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Feedback paves the way to performance greatness. But it must be done in the right way and with the right intention.
“Employees have to know what they are doing well and not so well. For them to really hear your thoughts and suggestions on ways to improve, feedback must be delivered carefully and frequently,” says career skills development website www.mindtools.com.
International management training and consulting firm The Ken Blanchard Companies says managers find it difficult to give feedback, because they are:
- Afraid to demotivate people who drive results;
- Worried about damaging the relationship; and
- Concerned that the feedback will not generate the desired results.
“By simultaneously keeping the development of people and the desired results in mind,” managers can overcome these fears and develop the skills to provide better feedback, the firm notes.
“You need to be crystal clear about your motives for giving feedback and what you want to achieve.”
This means managers need to shift their thinking, so that they are:
- Aware of style differences;
- Choose the best language when speaking to an employee; and
- Clear about their own judgments, and has the ability to keep them separate from the job requirements and looks after the best interests of employees.
This builds awareness, trust and respect into the relationship, which allows managers to give delicate or difficult feedback.
The most common type of feedback people receive is critical. But, “good feedback is not necessarily positive feedback. It can be about our mistakes,” says Cornell University’s employee assistance programme (EAP) manager Linda Starr.
Those who have been on the receiving end of poorly thought through or tactless feedback are all too aware that the interaction can easily turn into an argument.
Starr says “it is human nature to see negative feedback as an attack and to react emotionally, either by becoming defensive or by going on the offence.
“Many people overreact to negative feedback. But our emotional response makes us lose perspective. The best way to maintain perspective is to mentally step back from our emotional response, acknowledge the feedback received and move toward future action that corrects the concerns raised,” she adds.
“Good preparation in advance of any feedback session sets the stage for emotional distance.”
Starr says good, constructive feedback focuses on performance rather than personality and is clearly stated, considerate and helpful.”
Phil Rich the author of The Healing Journey series of self help books says how managers give feedback is important, because it can be received in a very negative way. “To be effective, you must be tuned in, sensitive and honest.”
He says managers give ineffective feedback when they are:
- Attacking – hard hitting, aggressive and focuses on the weaknesses of the other person;
- Indirect – feedback is vague and issues are hinted at, not addressed directly;
- Insensitive – has little concern for the needs of the other person;
- Disrespectful – the feedback is demeaning, bordering on insulting;
- Judgmental – the feedback is evaluative and judges the person’s personality, rather than their behaviour;
- General – the feedback is aimed at broad issues which cannot be easily defined;
- Impulsive – the feedback given thoughtlessly, with little regard for the consequences; and
- Selfish – the feedback meets the giver's needs, not the needs of the other person.
Rich says to give effective feedback, managers must be:
- Supportive – the feedback is delivered in a non-threatening and encouraging way;
- Direct – the focus of the feedback is clearly stated;
- Sensitive – the feedback delivered sensitively to the needs of the other person;
- Considerate – the feedback is intended not to insult or demean;
- Descriptive – the feedback focuses on behaviour that can be changed, rather than the person’s personality;
- Specific – the feedback is focused on a specific behaviour or event;
- Thoughtful – feedback is thought through, not impulsive; and
- Helpful – feedback is intended to be of value to the other person.
Receiving feedback is an equally important learned skill
To ensure your discussions are as constructive, valuable and successful as possible, Creative Coaching Solutions offers 10 tips for receiving developmental feedback:
1. Listen attentively . Keep an open mind. Ask yourself: “How can I get the most out of this feedback?”
2. Don’t discard the feedback. Use it in a way to help correct perceptions, either your own or those of others.
3. Don’t make excuses or try to explain your behaviour. You could appear to be defensive. Remain calm and say “Thank you.”
4. Check your understanding. Ask yourself.. “Do I understand what is being said?”. Ask questions to clarify the feedback, ask for specific examples to help you understand.
5. Allow yourself adequate time to process the feedback before deciding what action to take
6. Discuss the feedback with a neutral person. This will help you process and understand the feedback, and take a balanced perspective, including working through any emotions you experience.
7. Balance the positive feedback around strengths with the developmental feedback. We all have areas we can improve on as well as things we are doing really well. Don’t just focus on the developmental areas. Celebrate and leverage your positive strengths.
8. Think about more useful ways to view the feedback. Rather than feeling that it is a personal attack on you, some useful thoughts may be:
- ”I really need to know how I’m really doing.”
- ”Finding out can open up new opportunities for me to develop.”
- ”Being defensive keeps me from hearing what others have to say.”
- ”Taking the initiative to make changes based on the feedback puts me in charge and gives me some power.”
- ”What really serves my interests best? To accept the feedback and choose to act on it, or to ignore it?”
9. Decide when to respond. Take time out or respond immediately. To take time out, respond by saying, “Thank you very much for your input. I need some time to think about this.”
10. Consider the feedback and then act. Ask yourself these questions:
11. Is the feedback about a behaviour I can do something about?
· What will happen if I act on the feedback?
· What will happen if I do not act on the feedback?
· Do I accept the feedback? You choose to accept all, some, or none.
What actions will I take? Decide what actions you will take and begin working on development plans.