Ymag - Window for Action Loving Professionals A monthly eMagazine focusing on igniting thoughts for actions amongst professionals of all kind.

1. Dear Readers
FFEDBACK Is the weapon of
Champions.
How many times do you think
Sachin Tendulkar would have
gone through the videos of his
getting out in various matches
he played?
Feedback propels us to have a
relook at our actions or
inactions so that we are ready
for the future, a bit better
every time.
How should we use the event?
A champion would seek while
an escapist would look the
other way.
How do you celebrate the
events of feedback?
If not, whY not!
Cheers,
Rajiv Khurana
Editor
rajiv@rajivkhurana.com
9810211256.
#1
Giving FEEDBACK 2-3
Receiving FEEDBACK 4
10 Common Mistakes in
Giving Feedback
5-6
Gain Strength by
throwing your weight
around
7-9
Quotes on FEEDBACK 10
In this issue…
YWindow for action
loving professionals
1
#33 December 1, 2014
Coaching Learning Advancing Sharpening Smartening ©
Advt. Pages 11-12
We all need people who
will give us feedback.
That's how we improve.
Bill Gates

2. YWindow for action
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GIVING
FEEDBACK
Feed-back as early as possible
Strike the iron when it is red-hot. The memory and experience
is fresh. Connectivity shall be better. Receptivity should be
good when it is packed correctly. This also provides ample
opportunity for the person to change the course of his
performance before it is too late to mend.
Examine behaviour
Look at the instances of behaviour that are contributing
towards better results as well the ones that are hampering the
outcome. Help the person examine the behaviour he needs to
Start, Sustain or Start. Use right examples. Focus on facts
instead of your own presumptions and surmises.
Enable actions
Be futuristic. Avoid post-mortem. Focus on actions that are
needed for better performance. Coach, Guide or Facilitate. Be
a role model too. Your demonstrated skills are much better
benchmarks for the person to make note of the standards he
needs to reach, retain or cross.
Display a positive outlook
A feedback session is not to take out
all the negativity you have been
nurturing against the person based on
what others say. Display your balance
and positivity. This is an opportunity
to find new ways to do old things or
work with a changed behaviour. After
the feedback, the person must feel
good about himself and you.
Rajiv Khurana
CMC, FIMC
AcronymdevelopedbyRajivKhurana
#33 December 1, 2014

3. YWindow for action
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Build understanding for future support
Your job is not over after the feedback has shot the target. You
may need to revisit or review occasionally. Set a timeline. Help
develop some action plan by the person. Seek the role he
expects for support. Ensure that you devote the time as
planned and follow up regularly.
Ask and involve the person about delivery style
How would you know that you are doing well unless you know
how to know your performance standards? Involve the person.
He is the best guy to tell you the packaging part of the delivery.
Something that makes him comfortable and not edgy. Anything
palatable for him would always be welcomed by him.
Catch people doing things right
Stop being the negativity hunter and nagger. Generally we
catch those occasional short-falls and keep cribbing about
them instead of looking at the larger part that went very well
but un-noticed by you. Observe it. Catch it. Appreciate it. The
person himself would become careful to do away with the –ve.
Keep the language simple and polite
Being a senior does not give you the license to be rude or
impolite. Use the etiquette you learnt in your family and
school. Keep your words simple and unambiguous. Skip jargons
or mother-hood statements. Ensure that at the end of the
feedback session, both of you are on the same side and wave-
length. Thrive on your bonding.
AcronymdevelopedbyRajivKhurana
#33 December 1, 2014
GIVING
FEEDBACK

4. YWindow for action
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#33 December 1, 2014
Feel grateful that the feedback will help
you improve for future
Express openness
Examine the facts and remain rational
Demonstrate a positive body language
Build confidence in the person with your
seriousness and commitment
Ask for clarification if facts, content or
delivery mismatches
Complement the person giving you
feedback
Keep a winner’s mind. Feedback is the
weapon of CHAMPIONS.
AcronymdevelopedbyRajivKhurana
8 Action Points to receive FEEDBACK

