Feedback conversations for leader development: An exploration from multiple perspectives

Use of feedback for developmental purposes is a billion-dollar industry, and many organisations now use instruments such as 360º/ multi-rater feedback and psychometric assessments as standard parts of their approach to leader development. These tools have, in part, supported the growth of coaching, lending credence to the role of the coach. While quantitative and performance-related research abounds, we know little of the lived experience of participants, their sense-making of developmental feedback conversations and their explanations for outcomes. In this pragmatically informed mixed methods study, situated in a large global engineering company, senior leader recipients and sanctioned providers (internal and external coaches) were invited to recall memorable incidents of developmental feedback and how they had interpreted them. Findings revealed the significance of feedback from a leader’s immediate network and the importance of high psychological safety and trust between participants. The study elaborates on our current understanding of the developmental feedback process and provides a conceptualisation of the conditions that mediate feedback acceptance or rejection as perceived by participants. The study also revealed differences in methods of feedback delivery and the stance of the providers, highlighting potential associated ethical issues. Drawing from complexity theories, a conceptualisation of feedback conversation as a ‘complex responsive’ process is offered to interpret findings at the organisational, interpersonal dyad and intrapersonal levels. This suggests that previous conceptualisations of feedback may be overly simplistic, underplaying the contextual, interactional and socially constructed nature of the phenomena. Recommendations for stakeholders based on the findings and this perspective are offered to stakeholders.

Grantor dc:publisher

Oxford Brookes University

Year dc:date

2020

Author dc:creator

• Maxwell, Alison

Contributors dc:contributor

• Bachkirova, Tatiana
• Jackson, Peter

Statement dc:rights

• All rights reserved

Language dc:language

en

DOI dc:identifier

https://doi.org/10.24384/nab4-t113

OAI identifier oai:identifier

tle:b956fc62-3fc1-4c49-b57e-954e0ab2edc0:d6bd9758-527a-46cd-bfe2-c433766e8fca:1