Note of training - Constructive feedback
How can we create good feedback without hurting our team members or our interlocutors?
In teamwork, one can be good at a part yet not good at another. There are always rooms for improvement for everyone in the team.
Feedback is a great tool for every kind of work that we can make it the input for a person to improve, thrive, and grow. But how can we create good feedback without hurting our team members or our interlocutors?
Here is the note of training I participated to learn about the good feedback or constructive feedback.
Concept of “feedback”
In general, feedback is a kind of reaction to an action of a person. While a feedback in communication meanings is a concious and powerful response towards words, phrases, behaviors, and actions of the person.
Criticism ≠ Feedback
- Criticism intends to judge a person, tell how bad they are and usually related to the past of a person that one can’t do anything about it
- Feedback provides a corrective, balanced information, helping a person to change their behavior in the future, as well as encouraging them and related to both the past and the future. A person can change their behavior in the future with the feedback received.
Goals of constructive feedback
- Deliver how a behavior is perceived.
- Encourage to consciously compare between intentions and effects.
- Suggest an acceptable alternative behavior.
- Motivate to change behavior.
- Increase self-esteem and confidence.
Basic rules of constructive feedback
- How to provide feedback
- Ask the person first if they want to receive feedback.
- Use I-message (e.g. “I feel that…”)
- Praise more than criticize.
- Clear and sincere.
- How to receive feedback
- Don’t reply immediately.
- Thank for the feedback.
- KSS (Keep-Stop-StaRt) framework:
- What to keep doing
- What to stop doing
- What to start doing
Model of providing constructive feedback
- Sandwich rule (+/-/+)
- Start with what was good.
- Proceed with the specific behavior to be changed.
- End with another positive aspect.
- Russian sandwich rule (+++/-)
- Start with what was good, as much positive and many as you can.
- End with the specific behavior to be changed.
And after providing constructive feedback, following up is important to see if the person has changed their behavior or not.