You know what I hate? The person who calls to ask me to rate the service of the car dealership I just visited. I have never – EVER – had anyone actually come back and respond to bad feedback. So why bother? GRRRR….
With the U.S. elections just around the corner, we’re going to be flooded with poll results, news coverage, and predictions. It’s once again grand entertainment, with that man with the toupée right in the middle of the show. But here’s the kicker—polls aren’t always as accurate as we think. They’re snapshots of sentiment at a particular moment, and often, that data can be misleading if taken at face value. What happens when candidates base their entire campaign on these flawed numbers?
Polls are a powerful tool for gathering feedback, especially in the high-stakes environment of elections. They show what voters care about, highlight the issues that resonate and guide where campaigns should focus their efforts. But as useful as they can be, polls are often skewed by factors like who’s being asked and how questions are framed. This creates a risk: making major decisions based on inaccurate or incomplete data can lead to catastrophic missteps. Much like sports teams that misinterpret game footage, politicians risk playing the wrong strategy based on faulty feedback.
In Boks to Business, launching on 20 November, I unpack the value of feedback in the “Shock and Surprise” Building Block. How feedback matters, and how the LACK of feedback matters.
We reference Yuppiechef broadly in the book. They built a thriving business by making sure customer feedback was at the centre of everything they did. They didn’t just assume they knew what their customers wanted—they asked. Their success came from an obsession with listening, adapting, and evolving based on the feedback they received. That kind of approach kept them ahead of their competitors and also made sure they could start and stop activities that were critical for their growth and long-term viability.
The 2021 Lions Tour, and the infamous Rassie “ref” video, is a great example of how the lack of feedback matters. Rassie always emphasized the importance of continuous feedback—not only from players but also from the refereeing establishment. When he didn’t get the data he needed, he resorted to extreme measures. The public breaking of protocol questioning the referee would have severe consequences for him – but it also had the required result, and Springbok rugby now enjoys a much better relationship and feedback loop with the establishment. Whether you agree with his methods or not, you can’t deny that this commitment to feedback paid off.
Need to Know: The Do’s and Don’ts of Feedback
Here are three do’s and three don’ts when it comes to interpreting and using data-driven feedback:
3 Do’s:
Do listen to all voices: Whether it’s from your employees, customers, or stakeholders, multiple perspectives provide a fuller picture.
Do act quickly: Feedback that sits idle doesn’t help anyone. If you’re gathering it, make sure you use it to adjust your approach in real time.
Do challenge assumptions: Just because data supports an idea doesn’t mean it’s the whole truth. Always dig deeper and ask questions.
3 Don’ts:
Don’t rely on one source: Avoid tunnel vision. Just like an election poll or a single customer survey, one data point isn’t the full story.
Don’t ignore context: Data without context can lead to poor decisions. Always consider the bigger picture before making a move.
Don’t let biases drive decisions: Confirmation bias—cherry-picking feedback that supports your beliefs—can derail progress. Stay objective.
PG’s Pro Tip:
Create open feedback loops: Just like Rassie did with his team and the referees, actively seek feedback from both internal and external stakeholders. Make it easy for people to provide input and make sure they know their feedback matters. Use NPS Scores as a base.
Act on feedback quickly: Don’t let insights collect dust. Be like Yuppiechef and adjust your strategy or offerings based on what you’re hearing from your customers. Don’t be like my old car dealer Nissan and never do anything with negative feedback.
Prioritize data diversity: Get feedback from different sources—employees, customers, and partners. The more data points you have, the clearer your path forward will be.
Comments