Mariah’s Feedback Model
Over the past six months the focus of On Your Feet's work has been helping clients with coaching and feedback.
We have been working with a major entertainment brand designing and delivering our largest training rollout ever, inspired by their leaders' belief, “That if we can do feedback better, we’ll end up doing everything else better.”
Here we present a feedback tool we call Mariah’s Model. In this model we go back to our roots (the improv stage) to help you give feedback in one of the most difficult situations: a group setting.
The Challenge
Giving feedback to an individual is tricky.
Giving feedback to an individual in front of a group can be even more tricky and difficult — and also a very common challenge.
So, how can leaders give great feedback and coaching in group settings, such as after a person delivers a presentation, pitch, or report? How should the audience be involved? What questions should be asked? When should positive and negative feedback come up?
These are hard questions.
Luckily our very own Mariah Mercedes Muñoz, one of Portland’s finest improv teachers and performers, has extensive experience successfully giving feedback and coaching in group settings in her sought-after classes.
And even more fortuitous, she has a model that we can all use that we proudly call "Mariah’s Model."
Mariah describing her feedback model and how she applies it
The Solution
Mariah’s Model for coaching and feedback in group situations follows a three-step process.
Step 1. The leader asks the person who has just presented to reflect: How did it feel from the inside?
Step 2. The leader then asks the audience: What did you like about it?
Step 3. Finally, the leader delivers their coaching: Building on what's been said, here’s my feedback . . .
The Why
Mariah’s Model is a simple three-step process, but there are some nuanced reasons and science behind why it can work so well.
Understanding these whys can be useful to maximizing its impact.
Here's a brief overview.
The first step helps the presenter to reflect on the experience and invest in the feedback conversation.
Scientifically, here the presenter benefits from externally processing the ideas verbally, which can lead to greater self-clarity.
It also has presenters engage in the useful act of self-affirmation, as they affirm what’s working while also taking ownership of what’s not working, which can lead to less defensiveness and more openness to later constructive feedback.
The second step is emotionally, communally, and functionally additive, as it focuses on positive feedback from a peer community that is usefully specific.
These are not generic compliments (“Great job”), but specifics about what the audience liked (“I thought you began with a really strong premise”) that can help people to identify strengths and keep doing what’s working.
Scientifically, consistent positive feedback and emotions can facilitate intrinsic motivations and a "broaden and build" approach orientation that can lead people to continue forward and improve, while the specificity of the feedback can help people create what researchers call implementation intentions to repeat actions that could even become structured habits.
Finally, the third step of the leader's feedback works so well in this model because it follows the first two steps.
Scientifically, the leader’s nuanced feedback can be processed with more cognitive fluency because it builds on specific ideas that are active in people's working memory due to earlier parts of the conversation.
Further, the presenter’s personal ownership of their flaws and the peers' support can create a more psychologically safe environment for any criticism.
In sum, Mariah's model is personal and communal, positive and constructive, and holistically a solid simple model for any leader to try.
