The DEI Dialogue: How Feedback Fosters Inclusion and Diversity in the Workplace

Bracewell’s D&I and Community Outreach Director Monica Parker was a recent guest on The National Law Review’s Legal News Reach podcast to discuss how to best navigate feedback to foster an inclusive and diverse workplace.

Parker, who has developed an interactive workshop for partners at Bracewell on how to give feedback, shares the framework for how to have feedback conversations that allow partners to prepare for discussions and navigate them with a little less anxiety and more ease.

“I think the first thing you do is to think about how you want to frame the conversation, especially if it’s making you nervous that you have to give this feedback and you’re worried about how the other person’s going to respond,” said Parker on the podcast.

As for associates looking for feedback from partners, Parker advised to be specific.

“I think a common mistake that people make is they just say, ‘I’d appreciate any feedback,’ and you may not get it,” said Parker on associates soliciting feedback. “Be more specific…you could say something like, ‘I noticed you changed this point here will you tell me more about that,’ because then you’re asking very specific questions, [and] you’re much more likely to engage the person in conversation.”