5. YWindow for action
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There’s good reason that you aren’t eager about
giving feedback to the people you work with: It’s
hard to do. You might say something you’ll regret
later. People are too emotional.
All of these reasons top the list among leaders,
managers and executives on why they don’t think
they give good, consistent feedback. Steer clear of
these 10 blunders when giving feedback:
Mistake #1: The feedback judges individuals, not
actions Putting feedback in judgmental terms puts
people on the defensive. And you’ve sent the
message that you know what is right or wrong.
Mistake #2: The feedback is too vague. Steer clear
of generalized, cliche’ catch phrases. If you want to
really encourage someone to repeat productive
behavior, you have to let them know what they did
so they can keep doing it.
Mistake #3: The feedback speaks for others. Stick
with the information that you know. Dragging a third
party’s name into the mix only confuses the
recipient, who then wonders why others are talking
about them behind their back.
Mistake #4: Negative feedback gets sandwiched
between positive messages. It may seem like a
good idea to unburden the blow of negative
comments with positive ones, but the recipient is
smart enough to read between the lines, too.
Mistake #5: The feedback is exaggerated with
generalities. Avoid those two little words, “always”
and “never.” It puts people on the defensive because
there is usually that one time…
#33 December 1, 2014
10
Common
Mistakes
in Giving
Feedback
Source:
http://www.leadinge
ffectively.com/10-
common-mistakes-
in-giving-feedback

6. YWindow for action
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Mistake #6: The feedback psychoanalyzes the motives behind behavior. It
could be a relationship issue, resentment over a co-worker’s advancement,
or burnout, but whatever you think you know about someone’s intents and
motives is probably dead wrong.
Mistake #7: The feedback goes on too long. Know when to stop. People need
time to process the information they have received.
Mistake #8: The feedback contains an implied threat. Telling someone their
job is in jeopardy doesn’t reinforce good behavior or illustrate bad
behavior. It only creates animosity.
Mistake #9: The feedback uses inappropriate humor. You might use sarcasm
as a substitute for feedback, especially if you are uncomfortable giving it in
the first place. Keep the snide comments to yourself.
Mistake #10: The feedback is a question, not a statement. Phrasing feedback
as a question is too indirect to be effective. And it may even be interpreted
as sarcastic. Really?
Learning from your mistakes is important. Have you encountered any of these
common mistakes during your career?
#33 December 1, 2014

7. YWindow for action
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Gain
Strength by
throwing
your weight
around
Some time back I was enjoying a holiday
with my family in a five star hotel in South
India. Raised voices on the breakfast table
on our left immediately attracted us. While
my family found the sitting person scolding
the standing person, a very rude behavior
early in the morning, I could spell a senior
manager making his presence felt to the
low level supervisor. The scene changed
immediately when the Director-look-alike
gentleman entered the restaurant with his
XXXL size wife. The supervisor vanished
from the scene, the senior manager left his
breakfast and stood near the table on our
right in a perfect ‘attention’ pose. Great
teamwork emerged as I could see the
‘supervisor’ forcing the restaurant staff to
serve the ‘buffet breakfast’ right at the
table. Un-mindful of what was going
around, the VIP-Couple was basking in the
“total commitment” and “attentiveness”.
The senior manager was anticipating every
need and the supervisor was ensuring the
last seconds of the perfect deliveries. The
fork fell out of the hand of the big boss and
the senior manager almost dived to catch it
putting the Indian cricketers to shame. He
perhaps needed more practice to hold on
to the catch. I was particularly amused
with his “sorry, very sorry Sir” which he
uttered7 times in less than 20 seconds. By
this time, the attention of my wife had
diverted. I did not have the courage to see
her admiration for the diamonds, which
the BOBB was wearing. Call her anything –
Biwi [wife] of Big Boss or Boss of Big Boss. I
am too scared to ask my wife whether
marrying a lonesome consultant was a
good big idea in her life!
#33 December 1, 2014
Rajiv Khurana
CMC, FIMC

