Feedback is an essential element for everyone in an organization. Giving feedback is a task you perform again and again (especially as a supervisor), letting people know where they are and where to go next in terms of expectations and goals - yours, their own, and the organization’s. Feedback is a useful tool for indicating when things are going in the right direction or for redirecting problem performance. Your objective in giving feedback is to provide guidance by supplying information in a useful manner, either to encourage effective behavior, or to guide someone back on track toward successful performance.
Some situations which require giving constructive feedback include:
Ongoing performance discussions
Providing specific performance pointers
Letting someone know the consequences of their behavior
Some clues that constructive feedback is needed are when:
Someone asks for your opinion about how they are doing
An unresolved problems persist (errors occur again and again)
Someone’s performance doesn’t meet expectations
The key to constructive feedback is making sure that it has value. Constructive feedback is a tool that is used to build things up, not break things down. It lets the other person know that you are on their side.
If you can’t think of a constructive purpose for giving feedback, don’t give it at all.
1. Focus on description rather than judgement.
Describing behavior is a way of reporting what has occurred, while judging behavior is an evaluation of what has occurred in terms of “right or wrong”, or “good or bad”. By avoiding evaluative language, you reduce the need for the individual to respond defensively.
For example:
You demonstrated a high degree of confidence when you presented your ideas in our last class.
rather than
Your communication skills are good!
2. Focus on observation rather than inference.
Observations refer to what you can see or hear about an individual’s behavior, while inferences refer to the assumptions and interpretations you make from what you see or hear. Focus on what the person did and your reaction.
For example:
When you helped me on my project last week I felt that you did all the work rather than teaching me how to do it.
rather than describe what you assume to be the person’s motivation
I guess you don’t care about teaching!
3. Focus on behavior rather than the person
Refer to what an individual does rather than on what you imagine she or he is. To focus on behavior, use adverbs, which describe action, rather than adjectives, which describe qualities.
For example:
You talked considerably during our group meeting which prevented me from giving my opinion.
rather than
You talk too much!
4. Provide a balance of positive and negative feedback
If you consistently give only positive or negative feedback, people will distrust the feedback and it will become useless.
5. Be aware of feedback overload.
Select two or three important points you want to make and offer feedback about those points. If you overload an individual with feedback, they may become confused about what needs to be improved or changed.
For example:
You are really quick to complete tasks and good at meeting deadlines. But the number of typing errors you are currently making is higher than expected.
Giving feedback constructively benefits everyone. You, as the project manager or supervisor, use the on-going exchange of information as a way of getting to know your people and providing them with valuable guidance in their work. The employee, manager, supervisor, or peer receives data that makes that makes their job easier. The organization gains in improved productivity of its workforce.
State the constructive purpose of your feedback.
State your purpose briefly by indicating what you’d like to cover and why it’s important. If you are initiating feedback, this focus keeps the other person from having to guess what you want to talk about. If the other person has requested feedback, a focusing statement will make sure that you direct your feedback toward what the person needs.
For example:
I have a concern about
I want to discuss
I have some thoughts about
Describe specifically what you have observed.
Have a certain event or action in mind and be able to say when and where it happened, who was involved, and what the results were. Stick to what you personally observed and don’t try to speak for others. Avoid talking vaguely about what the person “always” or “usually” does.
For example:
Yesterday afternoon, when you were speaking with X, I noticed that you raised your voice
Describe your reactions.
Explain the consequences of the other person’s behavior and how you feel about it. Give examples of how you and others are affected. When you describe your reactions or the consequences of the observed behaviors, the other person can better appreciate the impact their actions are having on others and on the organization or team as a whole.
For example:
X looked embarrassed and I felt uncomfortable about seeing the episode.
Give the other person an opportunity to respond.
Remain silent and meet the other person’s eye, indicating that you are waiting for answer. If the person hesitates to respond, ask an open ended question.
For example:
*What do you think?
What is your view of this situation?
What is your reaction to this?*
Offer specific suggestions.
Whenever possible make your suggestions helpful by including practical, feasible examples. Offering suggestions shows that you have thought past your evaluations and moved to how to improve the situation. Even if people are working up to expected standards, they often benefit from ideas that could help them to perform better.
If your feedback was offered supportively or neutrally, in the “for your information” mode, or depending on the situation’s circumstances, suggestions may not be appropriate. Use your common sense and offer an idea if you think the other person will find it useful. Don’t drum up a suggestion for improvement just for the sake of it.
For example:
*I’m not sure what you were talking about but you could find a way of communicating it more calmly. You could ask for someone else’s opinion on the subject.
Sometimes when I am angry or frustrated with someone, I give myself time and space before speaking to them.
Perhaps next time you could take X somewhere more private.*
Summarize and express your support
Review the major points you discussed. Summarize the Action items, not the negative points of the other person’s behavior. If you have given neutral feedback, emphasize the main points you have wanted to convey. For corrective feedback, stress the main things you’ve discussed that the person could do differently. End on a positive note by communicating confidence in the person’s ability to improve the situation.
For example:
It’s great that everyone feels really comfortable with each other but I think in stressful situations it would be nice if we could all find ways to communicate with each other respectfully. I know you will find a way in the future.
By summarizing, you can avoid misunderstandings and check to make sure that your communication is clear. This summary is an opportunity to show your support for the other person—a way to conclude even an negative feedback situation on a positive note.
For example:
I’m really glad we talked and you know you can always come and talk to me if you find yourself in a difficult situation.
Imagine that you recently gave some feedback to a member of your team. You told him that his meeting agendas looked great, but he needed to improve his presentation skills.
You follow up a few weeks later to find out why he hasn’t made any changes. You discover that he didn’t understand what he could do to improve – your feedback simply prompted more questions.
