How can you train leaders to give better feedback?

Leaders often overlook the importance of quality in giving feedback. An excessive positive or negative way of giving feedback will undermine its impact. Leaders need to be trained on practicing effective feedback. The feedback needs to be given from a place of good intentions (from the heart, as a gift) but also with the purpose to challenge the other person (people can only grow if they have clarity about what they need to improve). Therefore feedback needs to combine radicality and authentic concern and appreciation.

Understand your intention when delivering feedback. At the core, you either want to spark a change or reinforce behaviour. When you wish to spark change, it’s important to ensure a clear message is delivered in a timely manner. Involve the individual and have them commit. Following up is key, to demonstrate your ability to recognize the steps they’ve taken once they received feedback. When you wish to reinforce behaviour, be sure to share the specific action and the result. To often, we’ve been told to use a “sandwhich” approach and ensure it’s balanced. There’s a time a place for this, perhaps during reviews. But for general feedback, too often the message gets lost; so just remember to be clear and remember your intention.

The word “feedback” has been overused in leadership for as long as I can remember. It carries with it forced and solicited labels in the process of both giving and receiving in a programmed manner. A key to success is for the giver to embrace the opportunity to engage in open and intentional dialogue with the other person with purpose and curiosity. The ability to really know, understand and personalize the conversation. The goal is all about the person on the receiving end for learning and growth which when done successfully happens for both parties.

The difficulty in leaders moving forward with understanding and managing towards feedback begins with egotism. Unfortunately, we live in a world that is ego driven. Individuals must be willing to drop the idea that either sharing or listening to new strategies, ideas, or issues has anything to do with them individually and more to do with their team's alignment with organizational goals and moving forward in their work. Working towards understanding or being trained to provide feedback begins with the leader removing any negative notion that this is about them. Feedback is always about "US".

How can you train leaders to hear feedback from non leaders and accept it as positive or construct feedback? If “leaders” listened to their non leaders they would learn a lot.

Simon Sinek, the author of ‘Start with Why’ tells of a model that he helped to create which is known as the F-B-I model. This stands for Feelings, Behaviour, and, Impact. He contends that when feedback needs to be given, particularly when the conversations are going to be difficult, then it is wise to use this model. He argues that you isolate a single behaviour (it is tempting to group them when situations are tough) and address it. The idea is to bring that behavior to the attention of the individual, articulate the emotions that attach to it, and finally, describe the potential impact. It doesn't matter in what order you go about it, but all three elements (F-B-I) need to be present. Look for it on LinkedIn E Learning for more insight!

Franklin Covey: 1. Prepare people in advance and declare your intent. Showing up in someone’s office and asking for feedback will put them on the spot. Schedule a time after a team meeting or two when they’ve had a chance to think through what they want to share. 2. Ask for specific feedback. Use the words “advice” or “input” instead of “feedback.” 3. Listen empathically. Don’t interrupt. Control your emotions, listen, and ask only clarifying questions. 4. Acknowledge the feedback. 5. Evaluate the feedback. When a direct report or others share feedback, you have three options: take it, don’t take it, or do some additional investigating. 6. Commit to action. Communicate your intentions to the person who gave you the feedback.

most (if not all) models provide a structure on how the conversation goes and where the focus is (i.e. SBI, STAR etc) during the feedback. which in itself it’s, of course, great. what i feel is missing as part of these models is the agreement/contract prior to the feedback. a small step before, such as having the confirmation that the receiver is open to receiving, listening to or integrating feedback “now” (i.e. hey, i need to give you a feedback. is it a good moment?) might change the whole course of the conversation. in my perspective having this confirmation should be part of any model, just as looking at behaviors/actions (and not mistaken them with one’s identity) is.

A feedback model is a framework or a tool that helps leaders structure and deliver feedback effectively. There are many feedback models to choose from, such as the SBI model (Situation, Behavior, Impact), the STAR model (Situation, Task, Action, Result), or the COIN model (Context, Observation, Impact, Next steps). The main idea is to use a feedback model that helps leaders describe the situation, the behavior or action, the impact or result, and the next steps or suggestions for improvement.

