Meaningful Feedback

I'm an hour into a 360 interview with a senior leader when she stops mid-sentence: "Wait, let me think about how to phrase this in a way that's most actionable for him."

I've been doing a ton of these interviews lately - year-end 360 feedback for the top two levels of a large organization. And I'm kind of blown away by what I'm seeing. These leaders aren't just checking boxes. They're tracking improvements they've noticed since mid-year. Some have willingly spent two (!) hours on the phone with me sharing their feedback.

This level of investment is clearly possible when we make the space for it. Meaningful feedback needs more than good intentions. It needs dedicated time that isn't squeezed between back-to-back meetings. It needs permission and structure, and a clear reason to pause and go deep.

When was the last time someone invested real time and thought into feedback for you… not because they had to, but because they wanted to see you succeed?