He was left thinking “What’s good about my agendas that I can transfer to other documents?” and “What’s wrong with my presentation skills?”
For feedback to be most useful, it must provide specific actions for the receiver to take to improve their performance. It must also be presented in such a way that the receiver does not feel threatened or attacked by the information. Listed below are additional guidelines for giving constructive feedback:
Make feedback about behavior one can do something about, not the person.
Provide information about what a person does helps that person make choices about that behavior. On other hand, assessments about a person’s “personality traits” or “personal qualities” usually increase their defensiveness. (e.g. “You arrived ten minutes late to the meeting” vs. “You’re irresponsible and inconsiderate.”)
Take the needs of the receiver into account first.
Focus the feedback on the value and usefulness it may provide to the receiver rather than the “release” it provides the giver, i.e., you.
Make use of “I” Statements to let the receiver know how you perceive or experience the behavior. Avoid “we” or “most people” statements. By saying, “I get upset when you…,” you help promote a productive dialogue. No one can dispute that that’s how you feel. Whereas saying “You make me upset” is more likely to lead to an argument and less communication.
Focus on what was said and done (actions) rather than why it was said or done (motives)
Feedback should be based on observable events, not on your opinions or judgments about the other’s motive or intent.
Make feedback specific rather than general and abstract.
Feedback is generally more useful if it can be tied to a specific time, place and action. It is far more useful to say, “I noticed that you interrupted twice while I was speaking during the meeting” than “You are always interrupting people.” Give examples.
Be sensitive to timing and selection.
It is important that the giver of feedback be sensitive to both when it is appropriate to give feedback and how much to give the receiver. The receiver needs to be ready to hear and deal with the data. Only give an amount a person can use.
Check whether the receiver understood your feedback.
One way of doing this is to ask the receiver to rephrase the feedback to see if it corresponds to what the sender had in mind.
Request what you’d like them to do differently.
Your request let’s them know exactly what you are asking them to do. They are free to accept, decline, or counter-propose. You can’t change them, but by asking you help them see what you think they could do to help the organization
Accept and Manage Your Emotions
Most people tend to react to constructive feedback with a little surprise or shock, quickly followed by anger and possibly denial. We’re all human! Observe your emotions and give yourself time to let them move through you. Talk with someone about your feelings, if that helps you. After denial, we usually shift into acceptance and even contentment. Don’t try to respond to the feedback giver until your initial negative emotions (“fight or flight” response) have settled down.
Reflect on the Feedback
Take time to analyze the feedback and determine what you think it means for you.
Talk With the Feedback Giver
Talking with the person who gave you feedback is the most important part of the process. This is because feedback is part of building and maintaining healthy working relationships. By showing the feedback giver that you care about their perceptions and needs and that you’re committed to making changes that help them do their work better, you’ll do a lot to strengthen the trust, respect, and confidence in your relationship with them.
Tell the feedback giver that you’d like to discuss their feedback with them. Set a time and place, and follow through.
Demonstrate your openness by sharing your feedback results with your group as well as your interpretation of what the data means to you. This will help open the lines of communication between you and your group.
Show them that you are interested in listening to whatever they want to say. Below are four responses to feedback that demonstrate you are listening:
Paraphrase: After listening carefully to a person, paraphrase or summarize their ideas in your own words.
Summarize: Restate in a succinct fashion the information you gathered. This is used to confirm a shared understanding of what has been said or decided. It gives a feeling of closure to a conversation.
*Ask Open-ended Questions: *Open-ended questions usually begin with words like: What, Who, Where, When, and How and are difficult to answer with a simple “yes” or “no” response. E.g., “What do you think about that?” Open-ended questions indicate your interest in learning more about the issues, ideas, and reasoning that are important to the feedback giver. Avoid asking “why” type questions that can put a person on the spot, e.g., “Why do you think that way?”
*Use Silence: *Wait for the other person to respond and finish talking. Then pause rather than respond right away. These pauses are not intended to be embarrassing. By not filling the vacuum, you let the other person know you are listening and are interested in what he/she is saying and that you are making space for more.
Listen for understanding and information, without thinking about your response. Avoid countering, judging or evaluating what is being said. “Seek first to understand, then to be understood” (Stephen R. Covey).
Don’t try to read minds. A lot of our anxiety comes from what we read into things and not from what people actually say. Your goal is to remain unaffected by the criticism directed at you so that you can discover what needs to be done to improve the situation.
Admit ignorance or confusion when you do not understand what is being said or are somewhat confused. Nothing is gained if you don’t understand what is being said and do nothing about it. You gain people’s respect by being “big enough” to admit that you do not fully understand.
Avoid getting defensive. If others attack or criticize you or your actions, calmly acknowledge the possibility that there may be some truth in the criticism or their point of view. This allows you to receive any criticism without becoming anxious or defensive. Yet, it still allows you to be the final judge of what you are going to do next.
If you believe you were wrong, admit it.
If a problem was caused by you or by something you said or did, admit it and move on. Don’t get defensive over something that you did or something that did not work out as you expected. By stating your errors you will be able to recognize and accept them, and once you accept the errors, you can move forward, rather than becoming bogged down in self-criticism. Treat it as another learning experience.
Find out what changes would most help other to be more effective in their work
Be sure to get clear from the feedback givers exactly what they are asking you to do differently. If there are several things, ask them which are the most important.
Consider what changes you will commit to
After you’ve taken in the feedback and become more aware, it’s up to you to choose what action you will take – if any. You will be more likely to follow through if
You select only a few changes (up to three)
You select changes you believe are in the interests of you and your peers
You genuinely want to make them.
Commit yourself to specific actions by specific dates
The most powerful action you can take to strengthen an atmosphere of trust and confidence in your group is to make your commitment publicly to your group, and then demonstrate that you have fulfilled it.