Ongoing Task-Based Feedback

After having the conversation reflecting on what went well and what are the areas for improvement that can be made for the next time.

Conversation Plus/Delta

A simple approach that solves many of the problems in accountability is called “Plus/Delta”. The approach is simple: when a team member completes a task, the manager gives them a Plus/Delta. The Plusses are things we want to appreciate and reinforce. While the Deltas are improvements we want to request and coach the team member towards.

Example Plus/Delta

+ Plusses (Did Well) Δ Deltas (Do Differently)
  • The timeline and the resources needed are really well considered.

  • The design and presentation of the document is top-notch. The graphics in particular are really good and present the story well.

  • The way you captured and included quotes about why some people are excited feels compelling and real.

  • I really like how you did the executive summary up front and had speciic requests for each manager.

  • I didn't realize you were so good at creating presentations and would love to talk about how others can learn from this.

  • I appreciate how you picked up this task in the midst of a busy cycle and made efforts to include other people in how this was going to be presented. You really are showing up as a team player.
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  • Can you do more to understand the impact on other teams and how you can get their buy-in?

  • Simplify slides 9, 12, and 14 to make them easier to read (less text). Use less text whenever possible.

  • Do you have backup plans if things don't go as planned? I'd like to make sure we have thought it through in advance, especially if engineering is delayed.

  • I thought a draft was going to be completed last week. I needed it last week for a meeting and I'd like to understand what happened and be kept informed when dates change in the future.
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    The Plus/Delta approach solves a lot of issues with feedback:

    • Being task-based, it immediate and specific. This is important because usually managers wait too long to provide feedback and aren’t specific enough in their comments.

    • The Plusses focus on what works and the T-chart above helps managers ensure there are enough positives compared to the negatives.

    • The Deltas helps manager turn complaints into forward-focused requests.

    The key to remember is that the goal of giving feedback is to maintain the behaviors you like and improve the behaviors you would like to see changed.

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