Asking for and receiving feedback isn’t always an easy task. But as we know, more people would prefer to receive feedback than give it. If giving constructive feedback feels daunting, we’ve rounded up 10 tips to help ease your
nerves. These best practices can help make sure you’re nailing your feedback delivery for optimal results too.
Praktische tips & tricks
om nog betere feedback te geven
Constructieve feedback helpt mensen om zich aan te passen en te groeien in nieuwe vaardigheden, capaciteiten en rollen.
Het zorgt voor positievere en productievere relaties tussen medewerkers.
Daarnaast helpt het om doelen te bereiken en meer waarde voor de organisatie te creëren.
10 TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR FEEDBACK SKILLS
Constructive feedback helps people flex and grow into new skills, capabilities,
and roles. It creates more positive and productive relationships between employees. It also
helps to reach goals and drive business value.
1. Be clear and direct
Make sure you’re clear, concise, and direct. Dancing around the topic isn’t helpful to you or the person you’re giving feedback to.
2. Provide specific examples
Get really specific and cite recent examples. If you’re vague and abstract, the employee might not connect feedback with their actions.
3. Offer support and
encouragement
Especially if you’re a leader, it’s your job to support your employees. Are you offering opportunities for professional development? How are you instilling confidence and trust in your team? Do your employees
have access to resources like coaching?
4. Provide specific
examples
If there’s a behaviour that’s
consistent, try setting a goal
with your employee. For example, let’s say a team member dominates the conversation in team meetings. Could you set a goal for how many times they encourage other team members to speak out and share their ideas?
5. Give time and space to clarify questions
Constructive feedback can be hard to take in. It can also take some time to process. Make sure you give the recipient the time and space for questions.
6. Explain the purpose of
feedback
When giving feedback, start by explaining what the purpose is. It is important that the employee understands that the feedback is not criticism, but a prerequisite for learning and development.
7. Ask for feedback
in return
Feedback can feel hierarchical and top-down sometimes. Make sure that you open the door to gather feedback in return from your employees.
8. Offer support and
encouragement
Make an intentional effort to check in with the recipient on how they’re doing in the respective area of feedback. For example, let’s say you’ve given a teammate feedback on their presentation skills. Follow up on how they’ve invested in building their public speaking skills. Ask if you can helpthem practice before a big
meeting or presentation.
9. Keep it private
It’s crucial to ensure feedback is given privately. Even if you’re delivering positive feedback, many people don’t feel comfortable being the centre of attention. It’s up to the recipient to share the feedback or make it public.
10. Be empathetic
Receiving feedback, especially at work, can make individuals feel uneasy. It points out any deficiencies in their understanding, prompting them to improve. Approach feedback with a team member always empathetically. If you are too harsh, they might become defensive and less open to your guidance.
THE IMPORTANCE OF FEEDBACK
Improve performance
When employees are engaged, your business reaps the benefits. One of the biggest benefits of real-time feedback is that it helps increase employee performance.
Building teamwork
Encouraging feedback on the job within an organisation sends a signal to employees that the organsation supports them every step of the way. This will bring employees one step closer to helping employees reach their full potential.
Increase engagement
Employee engagement forms the backbone of the success of any organisation. So when it comes to feedback, it’s an important aspect to keep employee engagement high.
Boost motivation
Employees like to be rocognised for their efforts. Appreciation for a job well done takes only a minute, is noticeable and boosts motivation.
Continuous feedback
Use feedback on the job at the right time and place. If you see a mistake or can call out something quickly and in the moment, feedback on the job is the way. Feedback on the job is supposed to come across as informal, continuous feedback.
Elevate your workforce
Empower your team, and your business, through a culture of feedback. By employing feedback on the job, you’ll reduce friction, increase productivity, and create a culture of employee engagement.
engagement.
Requesting
feedback
It can feel difficult to ask for feedback in the workplace. You might feel nervous approaching your supervisor and asking them for feedback on your performance. However, note that this is a key part of development in your career. Requesting feedback can also show your proactive stance and commitment to improving your skills. Follow these steps to feel more at ease when asking for feedback:
-
Be specific
-
Ask questions about how you could improve
-
Give your colleagues space to articulate their feedback
-
Try asking feedback regularly to help your work stay consistent and of a good quality
How to act
on feedback
Knowing how to receive and act on feedback helps you to make the most of it and use it to its full potential. Feedback is someone else’s professional opinion on your
working style. This means that you can choose whether or not to act on this feedback. Professionals rarely give feedback without providing a reason. Remember, the point
of feedback is to help you excel in your professional life.
When acting on feedback, consider:
-
How long might it take you to implement the feedback?
-
How important to your work is the feedback?
-
How quickly are your colleagues able to provide their feedback?
-
How urgently do you need the feedback?
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Were there any suggestions about how you could improve?
-
Ho
-
If acting on feedback would significantly change your working habits, consider speaking to a colleague or supervisor before implementing any changes.
IMPROVE YOUR
FEEDBACK SKILLS
Empower your team through a culture of feedback. By enabling feedback on the job, you’ll reduce friction, increase productivity, and create a culture of employee engagement.
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