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Feedback

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‘Feedback is the breakfast of champions.’
Ken Blanchard

Overview

Feedback is the food of progress and, whilst it may not always taste great, it can be very good for you. The ability to provide constructive feedback to others is really helpful in terms of helping them to tap into their personal potential and can certainly help to forge really positive and mutually beneficial relationships.

From your own personal perspective, any feedback that you receive is free information and it is your choice entirely whether you take it on board or not. Feedback is a great service in terms of helping you to discover things you don’t know about yourself, and is very useful in helping you to get a different perspective.

Some people find it very challenging to accept feedback and can feel very uncomfortable in giving it, even when it is positive.

A crucial element of giving feedback is the way in which it is delivered. There may be occasions where you have felt patronised when someone has delivered feedback; however, the key skill here is to see beyond the delivery technique and focus on the quality of the message.

Remember, feedback is a gift. It is free information that you can do anything you like with.

Sometimes people won’t necessarily immediately recognise how positive some feedback can be. It may take a while for them to reassess and to later recognise the positive impact it has made on their lives.

To receive honest, constructive feedback is much like receiving a gift, whether we think so or not at the time. The challenge is to receive feedback with an open mind and learn from it, and disregard our natural instinct to defend ourselves or our actions.

Giving and receiving constructive feedback needn’t be the anxiety-filled experience that we sometimes create in our minds. Developing the attitude that feedback is a gift in disguise will enable you to be more positive and more confident about this life skill as a development tool. It will help you to tap into your undiscovered, unleashed potential and will also help you to help others to achieve more and to become more successful. Feedback is a wonderful tool and used constructively can open many doors to many amazing possibilities. Feedback is indeed the food of progress.

‘Champions know that success is inevitable; that there is no such thing as failure, only feedback. They know that the best way to forecast the future is to create it.’
Michael J. Gelb

Steps to Success

  • View feedback as the food of progress
  • Be responsive and open-minded
  • Use the feedback formula
  • Focus on behaviour not personality
  • Only feedback something that can be changed
  • Make feedback a positive experience.

The Benefits of Effective Feedback

Feedback is essential to personal development and progress. If delivered effectively, it can help us develop a clear understanding of what is expected of us, and will provide us with essential tools to improve our performance
Take responsibility for your reactions
Keep calm and carry on
Feedback does not have to be a formal appraisal or a written assessment. It can be an informal discussion between two parties, whether they are on different levels in a company hierarchy, or simply colleagues or peers. Irrespective of the level of formality, however, it is important that feedback is an interaction between two parties rather than a one-way transaction from the person delivering the feedback, to the recipient.

 

If feedback is viewed and delivered as a directive rather than a forum for discussion, it is unlikely to have the desired effect of positive action and improved performance.

It is also worth noting that people value feedback when delivered by someone they consider credible, who they view as a role model and respect for their knowledge and expertise.

Whilst effective feedback results in positive outcomes, failure to provide feedback at all can have a seriously detrimental effect on morale and performance. Lack of feedback can lead to false personal assessment of performance and the idea that no improvement is required. Aside from preventing personal growth and development, such assumptions can also lead to under-performance, lack of motivation and distrust.

So feedback really is an important motivational tool and should be used to foster positive attitudes to self-improvement and personal development.

The Feedback Formula

To be good at giving feedback, it is really important to first of all ask yourself: ‘Will this feedback be useful and can this person actually do anything about it?’ If the answer to both of those questions is ‘yes’ then the feedback is constructive. Following a process is very helpful in giving good feedback:

The Feedback Formula

  • Tell someone what they did
  • Explain the effect that it had
  • If feedback is negative, help them to explore alternative ways of doing it
  • If feedback is positive, reinforce the continuation of doing it.

Choose your timing

Tactful feedback isn’t shouted to a person across a room at the end of the day. It is important to dedicate some quality time for the sole purpose of giving feedback, whether it’s just a minute or part of a formal meeting. Properly announce your intentions: ‘I would like to give you some feedback on something. Would that be all right and when is a convenient time for you?

Be honest

The purpose of giving feedback is to align the person’s perception of their behaviour with your observation. If your idea of feedback is to spoon-feed half-truths in an attempt to shift their behaviour to suit your ends, you may only be making things worse. An honest and assertive approach is more likely to create a ‘win-win’ outcome.

Make it digestible

If feedback is indeed the food of progress, sometimes it may be good for someone; however, it may not always taste nice! Use the ‘compliment sandwich’ – offer a compliment followed by a constructive point, and close with further positive feedback.

Listen to your own voice

The tone of your voice can communicate as much as the words you choose. If there is a hard, critical edge to your voice it will have an effect on the feedback you deliver.

Keep eye contact

Giving feedback can be challenging, so eye contact is essential to maintain trust, help both of you stay focused and to communicate sincerity. If you’re working on something, stop what you’re doing and look at the person you’re speaking to. Be totally present.

Avoid hurting anyone’s feelings

Use a softened start-up followed by a gentle suggestion. For example you could say, ‘I really like the way you talk to your supervisor; you would get a better response from your team members if you spoke to them in the same way’.