![]() ![]() Why? Because of this simple thing called time.Įffective feedback understands that you can’t change any event that has already happened. But everything that happens twice will surely happen a third time.Īlthough the event that triggered you giving feedback took place in the past, the biggest mistake you can make when giving effective feedback is to address that issues. Effective Feedback Focuses on the FutureĮverything that happens once can never happen again. In everyday life goals can be implicit-if your friend is asking for feedback on a draft of a book they’re working on, the goal is clearly to write a good book-but in the workplace, you need to explicitly remind people the goal they’re working towards and tailor your feedback to explain how they’re going to hit that goal. ![]() Your feedback needs to tie directly into the goals of the person you’re speaking with. It’s this subtle difference of giving advice that is clearly actionable that separates effective from ineffective feedback. "Information becomes feedback if, and only if, I am trying to cause something and the information tells me whether I am on track or need to change course." "Effective feedback requires that a person has a goal, takes action to achieve the goal, and receives goal-related information about his or her actions." explains author Grant Wiggin. At its core, feedback isn’t just about advice, praise, or evaluation. Now that we have an idea of the bigger picture of what effective feedback is, let’s get into the specifics of what to say when you’re giving effective feedback. No matter what your response to a behavior is, you need to be honest or else run the risk of losing the trust of your team. But as Lipman says, "It’s all too easy to duck tough issues when they emerge," and it helps no one. Good feedback gives meaningful and actionable suggestions of how to adjust a behavior or change course and adds additional context that might have been originally missed.Ĭandid: Yes, giving feedback is difficult. There’s a time and place for backslapping-but not when giving effective feedback. Meaningful: "Add content and precision to the management message," says Lipman. "It makes no sense to say, five months after the fact, 'You know, Tom you did a terrific job developing that new dog food back in April.'" The window of being able to reflect on behavior and change it has passed. Timely: "Feedback should be offered as close as possible to the action in question," says Lipman. ![]() Effective feedback specifically ties into larger overall goal instead of being generic. Specific: "Feedback should have a clear business focus," says Lipman. For psychologist Victor Lipman, this means your feedback needs to be: ![]() With the right purpose in place, we need to think about the when and why of giving effective feedback. Effective Feedback is Specific, Timely, Meaningful, and Candid Now that you've got a purpose behind your feedback, how can you make sure your feedback is effective? Here are the seven best parts of effective feedback, each of which can help your feedback actually help your team: 1. You need to remember the vulnerable position you’re putting the receiver of your feedback in and have a clear purpose set in place. "What hurts most in negative feedback, then, isn’t the overt content of the message so much as the threat of exclusion, abandonment, and ostracism that accompanies it," explains Karen Wright in Psychology Today. Negative or critical feedback threatens not only our self-esteem but also our basic need for safety and security by making us feel as though our livelihood is at risk: Unfortunately for the modern worker, this protective instinct means we can’t help but fight back against anything that challenges our well-being. However, the number one reason feedback goes wrong goes deeper than just what’s being said.įrom our early days of running away from sharp-toothed predators, our brains have evolved to instinctively protect us from harm. There are so many reasons why a seemingly innocent feedback session can go wrong: Strong emotions on both sides, a focus on character rather than on behavior, a lack of clarity about what needs to change and why. Here’s a look at some of the best time-tested techniques for structuring and delivering effective feedback. So if feedback really is the perfect tool for development and growth why then do so many of us find it so problematic? We want to be the best we can be at the things we do and crave instruction on how to get there. Moreover, we all want more feedback (or at least, the results of a second set of eyes alerting us of our shortcomings so we can do better). It shows not just what went right or wrong in the past, but the repeatable ways you envision actions being taken moving forward. Delivered in the right way, feedback is a window to the future. But as a leader, it’s your responsibility to help those you’re working with grow and thrive. ![]()
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