The Team Clock Institute routinely employs feedback circles as a means of sharing best practices. The collaboration exercise is simple. Once the team has completed the assessment of their circumstances and leveraged the data to generate action plans, each teammate provides a five-minute summary of their plan so that everyone can offer commentary. Sometimes, the feedback comes in the form of challenging the efficacy of the plan. Other times, a colleague serves up some wisdom from past experience. Occasionally, a “thumbs-up” provide just the validation needed to move past fear. If the presenter is lucky, the conversation sparks an innovation.
Gain the wisdom of your circle. Venture beyond the trusted insiders and pose your questions to the outsiders with the least to lose by telling the truth. Invite your loudest partners to quiet down so your most timid collaborators can be heard. Pay closest attention to the feedback that generates the strongest emotion. Often, it’s what’s not being said that is most important.
