Lessons in Feedback: What Police Training Debriefs Taught Me About Empathy & Iterative Design

Stone balancing artist, Michael Grab, next to stacked stone sculpture. By Michael Grab, gravityglue.com

A significant aspect of my role as a police trainer involves providing feedback on officers’ performance during scenario-based training. After every scenario an officer completes, whether recruit or tenured officer, instructors leading the training will facilitate a debrief. A debrief in police training is a review after exercises like scenarios, video training, skills practice, or real-world calls for service. Debriefs encourage officers to analyze actions, decisions, and outcomes; they serve to identify areas for improvement, reinforce best practices, and correct errors, thus better preparing officers for real-world situations. The goal of a debrief is to give officers tools for self-improvement. So too, is the goal of giving and receiving design feedback.

Framing my experience leading debriefs through the context of providing design critiques, my goal and approach is the same. I have learned that it is important to approach feedback from a perspective of empathy and respect for the recipient’s perspective, experience, and efforts. Respecting and leveraging the knowledge and experience officers bring to the situation is important for the establishment of a supportive environment that is conducive to learning; it is also an effective means to encourage buy-in, engagement, and lend credibility to the feedback you will provide. 

When facilitating debriefs, my goal is to minimize the amount of feedback I need to provide. To do so, my aim is to ask questions that will guide learners to identify areas for improvement on their own. Essentially, I want learners to provide themselves the feedback that I would have provided, had they not come to the conclusion on their own. I want to stimulate critical thinking and ultimately provide officers with the tools for self-evaluation that they can apply in real-world contexts. 

In the times where I need to provide feedback, one of the most important concepts I have learned surrounds feedback balance. I designed a debriefing class for instructors two summers ago, and during the design and development phase of the course, I came across a podcast discussing how to provide feedback. The interviewee, Randall Stutman, discussed the concept of balance in feedback. A quote from the podcast stood out to me: “Make the positive feedback as vivid, elaborate, and as detailed as the negatives are going to be” (Stutman, 2020). This quote was a proverbial mic-drop moment for me, and it exposed a critical aspect of giving feedback where I needed to improve. Stutman debunked the feedback sandwich myth (positive, negative, positive) I had been raised on, and I realized providing feedback has a relational and practical component to it. 

Historically, the emphasis during debriefs was on the areas of improvement. Very little was said about the positive decisions officers made, and over time, this unknowingly created a relational feedback loop where every time an instructor said something to an officer, it always involved something they did wrong. Feedback at this time was not at all harsh, but based on what I learned from the Stutman podcast, I realized the way I was giving feedback, or rather the focus of the feedback I provided, was in actuality impacting its effectiveness.

Giving and receiving feedback is like a bank account. Feedback on areas for improvement are like a withdrawal. To maintain a balanced bank account with learners, I need to equally recognize and praise the good decisions they make as much as the identified areas for improvement. Establishing a consistent practice of detailing good decisions and positive performance are deposits into the bank, and when I have to make a withdrawal, they are less personally impactful and instead are more likely to be received with an open mind, a better attitude, and with less anxiety. A balanced bank account creates a learning environment and culture where learners are not only open to receiving feedback, but actively engaged in the learning process.

Debriefs in practice are in actuality a dialogue and a two-way discussion; they are a collaborative exchange of questions, potential solutions, and mutual understanding. They are iterative, and all parties involved are working to refine and enhance the learning experience. From my role as an instructor, I have learned how critical it is to proactively seek feedback on the content I design and deliver. The feedback I have received on design work has helped highlight areas for improvement that I had not considered. Feedback is a gift. It is an opportunity for growth, and recognizing how difficult it is to give, I believe it is important to acknowledge the vulnerability required by both parties.

Maintaining an open mind, actively listening, and reflecting on the feedback provided are important components of receiving feedback, and doing so allows me to more objectively analyze my design decisions and ultimately make actionable changes that will improve the quality and efficacy of the content I create. My approach to iterative design relies on clearly established systems for soliciting feedback from stakeholders, SMEs, and learners. Prototyping, pilot testing, and dry-running content is a collaborative and reflective process which ensures the learning experiences I create evolve to meet the desired learning outcomes.

References

Parrish, S. (Host) (2020, November 10). Randall Stutman: The Essence of Leadership (No. 96). [Audio podcast episode]. The Knowledge Project. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-knowledge-project-with-shane-parrish/id990149481?i=1000497969968