How to Give Feedback That Lands | Renee St Jacques | TED

Overview

Renee St Jacques explores the pitfalls of ineffective feedback and introduces her Leadership Activated framework, which emphasizes emotional intelligence (EQ) as a cornerstone for effective leadership. Through the three C’s—Connect, Correct, and Cultivate—she provides actionable strategies for building trust, fostering growth, and driving team performance.

Notable Quotes

- Correction without connection feels like rejection. – Renee St Jacques, on the importance of trust in feedback.

- Vague feedback equals vague commitment equals zero chance of change. – Renee St Jacques, on the necessity of clarity in feedback.

- We’re not just leaders, we’re cycle breakers. – Renee St Jacques, on the transformative potential of emotionally intelligent leadership.

🌱 The Cost of Low Emotional Intelligence

- St Jacques recounts a coaching experience where a manager’s use of the feedback sandwich led to misaligned expectations, burnout, and broken trust.

- Research shows that low EQ negatively impacts team dynamics, profitability, and organizational goals.

- Emotional intelligence is not just a soft skill but a measurable driver of business success.

🤝 The First C: Connect

- Connection fosters psychological safety, a key driver of high performance and job satisfaction.

- Managers should prioritize making employees feel seen and valued, using open-ended questions like, Can you help me understand?

- Avoid pushing without connection, as it can worsen behavior and erode trust.

- St Jacques emphasizes separating work from worth, valuing employees for who they are, not just what they do.

🛠️ The Second C: Correct

- Effective correction requires balancing clarity and kindness. Avoid vague feedback or hinting, which leads to confusion and inaction.

- Use specific, actionable language: The deadline was X. This was submitted on Y. We need all deadlines met from now on because of Z impact.

- Replace but with and to maintain psychological safety while addressing areas for improvement.

- Feedback should focus on behavior, not the person, to empower rather than shame.

🌿 The Third C: Cultivate

- Leadership potential is cultivated through ongoing, real-time feedback rather than annual reviews.

- Open-ended coaching questions like, What do you think we should do? encourage ownership and solutions from team members.

- A culture of frequent feedback reduces burnout and fosters accountability and growth.

- St Jacques likens leadership to tending a garden—consistent care is essential for flourishing.

💡 Emotional Intelligence as a Leadership Strategy

- EQ is not a distraction from bottom-line goals but a strategy to achieve them.

- High-performing teams are built on intrinsic motivation, which stems from feeling seen, heard, and valued.

- St Jacques challenges leaders to leave a legacy defined not just by results but by how they achieved them—through connection and humanity.