We help clients discover the art of the possible, redefine the future and embrace the benefits of transformational change.
We help clients discover the art of the possible, redefine the future and embrace the benefits of transformational change.
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NEW WORLD TECH
A Critical Friend Review (CFR) brings powerful external insight to a programme of work, reviewing often complex and high risk projects at critical points in the project life-cycle. A CFR provides an informed external perspective that can help to provide new thinking and insights to increase the chances of a projects success.
Benefits of effective feedback:
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An informed external perspective that can help to provide new thinking and insights
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Increase the chances of a project's success
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Helps to align expectations and priorities
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Filling gaps in knowledge enabling individuals and teams to know where to take corrective action
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Alleviating the fear of the unknown
Reporting
What makes a good Critical Review
What makes a good critical friend?
An effective critical friend is someone who:
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You trust and respect, you have a strong relationship with, or believe you could develop a relationship with
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Who will provide honest and critical feedback
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Is a skilled observer and listener and is able to ask provocative/stretch questions that provide balance between support and challenge
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Understands the context well or takes the time to develop this understanding
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Provides a different perspective/new eyes and to critique utilising a higher order thinking.
Critical friends do not:
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Assume a directive role
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Offer solutions to problems or provide “quick fixes”
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Rush to judge
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Pretend to know the problems better than those within the company
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Impose agendas of their own or undermine the authority of others
Working with your critical friend
Confidentiality is essential, the ‘critical’ aspect relates to the task and the ‘friend’ aspect relates to the individuals as a person, comments should be seen as professional challenges rather than criticisms. Expectations with regard to availability, commitment to the process, reliability and how progress will be evaluated need to be discussed and agreed. The critical friend needs to own the agenda and take responsibility for preparation and follow-up. Openness to discussions about performance is essential.
A critical friend takes the time to [fully] understand the context of the work presented and the outcomes that the person, or group, is working towards. The critical friend is an advocate for the success of that work.
The role of the critical friend is essentially a strategic role that is designed to help improve the project by both supporting and challenging scope, key assumptions, processes and approach as supporting the prioritisation and sequencing of activities.
The size of the project drives the time required, but typically a CFR can take a couple of weeks up to a month or more, encompassing six defined sprints. A CFR can be used either prior to starting a project or as a midway feedback opportunity for longer programmes of work, or as a final assessment for shorter projects. A CFR can be conducted as short specific project sprints or across multiple projects and assignments.
A CFR can also be used to review other areas such as the sales process, where the CFR can be used at different points in the sales lifecycle to review and coach around the Sales Strategy, the Solution and any subsequent Transformation programme. Typically, a 30-day programme of work with six defined sprints.
