Giving and receiving feedback can be awkward and uncomfortable, but if you practice and find the right tools, feedback can become natural and improve your work culture significantly.

One of those tools, taught by ZingTrain, is “Liked Best, Next Time,” referred to as “LB/NT.” When meeting with a trainee, rather than the trainer doing most of the talking and focusing on what went wrong, this process includes the following:

1. Upon completing a training shift, the trainee explains to the trainer what they liked best (LB) about their performance.
2. The trainer responds in kind with their own thoughts about what the trainee did especially well.
3. The trainee reflects on what they want to do better next time (NT).
4. The trainer shares expectations on what the trainee should focus on going forward.

Here’s an example after a new employee waited on a table in a restaurant for the first time:

Liked Best:
• Friendly tone of voice
• Repeated the order back to the customer
Next Time:
• Try to become more familiar with the menu
• Talk a little louder

This tool works great for new employee training, but can be used for projects, interactions, or at the end of the week or month, for any employees. Try to consider how you can use LB/NT in your workplace!

Learn more about this tool at: zingtrain.com/blog/liked -best-next-time.

This article was published in the Venango Chamber’s October 2021 VenangoWorks! Newsletter.