Using a feedback model is crucial as it facilitates knowledge transfer from leader to leader, ensuring consistency and a shared understanding of effective feedback practices. Incorporating governance and handrails helps maintain focus, ensuring performance managers adhere to established feedback methods. A company-wide model aligns expectations, fostering a unified approach to feedback among staff. This collective perspective enhances collaboration, making it easier for teams to adapt or change the feedback model collectively.

Respect is pivotal and is often overlooked when considering how best to inspire, motivate and improve performance through feedback. Even when deploying the most appropriate tools and methods, feedback will not lead to better outcomes without a level of mutual respect! It creates a positive environment, fosters trust, and ensures that those involved feel valued. Effective leaders will understand they need to invest time and effort to build a strong level of trust and respect with team members first, to truly unlock the performance benefits of feedback. In essence, a foundation of respect between leaders and their team creates an environment where feedback is seen as a tool for improvement rather than criticism.

I have always found the best feedback is "in the moment". Talking to someone about your observations of their work habits in general or about something that happened three months ago comes with caveats and the greying of time. But, teaching leaders to give immediate feedback is both easy and has the biggest impact on the recipient of that feedback. A good example would be to pull someone aside after a meeting and say "I really liked how you handled that situation" or "did you see how poorly the team reacted to your comments, what do you think drove that and what would you do differently in the future?". The immediacy is the key. Teaching this technique is simple and done best through show and tell; while perfecting it takes time.

Feedback is a gift. It can be wrapped in colorful or plain paper. In some instances, the feedback is completely unwrapped. Leaders must learn the proper way to receive and be grateful for any feedback they receive. Even the most unfair feedback is useful for personal growth. Stay positive, smile and never lose your temper. "Speak while you're angry and you'd have made the best speech you'll ever regret". Learn from those who you trust as your mentors and leaders but most of all, be authentic while staying within the bounds of formality.

Giving a feedback is an art! Any art form can be improved upon and perfected only by practice. The more one practices the better he or she gets at it. Practice will help an individual refine and constantly improve the feedback skills. After giving a feedback, it is also important to check if the feedback is well received and understood by the individual.

I fully support the viewpoint expressed. Feedback should not be seen as a one-time occurrence but rather as an ongoing process embedded within the culture of an organization. Leaders play a crucial role in fostering a feedback culture by setting clear expectations and providing regular feedback to their team members. It is equally important for leaders to actively solicit feedback from others and take appropriate action based on that feedback. Modeling the desired behaviors and attitudes, such as being receptive, curious, and appreciative of feedback, helps create an environment where open and honest communication thrives. A continuous feedback process promotes learning, growth, and collaboration within teams and organizations.

Monkey see monkey do 😉 live and encourage the feedback culture you want to see. Have not only 1:1 talks but leadership rounds where you share your experience and approach to feedback and how to establish a good feedback culture. Not only share what worked but also what didn’t and why in your own experience. Show that there is not the one street to a good feedback culture but it’s an organic learning process that needs to be actively managed and fostered.

Feedback is a critical part of an employee’s growth in an organisation. It’s how they become aware of their performance, their strengths and where they might be able to improve. It is also important to know this is two-way.

Encouraging a feedback culture is all about 1/ modeling it from the tops-down by giving your direct reports feedback regularly; 2/ asking for feedback from your directs on you and doing so often and openly; and 3/ checking-in with your leaders and making coaching and feedback follow-up a consistent priority. The criticality here is, that if you ask for feedback, you have to also model how to accept and internalize that feedback. Regardless of the feedback I receive from my direct reports; I will always thank them for the feedback and hopefully be able to share with them how I will use their feedback.

Training and feedback are the two main aspects of leadership. Better feedback is appreciated and achieved when the leader have the quality of taking criticism in the right way, power to listen and not just speaking contributes to the same .A feedback is always a two way communication then only it can be effective. It has to be planned so that both the parties have there points for discussion. feedback communication have to be in a quiet place , away from distractions and when its planned it goes well for the leader itself. feedback cannot be once a year , on the spot feedback matters a lot. An effective leader is one which has a clarity in communication, build one team and doesn't wait for appraisals to give feedback .

