Giving Constructive Feedback

 

When giving performance feedback we have to ensure it is done fairly and sincerely to avoid mixed messages or confusion to the receiver.

Here are some points to bear in mind:

• Place – Find a space where you will not be easily interrupted, distracted by others or by your phone ringing.
• Be Sincere – For example, “David, you have worked hard on this report, but….” What follows is something the person is not doing well and is the real point of the message. The word “but,” along with its companions “however” and “although,” when said in the middle of a thought, create inconsistencies or mixed messages. In essence, putting “but” in the middle is telling the other person, “Don’t believe a thing I said before.”
• Be Direct – Get to the point and avoid beating around the bush. Both negative and positive feedback should be given in a straightforward manner.
• Person to person – The word and tone of your verbal feedback is important, remember how you say something often carries more weight than what you have to say. Ideally, feedback is given by talking live to the receiver — either face-to-face or by phone when you physically can’t be together.
• State your observations not your interpretations. Observations are what you see occur; interpretations are your analysis or opinion of what you see occur. Tell what you’ve noticed, not what you think of it, give feedback on the behaviour you notice instead of the characterization of the behaviour. Observations have a far more factual and non-judgmental aspect than do interpretations.

Positive feedback is news or input to an employee about an effort well done.

Negative feedback is news to an employee about an effort that needs improvement. Negative feedback doesn’t mean a terrible performance, but rather a performance in which the outcomes delivered should be better. So negative is not a negative word in this case.

The recommendations for giving constructive feedback fall into four categories: content, manner, timing, and frequency.

Content

Content is what you say in the constructive feedback.

1. In your first sentence, identify the topic or issue that the feedback will be about.
2. Provide the specifics of what occurred.

Manner

Manner is how you say the constructive feedback. As you may know, how you say something often carries more weight than what you have to say — manner is an important element when giving feedback.

Timing

Timing answers this question: When do you give feedback for a performance effort worth recognising?

The answer is ASAP (as soon as possible). Feedback is meant to be given in real-time, as close as possible to when the observation occurred so that the events are fresh in everyone’s minds. When feedback is given well after the fact, the value of the constructive feedback is lessened.

When giving negative feedback, you may want to apply a different timeline: ASAR (as soon as reasonable/ready — that is, when you’re ready). Sometimes when an incident happens, you aren’t feeling too good about it, and you need time to calm down and get your thoughts in order before you give negative feedback (so that your manner displays a tone of concern). Doing that may mean giving the feedback tomorrow rather than right now, but tomorrow is still timely, and your feedback will come across as far more constructive.

Frequency

Frequency answers the question, “How often should your employees receive constructive feedback on their performance?”

This last guideline is the most important because it makes all the other guidelines work. Use constructive feedback regularly to acknowledge real performance. Try to catch and respond to employees doing the job right just as much as you catch and respond to them doing something not quite right — and don’t acknowledge how they are performing only once or twice a year.

“Feedback, when given well, should not alienate the receiver of the feedback, but should motivate them to perform better.” M.O. Manager, Fortune 500 Company