delivering constructive feedback to a vendor

Recently I had to deliver some constructive feedback to a vendor. I'm a big fan of feedback. I've written about it before (read more here and here) and try to practice what I preach but delivering constructive feedback is often a challenging situation and can make you feel uncomfortable. And despite the fact that I am paying a vendor money I sometimes feel more, or at least a different type of awkward delivering constructive comments to one. I wonder if I could have been more upfront, clear, or directive from the get go. 

While it's normal to get a bit nervous before delivering feedback (if you're not slightly uncomfortable then you could probably refine your approach and gain a bit of tact!) there are ways to ease the pain. 

Here are some of my strategies on delivering feedback to a vendor:

Plan ahead. Can't emphasize this enough. This is not a conversation you wing. Since conversations with vendors are often over the phone I like to have notes and I keep them right in front of me. My notes often include examples of when issues have occurred and my thoughts on ways we could have changed the approach for a more favorable outcome. 

Give examples. Concrete examples are really important. Have at least two for any issue raised. Think through the situations you plan to bring up so that you have as good and fair of recall as possible.

Have specific ideas for the improvements that you want to see. Being on the receiving end of the comment "things need to change" or "things need to improve" but not even a hint of direction of how is confusing, frustrating, and can set you up for failure. Avoid this by having some ideas of what you can do. 

If there's something you plan to or need to do better bring it up! Like any relationship this is a two way street and unless you’ve simply hired the worst person around (in which case maybe you may consider assessing you own judgment...) there are likely ways you can improve. Be upfront and honest about it. This will help move to you where you want to go plus will likely tell the vendor that you’re both serious but willing to work hard yourself. 

Have a plan for measurements/tracking. Just like not offering some thoughts on ways to improve can set you up for failure, not having a plan for measurement can do the same. Having an idea of what success looks like is important. If that's too broad even just an idea of when you'll check back in. Set these upfront so that everyone is on the same page. 

While I’m all about being transparent I also like to have "private" stage-gates in mind, points of time say 2 weeks or 4 weeks out where I check-in with myself to see if there's been improvement. Putting a note on your Outlook calendar a few weeks in advance to remember is often helpful. 

Come with an open mind. Properly preparing for difficult conversations certainly helps make them be less difficult. But it's also important to enter them with an open mind. You never know what's going to come out of another person's mouth so it's important to be open and flexible.

Good feedback is a critical part of a good relationship and will help yield good results! 

feedback

Last week I sat down with my manager to review my progress to date. I’ve had multiple feedback conversations, both formal and informal, throughout my career so this was nothing new for me but for some reason this one made me a little, well, panicked. 

I think it’s really important to understand where you stand in a professional role. Feedback conversations should be ongoing and an annual or mid-year review should not include anything all that surprising. Despite this I was in knots the days leading up to our discussion.

This was especially strange to me since I had requested the conversation. I had done this because a few weeks ago I realized that while I believed I was doing well and while I had received positive feedback from a few people, I didn’t know for sure that my performance was stellar -- or even sufficient -- in the eyes of my manager and leadership team. 

I’ll spare the suspense and say that my feedback was excellent so my anxiety was unwarranted. But it really surprised me how nervous I was.

Though when I think about the situation I guess it does make sense. I’ve been in my new role for going on 10 weeks now and was told upon being hired that my first 90 days were a trial period. While I have confidence in my work, again, I think it’s critical to know where you stand. Perhaps it’s not anymore or any less important, but it certainly feels more significant when you move hundreds of miles away for a new job. The last thing I wanted was to be told on day 89, or 90, or 91, “This has been nice and all but you haven’t been performing up to our expectations soooo you’re going to have to go… Good luck in this new city you just moved to…” Suddenly the pressure was mounting and the sizable risk that I might have set myself up for a disaster was becoming real. 

This might make some people NOT want to hear feedback. But hiding from or avoiding something doesn’t make it any less real. As the day of my conversation with my manager approached I had to remind myself that the anxiety I was feeling was natural, normal, and would soon be eased. 

I won’t sugarcoat it, not all feedback conversations go smoothly. You need to be prepared for the good and the bad. Or should I say, be prepared for positive feedback and feedback on your development opportunities. I have received feedback that has blindsided me, but I’ve become better for it. Remain humble and composed, really listen, and be open to learning how you are perceived; this is how you get better. And after all it’s all about getting better. 

The next time time you’re unsure of where you stand, or even if you’re pretty sure of where you stand, ask for feedback. Have a conversation about your performance, your progress, and your potential. 

What do you professionally is important. It is not your life but it is a big part of your life. It literally funds what you can and cannot do and you need to take it seriously and own it.