360° Feedback
A great feedback culture lives from having the option to give feedback any time, any place. And even though this is great, it is important to provide regular, obligatory formats to collect and give feedback. Our guidelines on feedback culture can be found in our code of conduct.
Ad-hoc people and culture sessions
The people and culture unit offers an open ear to anybody in the team. If there’s something you’d like to talk about, just approach a person from the people & culture unit. This appointment is not obligatory but highly recommended. You can talk about your current situation within thomann.io. You can use it to talk about things you may not want to share with your lead person yet and get support preparing for it. Or just to get another perspective on how to achieve your goals or organize a training.
Weekly 1:1s
1:1s shall be used for continuous feedback, e.g. recapping your peer feedback sessions or where to go next on your journey through thomann.io. You can also use it to address obstacles in your daily business and to get advice on how to cope with challenges. Another important aspect is to feedback your lead person and address issues that are important to you.
Peer feedback
Once a year, you have to organize at least 2 peer feedback sessions.
- a talk with a team member you work together a lot (approx. 80% of your time). Let them answer the questions below.
- a talk with a team member you spend less time with (approx. 20% of your time). Let them answer the questions below.
Questions:
- What did I contribute to Thomann.io in the last 6-12 months?
- What do you appreciate working with me?
- From your perspective: In which areas should I grow to develop myself?
You can do your sessions reciprocal, interviewing each other. But make sure the second person is not biased from the first interview round. You do not need to talk contents with your manager. But let them know once you're done since peer feedback is the starting point for your yearly career development.
Important note for the 20%-team-members: short feedback is fine. Don't worry to not have as much content as an 80%-team-member. Not observing negativity can be a positive feedback as well.
Probationary period
You will receive feedback within your probationary period. Refer to the onboarding section for more information.
Recommended feedback formats
The BIO method for preparing feedback
The BIO method is a structured approach to giving effective feedback, focusing on clarity and constructive improvement. Preparing a feedback session with this method helps to ensure feedback is specific, impactful, and actionable.
- B - Behaviour: Clearly describe the specific behaviour you observed
- I - Impact: Explain the impact of that behaviour on you, the team, or stakeholders
- O - Options: Focus on the future by suggesting options for improvement. Emphasize that these are suggestions, and the decision on how to move forward remains with the individual receiving the feedback
Feedforward canvas for personal development
The feedforward canvas, in collaboration with a "feedforward buddy", helps you actively utilize feedback for your learning and development goals. It is designed to bring the act of asking for feedback into a structured format that doesn’t stop at getting feedback. It emphasizes working on a goal through experimentation and continuous improvement with the help of an ally. The template can be found in our Miro template library.
How to use:
- Pick your goal: This can be something you recently discovered yourself, got aware of in a feedback conversation, or even one of your goals from the career development conversation
- Find a feedforward buddy: Choose someone you trust, who can provide valuable feedback and advice. Anybody can function as a feedforward buddy. It doesn’t have to be your manager
- Collaborative process: Work through the canvas together, focusing on implementing change through small experiments
- Revisit: Review the experiments' outcomes
Key Principles of the Feed Forward Canvas:
- Focus on future actions and experiments
- Emphasize learning and growth through iterative feedback
- Utilize a "feedforward buddy" for support and perspective