If Your Feedback Zone is Motivator…

If you lead from the Motivator’s feedback zone, you are more of a cheerleader than a coach.

What’s great with your feedback As a Motivating leader, you have a special ability to inspire others and develop strong commitment within your team. As an extrovert, you know how to approach people proactively and are likely to openly share your visions and goals. For you, the feedback process is geared toward strengthening the team as a whole and helping individuals see how their work fits into the big picture.

What’s not so great

The downside is that individual team members may feel that they are not receiving enough feedback or career advice from a Motivator boss. They may feel stuck sometimes and not get their questions answered about how to approach their goals. Often busy with other people inside and outside the group, the Motivator may be inconsistent in coaching each and every direct report through individual conversations that are tailored to each employee’s needs . Working for a Motivator, you may feel like you’re missing something when the Motivator forgets to deliver detailed information you need to succeed—especially when it’s corrective feedback rather than a pat on the back.

Locating the Motivator’s pain

Leaders who are primarily Motivators are threatened by the idea of team discord and they take it personally when the group dynamic begins to break down. Possible risks from inside the Motivator belief zone include:

1. A lack of consistent, individualized feedback.

2. Too much spontaneity and not enough structure.

3. Avoidance of critical feedback if it appears to endanger the unity of the larger group.

4. Shallow feedback, as opposed to in-depth suggestions, with examples and goal setting.

5. Feedback loops that are left incomplete due to the lack of frequent, accurate information employees need to make adjustments in their behavior.

Beliefs worth challenging if you are a Motivator

If you feel you’re responsible for keeping everyone’s morale up, try dropping that responsibility. Focus more on clear expectations of each employee. When you challenge your own beliefs, you’ll realize that team morale actually increases on its own when individual team members are empowered to learn and improve. Each employee needs you to coach them fully, using your full range of experience and creative thinking. Even corrective feedback–which you’re a bit uncomfortable with–will be perceived as a huge gift. If you add the specific details they need, they can speed up their contributio