How to frame your feedback
There’s a fine line between feedback which can empower a person to do a better job by recognising their blind spots, improving aspects of their delivery, and criticism, which can break a person down leaving them deflated and unmotivated.
Ensuring the best tone and delivery can be hard. Feedback can be one of the most difficult forms of communication to give. However, when delivered correctly, feedback can be a valuable tool that aids professional growth.
It’s important to gain an understanding of why a person is behaving in a certain way, so ask them. By allowing them to work through their logic, they see the gaps that are immediately apparent to others, but which they may not have noticed.
To achieve the correct delivery, the authors of this Harvard Business Review article suggest a four step approach that shifts the culture of feedback to one of coaching.
1. Shift from critic to ally
No-one wants to hear from a critic, but if you position yourself as an ally who shows genuine care and concern, you’ll find that your employees drop their defensiveness and focus on how they can make improvements. To achieve this, you need to acknowledge when an employee is struggling and recognise how frustrating this can be. Ask them if they are willing to talk to you about how to overcome a challenge and express confidence in their ability to do so.
2. Identify an energizing outcome
Instead of focusing on the challenge directly, or any negativity surrounding it, rather envision the energising future you want to create. Discuss a desirable outcome and allow your employee to articulate how they envision getting there. Encourage them to get to an outcome that is positive and meaningful.
3. Discover a hidden opportunity
Once you are clear about the mutual outcome you’d like to achieve, ask your employee to re-examine the challenge and see if they can identify an opportunity to address a larger issue that underlies this one and leads to a positive outcome.
4. Create a level-10 plan
Brainstorm ways of capitalising on the opportunity and ask your employee to commit to it.
Essentially, the successful feedback relies less on the message and a lot more on the delivery.
Michelle Frenzel - HR Manager - KYOCERA Document Solutions South Africa
