Feedback: Choosing the Right Club and Hitting the Target
Does your swing need a tune-up?
You can’t improve your game if no one tells you where your swing is off. How can you expect to hit the target if you’re unwilling to look at where the ball actually lands?
Inspired by the incredible Masters play last weekend, let’s tee up another round and keep the golf theme going this week.
Feedback is one of the greatest tools a leader has. It’s a gift. When given and received with intention, it elevates performance, builds trust, and strengthens relationships. But like golf, it requires consistency, real-time feedback, and the discipline to make adjustments.
When I first made feedback a regular rhythm with my team, they didn’t take it seriously. One person joked that if I really wanted honest input, I should start bringing lobster salad on Fridays. Fair enough.
But when they saw me act on what they shared, the tone shifted.
At the time, most of my team were introverted. In meetings, when decisions were on the table, they often asked for more time and more information. I’ll admit, it felt like we were losing momentum. Then someone gave me feedback: they felt rushed and put on the spot.
That one comment changed everything.
Instead of pushing for immediate answers, I started sending materials in advance. They had time to think, prepare, and form clear perspectives. The result? Meetings became more efficient, decisions came faster and their confidence increased.
By adjusting my swing, we hit the target more consistently.
Start, Stop, Continue: Your Alignment Tool
One of the simplest ways to normalize feedback is the Start, Stop, Continue framework.
Start: What’s one thing this person could begin doing to improve impact?
Stop: What behavior may be holding them or the team back?
Continue: What’s working well that should be reinforced and celebrated?
Pro tip: start with Continue. Even golfers want to know what’s working before you start dissecting their backswing.
Receiving Feedback Without Dropping the Club
You also have to model how to receive feedback.
I once was asked to stop listening to voicemails on a speakerphone because it disrupted a colleague’s focus. It seemed minor to me, yet it wasn’t minor to her.
Small adjustments often create the biggest breakthroughs. When feedback comes, resist the instinct to get defensive; unless you’d prefer people stop giving it altogether. Handled well, feedback strengthens trust rather than eroding it. Great leaders don’t avoid the target. They step up, line up the shot, adjust their stance and take the shot with confidence.
Leadership, just like golf, you don’t improve by guessing. You improve by adjusting.