8. YWindow for action
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Dictum of Darwin can be extended easily to corporates even
though ‘Cannibalism’ does not happen in civilized societies.
Eating pride, self-respect, ego etc. of others is nothing short
of it. In a world, where only the ‘fittest of the fit’ can survive,
the fittest has to play the games out of the rulebook. Though
my example only reflects a limited dimension of what goes
on, the ingenuity of the game player to become fitter or
fittest is very interesting.
If you have not learnt this art, what are you waiting for? Start
today to become SIMPLE – Self Indulgent & Manipulative
Person Leading with Ease. Let me share with you some very
simple steps to become SIMPLE.
1.Fake indifference and ignorance. The more important you
wish to be, the more it is necessary to forget names,
contexts and events. The battery of people around you will
make sure that the right information in the right quantum
reaches you at the right time. Your indifference can be
viewed by people as impartial, non-involved or non-aligned.
Serves you right. Hold back your temptation to show interest
in people or activities. People will jump to take advantage of
your proximity with them. This against the principle of
becoming SIMPLE.
2.Maintain a serious disposition. People can start relaxing or
take you as granted if you smile at them. This also exposes
you to the risk of showing your dentures or plaque. A serious
disposition can make people uncertain. They will work
harder to see a glitter of appreciation in your eyes. Deny
them. Appreciation can make them complacent.
Complacency affects performance. You cannot take such a
risk in this trying and testing economy.
#33 December 1, 2014

9. YWindow for action
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9
3. Talk more, listen less – One of the perquisites of becoming
senior is that you can make others listen to you – anytime,
anywhere and any long. This is quite the opposite of what you
may encounter in your family. Enjoy the limelight. Use action
replays share the same old jokes. The intensity of laughter will
never come down so long as you occupy your position. Listening
less has its own advantage. The less you know of the problems of
others, the less will be their expectations and hence less will be
the trouble for you.
4. Hijack Conversations: Remember the Parkinson's Law - the
time spent on discussions is inversely proportional to the
significance. Use it. Critical decisions are never taken in the
meetings. They are conceived outside and religiously guarded
inside the meeting place. Distraction is a good way. Talk about
anything - from cricket to criticizing films, people will love it. Who
does not like a good time spent in an air-conditioned
environment with free and tasty refreshments!
5. Praise yourself - No body knows more than what you know
about yourself. Keep digging for facts and fiction of your life.
There will be some learning from every leaf of your life for the
lesser mortals around you. They will lap it up. How else will they
get a chance to polish your ego with un-ending butter if you do
not give them enough clues? The older your stories, the more
contemporaries the application shall be.
Try some of your own ideas too. Tom Peters wrote a big book on
"Simplicity." He is making millions. You too have the potential to
be SIMPLE. Get started. You will find enough people like me to
watch you. Consultants cannot go beyond that. They can't even
make their wife turn her face away from the diamonds.
Big Bosses have bigger diamonds for the BOBB - Biwi of the Big
Boss. Remember that.
#33 December 1, 2014

10. YWindow for action
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No matter how good
you think you are as a
leader, my goodness,
the people around you
will have all kinds of
ideas for how you can
get better. So for me,
the most fundamental
thing about leadership
is to have the humility
to continue to get
feedback and to try to
get better - because
your job is to try to help
everybody else get
better.
Jim Yong Kim
Regular feedback is one
of the hardest things to
drive through an
organization.
Kenneth Chenault
www.thepersonnellab.com
or
http://tinyurl.com/q45glgs
I can't be a hypocrite as
a coach because as a
player that's what I
wanted. I wanted
feedback, I wanted
communication from the
boss. I showed up for
work, you can yell at me
if you want, but I want
input. So that's the kind
of coach I want to be.
Adam Oates
True intuitive expertise
is learned from
prolonged experience
with good feedback on
mistakes.
Daniel Kahneman
#33 December 1, 2014

11. Help People
Acquire
Improve
Master
Coaching Learning Advancing Sharpening Smartening ©
rajiv@rajivkhurana.com

12. Coaching Learning Advancing Sharpening Smartening ©
Awareness
Creation
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Horizon
Creating
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Decluttering
Thoughts
Enthusing
Actions
Rejuvenating PERSONAL BRAND
Accelerating CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Jumping ahead with IMPACTFUL PERFORMANCE
Intensifying INFLUENCING
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Novel ways for TRAINING THROUGH MULTIMEDIA
Actioning high calibre CUSTOMER SERVICE
Call these the handshake programmes or
celebrating Learning and Development in ‘tasters’
menu’, these 3 hours customized inputs will help
your people undergo sensitization through
Coaching Learning Advancing Sharpening Smartening
at your place and time with the quality
commitment of Rajiv Khurana, CMC, FIMC.
Visit us at
thepersonnellab.com
to know more about
our consulting
facilitation.
Better call us at
9810211256 .
Rajiv Khurana
CMC, FIMC
rajiv@rajivkhurana.com