Feedback fails, feedback as currency, and turning resistance into hunger

One Quote. One Framework. One Challenge.
Just 2 minutes a week.

One Quote

“Feedback doesn’t fail because people can’t take it - it fails because leaders can’t give it.”
- Unknown… but that shit hits, right?

Most breakdowns in feedback aren’t about defensiveness. They’re about delivery.
If your words are vague, delayed, or stripped of context, even the most coachable rep can’t improve.
Owning that truth is the first step to giving feedback that sticks.

One Framework

COIN Model
Turning feedback into currency your team can actually spend

Why it works: Too often, feedback is just opinion dressed up as advice. COIN turns feedback into real currency for growth - grounded in facts, tied to impact, and exchanged for clear next steps. When reps know every piece of feedback deposits value into their development, they stop resisting it and start seeking it.

What it is:

• Context - Anchor the when/where: “In yesterday’s discovery call…”

• Observation - Describe what you actually saw/heard: “…you jumped to demo after two questions.”

• Impact - Share the effect: “…the prospect disengaged and we missed uncovering real pain.”

• Next steps - Define the change: “…next time, aim for at least five discovery questions before moving forward.”

Each COIN step builds trust and clarity, but together they do more: they mint feedback as currency your team can spend to grow.

One Challenge

Break Through with the Feedback-Resistant Rep

This week, don’t pick the easy target. Pick the rep who resists feedback the hardest - the one who shrugs it off, debates it, or quietly ignores it. Deliver one piece of feedback using COIN: clear context, observable behavior, real impact, and a specific next step.

Why?

Because feedback resistance is often a defense mechanism against vague or inconsistent coaching. When feedback becomes precise, fair, and actionable, even your toughest critic starts to see it as currency for growth. Over time, that same rep can shift from resisting feedback to actively seeking it out, because they know every note you give them translates directly into their development.

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https://dgtm-weekly-shift.beehiiv.com/p/aug-21-2025

Until the next shift,

David Goldsmith
Founder, DGTM
[email protected] | www.dgtm.us

P.S. This newsletter is inspired by James Clear’s 3-2-1 Thursday, which I’ve looked forward to every week for years. Check it out here!