Feedback is a simple concept that carries so much weight on its shoulders.
Too often, feedback is saved up and shared once a year at the annual performance review. Stacking up all the good points, and the bad, and unleashing a raft of “constructive criticism” at a single point in the year puts too much pressure on the process for it to be successful.
Delivered properly, feedback has the power to motivate, engage and inspire individuals. Delivered badly, it can leave employees feeling undervalued, misunderstood and disgruntled.
Giving feedback is definitely a skill and one that needs to be practiced. That’s why at DigitalKOG we are working hard with our in-house Coach to up our feedback skills and ensure it becomes an everyday part of our communication.
To avoid falling into the pressurised feedback trap, below are our top 5 tips for harnessing the power of feedback in your organisation.
”“It takes humility to seek feedback. It takes wisdom to understand it, analyse it and appropriately act on it.”
Steven Covey
Do it more often
Forget about saving all your feedback for a one-off moment in time. Make feedback a part of your everyday management and leadership skills. Providing feedback can be a 100% positive experience for both of you. The more frequency in delivery, the more trust you will build.
Be clear on your intention
Is it to offer some support? To suggest improvements? To say thank you or to raise awareness? Whatever the reason, ensure that you are delivering the message with consideration for the impact it will have on the other person.
Own your comments
Make sure you are being specific with your feedback and deliver it from your point of view, with no blame or judgement.
Be prepared
Ensure you have specific examples and try to deliver them within 24/48 hours of the event. After that, it loses all impact.
Don’t do the feedback sandwich
Don’t use the old adage of starting with something positive, ending on a positive and hiding the negative in between. It’s outdated, predictable, inauthentic, and lowers the trust factors. Instead, work on a feedback style that suits you.
