The 3 Steps of Giving Feedback Effectively
By: Sorin Dumitrascu
Tags: Feedback, Leadership, Communication, Organization, Management

The 3 Steps of Giving Feedback Effectively

Observe behavior directly, withhold judgment, and don’t assume anything

Photo by AndreyPopov on depositphotos

Giving someone corrective feedback can be difficult, but there are three steps you can follow to help ensure you do it effectively:

observe the individual’s behavior for areas that should be praised or corrected,

determine when and where to give the feedback, and

give your feedback effectively.

Observe behavior

When you suspect you need to give someone corrective feedback — but before you do so — first observe this person’s behavior directly. Withhold judgment and don’t assume anything until you know the facts.

Don’t hover over someone in an attempt to identify the problems. And, as you observe, choose the type of feedback that matches the person’s behavior.

Observe behavior directly — It’s important to get the facts about someone’s behavior or performance yourself, rather than relying on hearsay or asking others what they’ve noticed.

It’s important to get the facts about someone’s behavior or performance yourself, rather than relying on hearsay or asking others what they’ve noticed. Withhold judgment — While you use your experience and expertise to assess someone’s behavior, you need to withhold judgment. You do so by being careful not to make assumptions and not to give feedback on partial knowledge or guesswork. Make sure your feedback is supported by facts based on what you’ve observed.

While you use your experience and expertise to assess someone’s behavior, you need to withhold judgment. You do so by being careful not to make assumptions and not to give feedback on partial knowledge or guesswork. Make sure your feedback is supported by facts based on what you’ve observed. Don’t hover — If you hover over employees’ shoulders waiting for them to do something wrong, you’ll sabotage your working relationships with them. Give feedback whenever it’s needed, but don’t set out to find opportunities to give corrective feedback.

If you hover over employees’ shoulders waiting for them to do something wrong, you’ll sabotage your working relationships with them. Give feedback whenever it’s needed, but don’t set out to find opportunities to give corrective feedback. Choose the right type of feedback — When observing someone’s behavior, decide whether the behavior should be encouraged with positive feedback or changed with corrective feedback. Be clear about what kind of feedback you plan to give before approaching someone.

When and where to give the feedback

Always give feedback as soon as possible and give it regularly, because this ensures the relevant issue is still fresh for both you and the recipient. If you delay giving feedback until an annual performance review, for example, your feedback is likely to be outdated — and it’s less likely to be effective.

You should plan where best to give feedback. Don’t risk embarrassing someone in public — rather, give feedback in private. Even if your feedback is positive, the recipient may feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about receiving it in front of others.

Both positive and corrective feedback are easier to receive in private. However, you may provide feedback in classrooms and team meetings if it’s designed to help others learn from one another. When doing this, don’t embarrass the recipient and avoid giving feedback on sensitive topics.

Being effective in giving feedback

In order to give feedback effectively you should follow three strategies:

be specific — Whether your feedback is positive or corrective, it’s vital to be specific about the behavior it’s directed at. Remember to stick to what you’ve observed and that employees need to know when they meet, exceed, or fall short of goals and expectations. Make sure the recipient understands which behavior you’re discussing by describing it accurately, using evidence and verbatim quotes where possible. If you need to correct behavior, you should start off with a positive behavior before moving on to what could be changed or improved upon.

— Whether your feedback is positive or corrective, it’s vital to be specific about the behavior it’s directed at. Remember to stick to what you’ve observed and that employees need to know when they meet, exceed, or fall short of goals and expectations. Make sure the recipient understands which behavior you’re discussing by describing it accurately, using evidence and verbatim quotes where possible. If you need to correct behavior, you should start off with a positive behavior before moving on to what could be changed or improved upon. explain the impact of the behavior — If you give feedback without explaining the impact of someone’s behavior, that person may not understand why this behavior — or the feedback — matters. You should always explain the actual and potential effects of the recipient’s behavior on the people involved and on particular goals.

— If you give feedback without explaining the impact of someone’s behavior, that person may not understand why this behavior — or the feedback — matters. You should always explain the actual and potential effects of the recipient’s behavior on the people involved and on particular goals. state what to do next — With positive feedback, you should suggest specific ways for recipients to reach higher or set new goals for them. With corrective feedback, you should suggest ways to improve. Don’t just find fault. Give people solutions to work toward so they feel positive, supported, and confident about what to do.

Whether your feedback is positive or negative, you should never give it unilaterally. If you deliver it as a monologue, recipients won’t feel engaged, respected, or involved in applying what you say to their actions. So the feedback has to be a dialog. Invite recipients to share their specific ideas and opinions about their behavior, its impact, and what to do next.

If your feedback is positive, give it in a congratulatory and reinforcing manner to encourage and support the recipient. Give corrective feedback in a considerate, constructive manner, and be aware of the emotional impact it may have on the recipient.

Ensure your feedback doesn’t seem accusatory. Corrective feedback has to include some positives to allow recipients to maintain confidence. This keeps people in the right frame of mind to improve their performance.