Hi Reader,

If you are like many of my clients, you are gearing up for everyone's favorite time of year: ~~Hunting Season.~~ ~~Holidays.~~ Performance Reviews! (YES!)

Being a Learner + Maximizer, I've spent 10,000 hours studying the art and science of delivering feedback.

"Feedback is a gift." is a helpful microscript I picked up during my years at Rackspace. But here's the unfortunate truth: Most feedback conversations are rushed, vague, or worse, skipped. UGH!

Here's my coaching to you: Be known as a generous, thoughtful gift (feedback) giver.

And when you receive the gift of feedback (no matter the packaging), simply say "THANK YOU!"

So, this issue of Talents, Teams & Tacos is dedicated to giving better feedback.

• Talent Coaching: Weaknesses Reframed (DOWNLOAD FREE GUIDE)

• Team Norms: The Secret Sauce of Feedback

• Upcoming Virtual Courses Now Open!

• Discovery: Bryan's Taco Trail

Got feedback, ideas, or a strengths success story? Send it my way.

Be Awesome Today,

Kathy Kersten

Gallup Certified Strengths Coach

Host of Obey Your Strengths Podcast

My Top 5: Strategic • Input • Learner • Belief • Maximizer

WEAKNESSES REFRAMED

Every strength has a flip side and what might seem like a “weakness” or "barrier label" is often just a strength overused and/or misperceived by others.

When giving feedback, reframing helps you highlight potential and a path forward without discouraging someone.

Here's the concept:

Recognize Barrier Label + Reframe It + Give the Path Forward

Instead of saying, “You’re too controlling,”

👉 Try, “Your Command ensures decisions get made and people stay aligned. To grow, try giving others space to lead while you provide guidance. This will multiply your team’s impact.”

Instead of, “You overanalyze things,”

👉 Try, “Your Analytical strength helps us make informed choices. To increase your momentum, try setting time limits for decision-making to balance analysis with action.”

Reframing weaknesses this way keeps feedback constructive, boosts confidence, and encourages growth, turning “weaknesses” into opportunities to leverage strengths.

💡Download: My BARRIER LABEL + REFRAME + PATH FORWARD COACHING GUIDE.

Team Norms: Feedback Culture

On high performing teams, great feedback doesn’t happen by default; it happens by design.

Before a team can give or receive feedback well, they need shared norms, the “how we do things here” guidelines, that make conversations safe and productive.

A few examples of Team Feedback Norms:

We assume positive intent.

We talk to each other, not about each other.

We focus on impact, not intention.

When teams co-create their feedback norms, something shifts. Feedback stops feeling like judgment and starts feeling like partnership. Trust is deepened. Transformation takes place.

So facilitate a team discussion by asking:
“What do we want feedback to look and feel like on this team?”

If you need help developing Team Norms, reach out to me. I'd love to support you and your team.

Upcoming Virtual Courses

Only a few spots left in the HOW TO COACH WITH STRENGTHS live, virtual course on October 29th, 11am-1pm Central.

$149.00

HOW TO COACH

March 27 @ 11am - 1:45 pm Central
In this application rich workshop, Kathy gives you the tools you need to create... Read more

Have a NEW HIRE that needs to discover their STRENGTHS? Sign 'em up! Course fee includes Top 5 CliftonStrengths Assessment and 90 minute Strengths Discovery Coaching Session on Dec 8th.

Discovery: Bryan's Taco Trail

On a recent business visit at Texas A&M University, an intriguing flyer in the hotel lobby stopped me in my tracks:

Click pic to visit Bryan Texas Taco Trail

This brilliant campaign by Destination Bryan positions the city as a bona fide "foodie destination" highlighting my favorite hand-held food.

With the snap of the QR code, I discovered a list of over 40 taco ~~dealers~~ vendors, ranging from authentic Tex-Mex to creative Fusion... and everything in between. Bryan's Taco Trail beckoned the Achiever in me to download the "digital pass" and start collecting points for every taco consumed.

The "taco trail trailer" (say that 3x fast!) made my mouth water. I was made for this.

My one regret is that my travel schedule only allowed time for one stop. But don't worry, Bryan, I'll be back in January!