it’s amazing to me how often it is overlooked. It is critical to give careful forethought to the best time, place, and resources needed to get people to show up to spaces where they can offer feedback and ideas. It is considered a best practice to compensate any people who are not paid staff for their time and contributions. Offering food helps loosen folks up too.

3. Focus on big-picture goals, at least initially. From the very beginning of our conversations, we’ve got to get our thinking aligned somewhat and to feel that we are all working together even if our ideas may be different. We’ve also got to get our minds in a state of opening up, out of the general day-to-day reactive mode. For more on intentionally guiding group thinking, I highly recommend the book Six Thinking Hats.

Photo by airfocus on Unsplash

4. Give permission explicitly. Even if we’ve told folks that they are expected to brainstorm, they may still need to hear that it’s okay to speak up. Remember, it’s pretty likely that most of us have been told, by our families, our teachers, our bosses, and may others, to follow directions and not talk “out of turn.” Speaking of which, good facilitators make an effort to specifically ask those who are less vocal what they think, in case those who are not big talkers are still big thinkers. Unlearning is hard, so we need lots of encouragement.

5. Show more than you tell. We generally learn by example, so we need to be shown that it’s okay if we share an idea that we’re not so sure about or that we think others will not appreciate. We also need to be shown how to listen to others with respect and curiosity. If you are already perceived to be a leader in any way, you will be especially able to influence the group, for example by demonstrating through your own contributions that “bad” or “controversial” ideas are acceptable to share. It is easy for people in leadership positions to become insulated from feedback, so if you are in such a position consider listening as the most valuable skill that you can continue to invest in developing.

6. Recognize power dynamics. These dynamics are generally the “brakes” that limit the speed of trust. Just like we need to address participation barriers to create space for people to show up, we need to address power barriers to create space that is truly safe for people to be honest without fearing any consequences. We might carefully consider who will facilitate the conversation, where it will be held, and who will be invited (or not invited). We can think about whether anonymous feedback might be helpful and how we might collect and use it. We can ask ourselves who will benefit the least from our ideas, who will be most impacted, and who we have not included. I highly recommend Creative Reaction Lab’s Equity-Centered Community Design Field Guide for exploring further.

7. Discuss feedback aversion openly. This is the only way to know when indeed the brakes are being pumped. Often we avoid saying things because we don’t want to hurt others, even if it means withholding helpful feedback. Sometimes group agreements just reinforce the sense that we must be wary of stepping on toes. Adding to our agendas regular discussion about the challenges we may have with giving feedback not only helps us measure the speed of trust, it also helps everyone feel less alone in their reservations, thereby increasing connection and trust.

8. Let those who’ve given feedback know they’ve made an impact. Working through barriers, unlearning what we’ve been doing for possibly decades, and keeping an open mind isn’t easy. New behaviors need active reinforcement. Be sure to let people know how important their voices are, not merely through expressions of gratitude but by sharing what outcomes were possible as a result. We all want to feel valued, and this may indeed be why we might hesitate to offer anything that we are uncertain of, so this may be the most important suggestion of all.

Of course, these suggestions are just a beginning. We also need to consider the matters of how to best give feedback, how to best receive it, and how to intentionally use it. I invite you to leave a comment to let me know what questions or challenges you might be chewing on!