Guess which topic in YadaFactor generates the most angst among participants and even some insecurity among coaches? 

Feedback!  How are you feeling about your feedback these days?

One coach told me that she recently received some feedback that went like this:

“I appreciate how transparent and vulnerable you were.  The themes I saw were:  _______, ________, and _________.  Thank you for sharing.” 

That’s it.  And guess what – this coach was greatly encouraged by those few words.  The simplicity helped her bring a week of journaling into focus.  YadaFactor feedback truly can be that short and sweet!

Are you timing your feedback in your personal triads?  It’s easy to go too long.  Using our suggested 80/20 ratio, if you’re sharing for 20 minutes, 5 minutes of feedback (total) is ideal (1-2 minutes per person).

Our feedback handout in the Coach Resource Center could help if you feel like you could use a review.

These suggestions might help as well:

• As you are listening and taking notes, consider using another color pen to highlight where you see God at work.
• Rely on the Holy Spirit. Pause and glance at your notes before giving feedback. We reorder vertically even when giving feedback, trusting God to give us the words to encourage our friend. One coach even tries to give feedback on the overall theme before glancing at her notes.
• Remember that asking a question can be a powerful way to give feedback. (Just make sure it’s not manipulative, that you don’t have a particular answer in mind.)  Questions are optional! 

We know not to give opinions, advice, or add scripture, but do you realize that evaluating someone’s journaling, even with positive words, isn’t the goal in YadaFactor?  They need you to confirm where you saw God working in their life, not comment on the quality of their journaling.  For instance, saying their writing was beautiful is actually more about you than about them and could lead to unhealthy comparisons in the group.  It’s a subtle but important difference!

Does that help?  If you have any other thoughts on feedback, please send them to Ann (ann.hollensen@gmail.com) who will compile them for future tips!