Week 4 - How to provide feedback
Performance feedback - allows us to respond to messages from other people; and specifically, can be used as a tool to improve performance in sessions to establish goals and evaluate performance
While many companies set and evaluate goals, they often overlook the continuous feedback process, essential for maintaining momentum towards these goals.
Feedback can be:
- Formal: Scheduled sessions discussing progress made towards set goals, and
- Informal: Ongoing feedback during daily operations.
For formal feedback sessions
- Preparation: Anticipate the discussion by understanding objectives, gathering data, recognizing the mood of both parties, knowing the team’s situation, and identifying specific points to address.
- Establish Rapport: Begin with neutral, non-controversial topics to foster a comfortable environment.
- Be Clear and Specific: Discuss specific events or facts that prompted the feedback session.
- Use Interpersonal Skills: Be clear, direct, empathetic, and mindful of verbal and non-verbal cues. Aim to enhance performance consistently, motivating team members for continuous improvement.
The main function of feedback is to adjust better, and complement the information sent in a cycle in which the receiver does not only receive the message passively, but at some moment of the conversation the receiver becomes the sender.
Feedback is therefore absolutely necessary and intrinsic to this process; every message generates a response that is expressed by verbal language, body language, or attitudinal language.
6 Key Feedback Actions
- Be specific, not general
- Explain, don’t evaluate
- Be timely
- Be objective and not subjective
- Make your request clearly
- Be fair in what you say
Infographic that explains that in more detail
The Grow model - a structured technique for providing feedback
The GROW Model is a structured technique designed for efficient formal feedback sessions targeting performance enhancement.
Given the numerous meetings that managers and directors have daily, it’s vital to maximize time and ensure effectiveness. The GROW Model aids in structuring these meetings to be concise and productive.
Here’s a breakdown of the GROW Model:
- G (Goals): Start by defining the main objective of the meeting. Prior to the meeting, send an email to the participant outlining the topic and purpose. Request them to prepare by considering the information and bringing necessary documents. Begin the meeting with a non-threatening, neutral topic before delving into the core subject.
- R (Reality): Analyze the current situation objectively, focusing on facts, figures, and specific events.
- O (Options): Discuss potential solutions without passing judgment. Use empathetic listening to understand various options and the emotions they evoke.
- W (Will/Way forward): Decide on concrete actions to take moving forward. Document the agreed-upon steps to ensure accountability.
Throughout the meeting, maintain a central focus to avoid distractions. If unrelated subjects arise, schedule them for future discussions. Conducting effective performance evaluation and motivation meetings is an art that, with consistent practice, can be honed to ensure both task efficiency and maintaining a positive environment. These communication techniques are invaluable tools for refining leadership skills over time.
The GROW model explained in an infographic
Errors when giving feedback
[[A0Ggmb3hRbmBoJm94ZW5Sg_5349a663cd154bbea6b696efa6c6de86_Frequent-errors-when-giving-feedback.pdf|detailed in FREQUENT ERRORS WHEN GIVING FEEDBACK]]
Giving negative feedback in public.
When people are reprimanded in public, this is perceived as an aggression, and only angers the people involved, hindering communication.
Making feedback a punishment or revenge.
Honest feedback is a way of helping and improving performance, nota way to punish.
Disregarding the tone of voice and body language.
Feedback in which the words, tone, and body language are incongruent can be hurtful and cause confusion.
Giving feedback without assertiveness or in an aggressive tone.
The most appropriate tone to confront another person during feedback is with rational assertiveness.
Forgetting the data that allows us to concentrate on facts.
If we have the data handy, it will allow us to be objective and not make suppositions, which cause confusion and distance the interlocutors.
Preventing the other from speaking.
Correct communication happens both ways; however, if we observe people are defending themselves before everything we say, we can ask them to let us express ourselves, promising to listen carefully to what they want say when we have finished.
Linking
- ⬅ Week 3 - Empathetic Listening
- ➡ Module 2 - Week 1 - Negotiation Analysis
- [[Feedback]] - a very detailed book on feedback
- Feedback formula from SAM - great approach to properly announce feedback
- The CORE feedback model - a model very similar to GROW
