Effective Feedback 101

What is Effective Feedback?

Effective feedback is crucial to improving performance, whether it's positive (such as a compliment), negative (such as a corrective measure) or neutral (such as a general observation).

As a giver of feedback, it's important to be supportive and encouraging while also providing specific suggestions for change. This insight can truly contribute to desired outcomes.

Remember, feedback is a two-way street, and it's equally important to be open to receiving feedback as it is to give it.

Why is giving and receiving feedback important in the workplace?

Giving and receiving feedback in the workplace is important to change behaviors, improve productivity and evaluate performance. Employees and their managers need to know what they are doing well and areas in which they could do better, so they know what to keep doing or what to change. The idea is to challenge yourself and your colleagues to keep performing at a higher level.

Other reasons to give and receive feedback in the workplace include:

• Inspiring Growth: Employees gain a new perspective when receiving feedback on how their behaviors impact those around them.

• Giving Purpose: Feedback helps people feel useful and valued by reminding them what they do matters.

• Improving Employee Engagement: Employees are more likely to get involved in the workplace if they receive feedback often.

• Solidifying Relationships: Communication channels are open when giving or receiving peer-to-peer feedback, which can help to resolve problems before they become unmanageable.

How to Give Feedback in the Workplace - 7 Golden Rules

Knowing how to give effective feedback is a crucial skill in the workplace. Here are some tips to help you give feedback that is both constructive and positive:

1. Know your Purpose. To give feedback that is positive and helpful, it's essential to have a clear reason for doing so. Think about the result you hope to achieve and offer feedback from a place of genuine concern and a desire to help your colleague grow.

2. Focus on Behavior, not the Person. Feedback should be directed at specific behaviors, not personal characteristics or beliefs. Avoid making comments that are directed at someone's personality, intelligence, or other personal identifiers. Instead, keep the conversation focused on the specific situation that needs to be addressed.

3. Focus on How the Behavior Affected You. It's important to address how the behavior made you feel or how it affected you, rather than speaking for others or making assumptions about the person's intentions.

4. Ask Questions. Starting the conversation with questions invites the other person into the discussion and allows you to assess their understanding of the situation and hear their point of view.

5. Be Specific. Use specific examples to help the person understand the situation and what they need to change or continue doing. Focusing on the exact problem or circumstance that needs addressing can help keep the conversation productive and on track.

6. Be Timely. Providing feedback as soon as possible after a behavior occurs is most effective. Addressing issues early on offers transparency and gives someone the chance to immediately put in place necessary behaviors to improve their efforts moving forward.

7. Be Aware of the Moment. Choose a time when emotions are not high, and the receiver is open to hearing feedback. This will help ensure that the feedback is constructive, helpful, and well-received.

How to Receive Feedback in the Workplace – 6 Steps for Success

Learning how to receive feedback is just as important as giving feedback to continue your growth within the workplace. It is a skill that you can develop with practice. Here are some ways to accept constructive feedback:

1. Ask for Feedback Often. Asking for feedback eliminates the surprise when you receive it, so you can be more open to using the advice given to learn and improve. Ask open-ended questions from those you trust and who can accurately evaluate your work performance. Some opportune times to ask for feedback might be at the start of new employment and after you complete a project, give a presentation or attend or host a meeting.

2. Be Receptive to Constructive Feedback. Try to use all forms of feedback positively. Think of ways to change your behavior that might lead to better results. If you are unsure of where to start, ask for suggestions.

3. Take Time to Process. You might need some time to reflect on what you heard before you can make the necessary changes. Try to listen intently to the feedback given and process it thoroughly by writing it down and using it to create goals. This tactic is also useful in tracking your progress for improvement.

4. Be Willing to Grow. Think of feedback as an opportunity to grow rather than criticism about your current performance. Growth helps you to improve, advance and achieve goals.

5. Own your Mistakes and Move Forward. Success involves learning from your setbacks, too. Acknowledge that you made a mistake, forgive yourself and decide to try things differently moving forward.

6. Be Thankful. Thank the person who offered you feedback to show them you not only listened and understood but also accept what they said. Try to share your ideas for improvement when needed to assure them that you plan to consider their advice and work on implementing changes. By voicing your appreciation, you show others that you welcome feedback, and they will be more willing to approach you in the future.

Examples of Constructive Feedback

There's a method for giving feedback used by many businesses called the Rosenberg Nonviolent Communication method that includes the following ideas:

• Observations: This is what “I” observe and what “you” observe that does not contribute to the other person's well-being.
  

• Feelings: This is how “I” feel and how “you” feel based on observations.
  

• Needs: This is what “I” need and what “you” need that influences your feelings.
  

• Requests: The requests should be clear and include concrete actions without demanding.

The thought behind this method is to clearly express how you are without blaming or criticizing or to empathetically receive input about how you are without hearing blame or criticism.

In practice, it might look like the following:

• Giving Feedback: “When you come late to meetings, it makes me feel frustrated. I need to feel respected and appreciated as a colleague, and the company needs you to be reliable. Would you be willing to keep a daily calendar to ensure your punctuality for important meetings?”

• Receiving Feedback: “When I do not ensure that you have the resources needed to complete your tasks, I understand you feel discouraged, and it slows your production. You need to have all the necessary tools to do your job well. Would you like me to order you some additional supplies to complete this project?”

Top Tips:

Best-in-class managers use ongoing conversations to deliver energizing feedback that celebrates successes and calibrates performance.

The best managers individualize feedback to employees' natural talents and performance needs.

If feedback-givers appropriately categorize what they are communicating, the feedback will miss the mark less often, they will avoid insulting people, and it will accelerate employee development.

Routine feedback is better than none, but meaningful feedback -- the kind that helps individuals learn, grow, and do their jobs better -- is how you improve productivity and performance.

Millennials need to feel their manager is in their corner before they feel comfortable describing what's meaningful to them.