Sean Glaze teaches a 5-step POINT model for giving feedback: Permission, Objectively describe behavior, Identify impact, Negotiate next steps, and Track progress. Each step includes examples to help teams avoid conflict when addressing performance issues.
So how do you give feedback without starting a fight? Most feedback conversations blow up in the first 10 seconds. Here's a 5-step model that's going to fix that. I call it the POINT Model, where you point at problems, not at people. And it works whether you're a manager, a coach, or a teammate who needs to have a hard conversation. The first P is for permission and purpose. Start by asking if the individual is open to feedback. Hey, I noticed something I think could help you. Would now be a good time? That one sentence frames the conversation in a positive way. O is for objectively describing the behavior. Not, "You never follow through," but, "Hey, the report was due on Tuesday and we didn't get it until Thursday." One attacks character, the other describes a specific factual behavior. I is for identify the impact. Tell them what the effect was on the team. When people understand the ripple effect of their behaviors, they begin to feel empathy instead of defensiveness. N is for negotiating next steps. Ask what they think should happen differently. You'll get better buy-in when the solution comes from them. Then T is for track their progress. The first conversation isn't the last conversation. Schedule a follow-up. That's what separates a real feedback conversation from a lecture that doesn't get remembered. The POINT Model is one of the tools I teach in leadership events. If your team needs better feedback conversations, Let's talk.
