Mastering Effective Feedback: Strategies for Success
Feedback can seem like a scary word and is often equated with criticism, but feedback is different, and serves an important purpose. Effective leaders and managers are skilled at both giving and receiving feedback.
What is Feedback?
Oxford Learner’s Dictionary gives this definition: “information about reactions to a product, a person's performance of a task, etc. which is used as a basis for improvement.” This definition is helpful as it focuses on feedback as a source of improvement.
Feedback can be positive, negative or constructive. To be useful, you should focus on positive and constructive feedback and avoid purely negative feedback as it is often just criticism and not helpful for improvement. Remembering growth and improvement as goals will help reframe feedback to be more useful and helpful.
Why is it Important?
Feedback is essential for growth and improvement. A Growth Mindset sees feedback as way to grow, rather than as personal criticism.
Embracing feedback allows opportunities for career development, skill growth, and innovation. People often default to believing that feedback is criticism, but reframing it to focus on growth and opportunities allows you to be open to new ideas. This aligns with the Oxford definition, which emphasizes improvement rather than simple criticism. Effective feedback can support the creation of strong relationships and an engaging organizational culture.
Characteristics of Effective Feedback?
Specific
Feedback needs to be specific rather than vague. For example, instead of saying, “Great job,” say, “Great job greeting that customer within the first minute they entered the store.” Use examples whenever possible and avoid generalities and absolutes like always, never, all, none, everyone, and no one. Instead of saying, “You are always late,” give specific times and dates when they were late.
Timely
Give feedback as soon as possible. You do not need to wait until the next one on one meeting. Positive feedback should be given in real time when possible. Constructive feedback can wait until an appropriate time, but should be given soon as reasonably possible.
Behaviour-Focused
Effective feedback is focused on behaviour, not personality or personal traits. Instead of saying, “you’re smart” try, “Great job persevering through that challenge you ran into on that project.”
In Person (Where Possible)
Feedback is best delivered in person. If that isn’t possible, try a virtual meeting or a phone call. Avoid feedback by email unless it is simple praise, as it does not allow for questions, clarifications or discussion.
Private
While simple praise can be delivered publicly if the receiver is comfortable, feedback should be given in private.
Respectful
Criticism is not feedback and to be effective, you need the other person to be receptive to what you say, so be empathetic and respectful.
Actionable
“Do a better job” is not actionable. The receiver should know what you expect them to do and be able to do it.
Asking for & Receiving Feedback
Asking for feedback is somewhat rare, but Kim Scott writes in Radical Candor about how important it is to be a good leader or manager.
When asking for or receiving feedback, consider these:
Be Open-Minded
Sometimes people avoid asking for feedback because they worry that they won’t like what they hear. Asking for feedback does not oblige you to act on it. Carefully consider what they’ve said, but you still get to decide what to do with it.
Resist the urge to be defensive or counter what they said. Ask clarifying questions or for examples and solicit suggestions, but don’t justify your actions.
Take Time to Reflect
Book a follow up meeting to discuss your reflections and thank the person for their input, rather than trying to address everything in the original meeting.
We often need time to process; especially when hearing difficult or uncomfortable feedback.
Create a Feedback Culture
If you start asking people to provide feedback on your performance, they may initially feel uncomfortable, especially if you are their manager. Accept that, but don’t give them the easy out to avoid. Let them have time to reflect and set a follow up meeting.
As you build this culture, they will be more willing and comfortable.
Ensure you never hold their feedback against them. Create a safe environment for them to be open and honest.
Thank the Person
Thank people for their feedback. When you see feedback as an opportunity to improve, you will recognize the gift they are giving you, and thank them.
Stay Positive
Feedback is one person’s opinion, and you can listen and ignore it. Don’t take it personally; ask yourself what you can take from it, then release the rest.
A Helpful Model
I love the Roy Group Feedback Model questions:
What went well?
What was tricky?
What would you do differently?
The first and third questions are standard, but the reframe of the normal, “what went wrong” question to tricky is excellent. Sometimes things are out of our control, but are still challenges and acknowledging them this way reframes what we might present as failure into more neutral language.
