WIN

Guest Post by Sarah Evers

The anticipation is growing and you’re on the edge of your seat. Finally, a winner will be crowned, a victor declared. You watched participants jump through numerous hoops, overcome obstacles, perform silly stunts, fight for the rose, or defend themselves in the board room to move from one round of competition to the next.

After all that work, who will win?

I have that same feeling of anticipation after facilitating a meeting, spearheading a working group, presenting at a conference or guiding a training. Was I successful and effective?

Everyone wants to know if they are a winner in their everyday life and work. We long for meaningful feedback yet the vague comments of  “good job” or “that was great” feel hollow.  Empty feedback doesn’t help me discern if I won. And I like to win.

So how can we give and receive feedback quickly, succinctly and in a helpful, productive way? Let me introduce you to the WIN Model of Review and Evaluation. I learned it from the coaching certification program at Creative Results Management. This feedback mechanism is simple and short with only three questions, which means you can walk through it with a trainee, colleague or friend in less than 5 minutes and come away with helpful, informative, and developmental feedback.

The best part of this evaluation model, in my opinion, is that it distills all the could-be-improved items to ONE action point for growth. It creates focus, especially if there’s a lot of room for growth.

WIN Model of Review and Evaluation

W – What went Well?

List 3 successful elements

I –  What could be Improved?

List 3 possible improvements

N – What will you do differently Next time?

Commit to 1 action for change and growth

Here’s a link to a Google Slide of the WIN Model so you can use it with your team, trainee or on your own.

These three questions create the space to celebrate successes as trainees, colleagues or friends list the elements that went well. Many people tend to be self-aware enough to catch their major gaffes which means I don’t have to deliver a list of potential changes. They bring up the areas that could be improved thereby opening the door to developmental conversations, which means I can support them on their one area for growth and development.

Some people have a hard time identifying three things they did well, especially if they are novices, and an easier time listing three items for improvement. This is when the leader can respond by championing their achievements and guiding their skill development.

The WIN Model is a great outline for journaling to reflect upon a conversation, pitch, or presentation. In fact, I use the WIN Model as part of my regular practice of prayerful reflection.

Experiencing meaningful feedback is a key discipline to helping others experience the thrill of a job well done, the thrill of the WIN.

Sarah Evers empowers people to make their greatest contribution. She has helped people clarify their values and develop deeply rooted, life guiding convictions for nearly 20 years with Cru. In the last ten years she has focused on developing emerging national leaders and earned a reputation for helping people take their next right step. She lives in New York City with her husband Mike and young daughter. She continues to work with Cru and recently launched a coaching firm, Gotham Bridge LLC.

You can contact her at Sarah@GothamBridge.com