Kindly Review

20Preparing Others to Give Feedback

I hate the word “typos.” First, it brings me back to '80s and '90s office dramas where a male boss hands a woman at the reception desk a typed paper. “Karen, this has some typos in it. I need this done by noon.”

Typos are mistakes. They mean you did something wrong. When I hear the word “typos,” I hear in my head, "You made errors, and I need to point it out to you because I'm not impressed.”

I realize “typos” isn't as powerful a word for many people. But we all have a word that triggers our shame about making mistakes at work. A mistake is an action or judgment that is misguided or wrong. That we've done wrong is hard to hear when working on any idea.

There must be a shift in professional culture around feedback, review, and changes. Review and feedback are critical processes for product completion. The creator and the reviewer need to know that feedback isn't a tool to undermine, undercut, or demean coworkers. Instead, it's a tool for creating great work.

After you read this book, spark a feedback revolution in your office. If you feel your team isn't giving Kind Review, ask for it. Share this book with others. Set up a meeting to outline the new feedback process. It's best to start – pick a project and live this unique feedback style.

Your organization might find that you need to adapt this process to fit your culture or people. That's okay. The idea is to have a lean operation that is efficient and effective.

Words Matter

So why have ...