Feedback Is the Bridge: Preparing ICs to Lead Through Conversations

Feedback Is the Bridge: Preparing ICs to Lead Through Conversations  

One quiet reason individual contributors hesitate to move into leadership is the fear of “people problems”—the tough talks, the gray areas, and the responsibility of guiding someone else’s performance. That’s exactly why feedback fluency is a foundational leadership skill, and why TG8’s Delivering and Receiving Feedbackclass sits at the center of our IC-to-leader pathway. In this program, we take the mystery—and the dread—out of feedback by making it learnable, practicable, and even enjoyable. We use tools featured throughout the TG8 Solutions Catalog—including SBI (Situation–Behavior–Impact) to anchor what you say in observable facts; Feedforward drills to shift the focus from blame to the next best step; and our reflective question sets—Scaling Questions, Future-Oriented Questions, Observer-Perspective Questions, and Miracle Questions—to deepen understanding and co-create solutions. We also rehearse Ask–Listen–Align sequences (a simple “Ask, explore; Listen, reflect; Align on one next experiment”) and micro-coaching habits like two-minute check-ins that prevent small issues from becoming big ones. The result is confidence and muscle memory: ICs start to see leadership less as a minefield and more as a craft—one conversation at a time.

Listen to us discuss practical feedback: YouTube: TG8 on Feedback Here TG8 on the Nonprofit Nook Podcast with Wendy Kidd

“Feedback is a skill, not a personality trait. In this episode, TG8 breaks down SBI, Feedforward, and Ask–Listen–Align so tough talks become growth moments. Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG_IyBon1Mg#Leadership #Feedback #TG8Solutions”

Why training matters: Feedback is a performativeskill—you don’t master it by reading about it, you master it by doing it. TG8’s approach is intentionally fun (live role-plays, real-world scenarios, energizers), adaptive (coaching tailored to each learner’s style and comfort level), and focused on impact (every practice rep ends with a measurable next step and a follow-up plan). By turning feedback into a safe, repeatable routine, we reduce anxiety, shorten escalation cycles, and free up leaders to spend more time enabling great work.

Three key training goals

• Clarity under pressure: Use SBI and Ask–Listen–Align to say what matters crisply, kindly, and in the moment.

  
  

• SARA Model: Brace yourself for the shock especially if you have not been having regular feedback sessions, take yourself through the SARA model until there is acceptance

  
  

  Shared language: Install team-wide prompts (Scaling, Future, Observer, Miracle) so feedback feels consistent, constructive, and culturally safe.