The Limits of Feedback
A few tech controversies ago, it leaked that Coinbase was trialing Dot Collector, a feedback tool with strong Black Mirror vibes, that allows people to continuously provide real time feedback to their colleagues. There was uproar in certain pockets of Twitter. The general consensus was that this tool would lead to the creation of a toxic culture (probably true), target minorities (also probably true) and that overall it was just a very bad idea (again probably true). As it turns out, Coinbase apparently only tested the product with a few teams, who used it sparingly with positive results.
The incident made me think about the upper limits of quantity when it comes to feedback usefulness. We live in a quantitative age, where we’re encouraged to gather as much data as possible before making a decision. Whether it’s gathering user feedback on product prototypes or assessing messaging resonance based on click through rates, more is considered better. This approach feeds into our professional performance assessment too. Many companies seek to create a feedback culture and employees tend to want it. One study found that 65% of employees want more feedback. I’m a big advocate of feedback, and of the purview that more does tend to be better, with one caveat. Feedback is most useful if you know what you want to optimise for.
This is an intuitive concept from a product perspective. When gathering user feedback, you search for feedback from the target users that you’re building for. However, sometimes that approach doesn't translate into the professional feedback we receive. We receive feedback based on the position we’re in now, perhaps helping us grow to the next logical step based on our roles. Helpful if that’s where you want to go. Less so if you’re not quite sure which path you want to be on.
When inundated with multiple feedback sources (peer, upwards, manager, pulse surveys, REAL TIME DOT COLLECTION), there can be a tendency to treat all feedback as equal, useful and valid. A data stream feeding into a machine learning algorithm. Absorb it all and overtime you’ll reap the reward of being engineered into the best human. Now this is where things get tricky. The definition of “best”, is often subject to its circumstances. While we’d all agree that there are certain traits that are best kept out of the workplace and life more generally, it’s harder to define what the “best” version of a person is. Do you want to be the best employee at Company X or the best person as defined by your personal values? Those two options may be mutually exclusive. You may receive feedback that advises to develop your weaknesses to better succeed in a role, however, that can come at the price of dulling your strengths. Sometimes the feedback we receive isn’t about our work, but about ourselves. How we act and behave. Sometimes it can cut to the very core of our personality. Is that something you want to change? There are few objectively right or wrong answers to that question.
Feedback is always useful in the sense that it informs you how you are perceived by a specific person. Sometimes that’s where its usefulness ends. Hunter S. Thompson is quoted as saying that “ ...all advice can only be a product of the man who gives it." The lines between feedback and opinion can often be blurred. The person who gives it, no matter how well intentioned, will always be providing feedback from their perspective. That view has its limitations, particularly when it comes to the topic of You.
When deciding whether to implement feedback received, below are three points to keep in mind:
What is the intention behind this feedback? Not all feedback is driven by positive intent and can be more of a reflection on the giver's insecurities than your abilities.
Have you received similar feedback from multiple sources? If yes, that could be a sign that it’s a blind spot or weakness that’s harming you sufficiently enough to warrant the effort of mitigating.
What would the future look like if you acted on the feedback? If it’s one with more positive outcomes that you feel personally aligned too (even if that realisation is hard to admit that to yourself right now), then that’s a good sign it’s worth investing in the change.
Feedback is a gift, and generally should be sought out and welcomed. However, as with all gifts received, sometimes the best course of action is to say “thank you” and then keep it out of sight and never to be thought of again…