Your team is giving you vague feedback. How do you decode their hidden messages?

To decode vague feedback from your team, start by listening actively, and giving them your full attention without interrupting. Seek clarity by asking open-ended questions to dig deeper into their concerns. Reflect on what you hear, analyzing patterns or recurring themes. Provide structure by summarizing their points and asking for confirmation. Encourage honesty by creating a safe environment where they feel comfortable sharing openly. Follow through on their feedback by taking action and updating them on progress, showing that their input is valued and considered.

"Seek first to understand, then to be understood." First and foremost, before even beginning to decipher the vague feedback, ask yourself WHY the feedback is vague? Understanding the reason behind this is likely to be critical to your leadership (and your team) going forward. Explore this specifically - ask your peers and line manager for feedback on your leadership first - they're more likely to be more honest - (try and set the safety so that they can be as honest as possible) and when you hear something you don't like, avoid being defensive, just take it on board and thank them for their honesty. If you can understand what it is about your leadership that encourages only vague feedback you will start to solve the issue at source.

Stay vulnerable. It's the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure. The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion. When we're fully present and attuned to others' experiences, it builds the trust and psychological safety for peak performance.

Decode vague feedback from your team by actively probing for specifics, encouraging examples or scenarios to clarify their points, and fostering a safe environment for honest communication. Ensure clarity and alignment by seeking deeper understanding of their concerns and perspectives.

Ouvir é a base de qualquer análise. Ouvir ativamente, é claro. Sem sair elaborando na mente enquanto o outro está falando. Esse exercício é fundamental para dar o exemplo do que é um feedback consistente. Ao analisar o feedback dado pela equipe, é fundamental que não seja um exercício de certo ou errado. E sim de pontos de melhoria. Pergunte. Pergunte para entender melhor. Proponha e pergunte novamente. A pergunta é a maneira ativa de fazer a conversa andar.

Great feedback is concrete, constructive and caring. Most feedback is not... Therefore, it is actually a skill to be able to receive feedback in a way that makes it useful and actionable. Clarity is certainly an important ingredient. Here are 3 questions that will help you gain clarity: - Can you please give me a concrete example, just so I am sure I understand exactly what you mean? - What did that make your think or feel in that situation? - What would you wish that I would do next time in a similar situation? These three questions will help you understand much better what the feedback is about. And the feedback-giver will also feel both seen and heard - so you are more likely to get the gift of feedback again from that person.

In my experience, vague feedback usually means there are underlying issues. To decode it, create a safe space for open communication. Ask specific questions to get to the heart of their concerns and listen carefully. Regular one-on-one meetings can help uncover deeper insights. By building trust and being transparent, you can turn vague feedback into valuable insights for improvement.

Um feedback vago pode indicar uma série de coisas. A primeira é que a outra pessoa não está preparada para dar o feedback estruturado. Ou por não ter sido treinada, ou por ignorar como seja. Esse é o primeiro ponto a ser esclarecido investigando o passado recente do colaborador. A outra possibilidade pode ser medo. De se comprometer, de ser mal interpretado, de sofrer punições. Para isso, deixe claro que você preza pela segurança institucional e pela transparência do processo.

Keep asking questions and digging deep, try to take the conversation away from what they are being unclear about by asking for examples from similar situations or ask for an analogy, begin dialogue on their example and then bring it back to the original issue

When feedback is unclear, take the initiative to seek clarification. Use follow-up questions like "Could you expand on that?" or "What specifically do you mean by that?" to prompt more detailed responses. This approach fosters a deeper understanding and ensures that the feedback is actionable. The goal is to engage in a constructive dialogue, not to interrogate, but to ensure both parties are on the same page, ultimately leading to more effective communication and better outcomes.

Take time to reflect on the feedback you've received. Analyze the reasons behind vague comments—are team members hesitant to be direct due to fear of repercussions, or do they avoid hurting your feelings? Consider the context and the individual's communication style. This reflection helps you uncover deeper insights that may not be immediately obvious and enables you to address underlying issues more effectively, fostering a more open and constructive feedback culture.

