Feedback Roles

The book used to discuss feedback for this blog post is Mel Siberman's "The Consultant's Big Book of Organizational Development Tools: 50 Reproducible Intervention tools and Activities to Help Solve Client's Problems."

There are multiple roles you can take as a feedback giver, consider:

1) Critic - This role is one where you take a questioning role. It is deconstructionist perspective, that points out flaws and problems with the current situtation.

There are definately appropriate times to take on a critical role, but keep in mind that unwavering criticism will probably lead to demotivation.

2) Image Maker and Scribe - In this role you take the dicussion to a visual plain. Take the ideas and chart them, or graph them, or draw them. Often having someone in the group take charge of visualizing the ideas is going to help get all the ideas noticed and accounted for. Could lead to really good organization of ideas.

3)Ideas Threader - In this role you help connect ideas to each other. As often happens, people come will have 'their ideas' advocate them. By having someone take on a 'ideas threader' role, you can connect ideas together, and possibly have a stronger or more creative solution. This role takes good listening and also leadership to help fit people's ideas together

4) Critical Reviewer - In this role you can summarize the ideas, you can vocalize the direction the group is going in and lead the group through the decision process. It is different from a 'critic' perspective, because at this stage you already have decided on ideas, and direction. You are making decisions to finalize, and tweek the group decision so that it is the optimum decision

5) Facilitator and Time Keeper - Make no mistake this is a huge feedback role. This role is where you are concerned about participation. You may not give feedback on the group decision, but you are keeping the group focused and on point. How much time does the group have to make a decision? How many people in the group are engaged in the decision making process?

Thanks again to Mr. Silberman for his fantastic book and providing these roles that I could expand on.