Structure
When discussing how to structure our feedback session, the three of us decided that due to the small size of our team it would work best to give each person all of their feedback one at a time. We used a variation of the method that involves what each person should stop doing, what they should keep doing, and what they should start doing. Because we only have three team members at this time, we were able to go a little more in depth and talk specifically about things related to how individual members contribute to the team. After giving and receiving individual feedback, we discussed some more general team related feedback. We also developed a tangible way that will hold us accountable to our redeveloped goals.
Individual Feedback
First the group gave feedback to Sarah. Kelly and Lilly agreed that her strengths include having a calm manner and a positive attitude. One thing they would like to see her continue doing is spreading the word about the project to others. At this point, this is Rise’s only source for marketing and will be important as the business develops. The group did ask that she be more inclusive when she bakes so that the team as a whole will feel more knowledgeable as to how the baking side of the business will work.
Kelly and Sarah then gave Lilly feedback. The discussion centered on her cheerful attitude and creative way of thinking. Lilly’s ability to view things from a different perspective has been very helpful to the team thus far. The group hopes Lilly will also continue to be devil’s advocate in meetings and to ask good questions of the other team members. One thing the group challenged Lilly to do is to speak up more in meetings with outside parties. She adds great value to the team with her ideas and should share them with others.
Kelly is the practical, organized member of the group that always keeps Lilly and Sarah from wasting time trying to do impossible things. She also brings a sense of professionalism to the team that has been important when reaching out to other potential team members. She is confident and not afraid to take initiative when it comes to making connections or getting things done. For constructive feedback, the group felt that Kelly sometimes holds back her opinion in meetings. The group explained that in a project such as this, there is no such thing as a “nit-picky” comment and that all views were welcomed and encouraged.
Reflection on Giving and Receiving Feedback
During individual feedback, the givers were very respectful of the receivers and it was understood that all comments were for the betterment of the team. However, there were some things we realized afterwards that we could have improved upon. One thing we noticed was that we lacked eye contact with each other when giving negative feedback. We were very engaged when giving positive comments but looked away when being critical. We recognized that this was a natural tendency but could be perceived as rude in certain settings. We also tended to interject with comments and feedback when someone else was speaking. We thought this was both good and bad. On one hand, it showed that we are very comfortable with each other, but on the other it lacks the sense of professionalism we would like to see of our team.
The receivers of feedback were also respectful and accepted any critique given. Kelly even thanked the group for one piece of feedback, as it was one she was aware of, but was glad to be reminded. Something the receiver did not often do in our session was to ask for specific examples of behavior that might help her understand how to improve. We think it might have been beneficial to discuss more specifically some ways in which we could improve as well as ways to measure that improvement along the way.
Team Feedback and Action Plan
We feel that the team as a whole works well together and the strengths and weaknesses of each member compliments those of the other teammates. In general, we are not afraid to play the devil’s advocate in meetings in order to think more critically and address potential problems. But, we would like to improve on a few key points. Those include making this project a higher priority in each of our schedules, being more diligent with deadlines we set, and being more prepared for meetings. Overall, we feel it is necessary to approach this project with a more professional attitude. In order to do this, we have decided to start a tally system. In short, this system awards a tally mark to a team member every time she completes a Rise related task. Each week the member with the lowest number of tallies will buy the other members coffee. This will not only encourage the completion of tasks, but will also promote team unity, as a weekly coffee date will be in place.
Future Challenges and Strengths
Some of the major challenges the team anticipates in the coming semester include not meeting our opening day goal of mid February. We have recognized our poor performance with regard to deadlines and know this is affecting our ability to open on our original goal date. We hope that our tally mark system will encourage more work to be done and meeting this deadline will be easier, but we realize this is still a great challenge. We also fear that as we get bogged down in the tasks of running a business, we will forget that our purpose is to teach the students, and not just employee them. It will be important to constantly remind ourselves of the need we are fulfilling. Finally, our inexperience in teaching will also be a major roadblock as we try to educate the students on a subject we have only just started to learn. To combat this challenge as well as the previously stated ones, the team will have to constantly seek advice from board members and outside friends. This will provide the team with objective knowledge and feedback throughout the project.
The final thing that we feel will compensate for some of our weaknesses and future challenges is our ability to sell our idea. We feel confident that our idea meets a need that we are passionate about and that passion will help us spread the word about our business. We know we cannot accomplish this on our own, but if enough people know about it, we feel we can find the help we will need.
Sarah Nunley 