To avoid surprise feedback, set up regular feedback sessions. This ensures ongoing communication and no surprises during performance reviews.

Sometimes, vagueness in feedback can indeed stem from a lack of structure. Establishing a framework for feedback, such as regular one-on-one meetings or specific guiding questions, can help your team articulate their thoughts more clearly. This structured approach clarifies expectations, provides a focused direction for discussions, and encourages more meaningful exchanges. It also ensures that feedback is given in a constructive manner, promoting a culture of openness and growth within your team.

Encourage honesty to dig deeper and uncover the real feedback that your team may have been to scared to share. Be an open book to feedback through a number of avenues: - 1:1s - Office Hours - Town Hall format - Round Table - AMA's - Open House - Events Encouraging, reminding, and always asking for feedback is critical to uncover the honesty you're needing to improve your leadership and understand your impact.

Feedback sem honestidade, não é feedback. Está mais para comentário ou fofoca. Honestidade não é grosseria, contudo. Honestidade é a expressão de uma percepção, de como as coisas ocorreram para o colaborador. Espaço e incentivo para ser honesto é o estágio primal de qualquer processo de feedback. Especialmente, quando é 360 ou 180 graus.

As a leader, it’s crucial to give meaningful feedback. Ensure your feedback is continuous, specific, and constructive to build strong relationships and improve performance

Creating a culture where honesty is both valued and safe is crucial for fostering direct and useful feedback. Communicate to your team that you appreciate candidness and assure them that there will be no negative repercussions for speaking up. When team members feel secure in expressing their thoughts and opinions openly, it encourages more honest and constructive feedback. This environment not only promotes transparency but also cultivates trust and respect among team members, fostering deeper relationships and enhancing overall team effectiveness.

En mi experiencia, fomentar la honestidad permite conocer a fondo la realidad de lo que ocurre con el equipo, abriendo las puertas para que sin temor expresen no solo dificultades que estén presentando, si no las mejoras que han identificado. Este ejercicio al final permite que las compañías ganen identificando mejorar evidentes y permite que el equipo este comodo y con ello se mejoren los resultados, llevando a información de importante aporte.

Follow-through is what it is all about. If you don't show you value your team's feedback, they'll stop sharing their feedback. Feedback is incentivized by action over time. Being thankful and listening only goes so far, and over time, your team wants to see you care and that you are listening. Acting on feedback shows this attention. If you are having challenges with vague feedback, it's common, as teams can be fearful with being direct on what you need to change, but over time you can collect these various points and tie this feedback together to put the story together. As that story comes together, you can feel confident to act on the consolidated feedback. - Encourage feedback - Listen - Consolidate the feedback - Act - Follow-up

When your team gives vague feedback, it’s often due to respect for social expectations, which can obscure direct insights. To decode these messages, recognize that vagueness maintains social harmony (Milliken, Morrison, & Hewlin, 2003). Ask specific questions like, “What part of the project was most challenging?” (Gino, 2016). Foster a culture of honest feedback, leading to 12.5% higher productivity (Gallup, 2017). Pay attention to non-verbal cues (Mehrabian, 1971). Use anonymous feedback tools for candid responses (Anonymous, 2012). Show vulnerability to encourage openness (Brown, 2012).

It can be very difficult not to take things personally, yet this is something that you would need to remind yourself throughout this process. A feedback is not a reflection of who you are as a human or your value add or your “right” to be. Rather, see it as data, analytics, suggestions for how you can change or improve your process. This goes too when you are about to give feedback to someone else. If you find yourself being reactive or emotional, take a step back and only give your feedback when you are in a state of emotional neutrality.

I try not to decode their message...you might be wrong. It is better to simply ask them to clarify, give specific examples and help you understand the impact of your actions. This will require you to truly be open to the feedback...listen and seek to understand. You might just learn something that will help you grow as a leader.