I would also say to be an effective leader when giving feedback, they must also first share mutual respect and understanding with the person receiving this feedback. I believe you must deliver the feedback in an appropriate way to accommodate the recipient’s style of communication as well: namely how do they best receive feedback? Thus, having a broad range of tools as well as reaching out for advice or guidance when needed; are essential when assuming a leadership role. Emotional intelligence is another key component of a great leader. Having the empathy to see each situation from both sides but also the ability to make tough decisions; telling it like it is.

Las herramientas de retroalimentación en el comercio minorista pueden ser utilizadas de diversas maneras, como: Recolectar información sobre la satisfacción de los clientes : Las encuestas y cuestionarios pueden ayudar a recolectar opiniones de los clientes sobre sus experiencias en la tienda, lo que permite identificar áreas de mejora y fortalecer la relación con los clientes. Evaluar el rendimiento de los empleados : Los sistemas de seguimiento de casos y las redes sociales pueden ser utilizados para evaluar el rendimiento de los empleados en el cumplimiento de sus tareas y en su interacción con los clientes. Mejorar la comunicación entre las áreas : Las plataformas de gestión de múltiples funciones, como Salesforce.

A novel way of approaching feedback is to have two separate meetings: (either one-on-one or team) One is called a 'celebrate meeting' where each person has a chance to point out things that are going well, including things they themselves are doing well. The second meeting is called a 'challenge meeting' where each person has a chance to challenge themselves and each other and the team as a whole for areas that could be improved. That way everyone is prepared, everyone gets to face challenges together and everyone gets to celebrate together. It avoids the dreaded BUT....you're doing these things really well BUT...here's where you can improve. Joining them together makes neither very effective.

Given the fast and ever-changing environments, using various tools and platforms to help in the feedback process is essential. Examples of such tools are performance management systems, online surveys, and feedback applications. These technologies can help to speed up the collection and processing of feedback.

Feedback is most useful when it is clear why the feedback matters, how it can be put to use, and then following-up to close the loop. Most importantly, that means recognizing when someone tries to put that feedback into practice, even if they are unsuccessful. Positive reinforcement is the key that will deliver long-term performance improvements.

Something that I've consistently seen when developing managers is that they fail to close the loop. The feedback process begins strong, executed mostly well, but follow up is often overlooked. It's important to validate that your current process works, and that it's taking your team in the right direction.

Follow up and assessment of the effectiveness of the plan of action are critical. It demonstrates commitment on the part of the leader and can increase feelings of perceived supervisor support, a factor that can influence employee turnover intentions.

Il faut également garder à l'esprit que les feedbacks doivent se focaliser sur le travail et les efforts qui ont permis la performance et non se concentrer uniquement que les résultats.

For leaders who are developing their skills, I think it is important for them to ask, the person they are giving feedback to, how they felt about the delivery of that feedback. Not only does this build rapport for a future/current leader and their team, but it can also contribute to a leader's confidence as they grow.

Feedback must be respectful. Otherwise you are doing wrong and might be subject to rightful criticism. Right Feedback is what you would appreciate to receive from others.

Enhancing your feedback using the "Losada Line" (developed by Marcial Losada) involves cultivating a delicate equilibrium between positive and negative feedback. Here are actionable tips to implement: 1. Positivity Ratio 2. Specific and Constructive 3. Recognition of Effort 4. Regular Check-ins 5. Balanced Critique 6. Encourage Two-Way Feedback 7. Goal Alignment 8. Timely Feedback 9. Training Opportunities 10. Celebrate Achievements

My experience is feedback is two way. If your feedback is unidirectional without allowing comments or input from the subject of your input, it will be poorly received and largely ignored. As the feedback provider, the loop also needs to be two way. We as leaders may actually be the issue, and if we don't listen, we will never know.

In my view, feedback can only be meaningful and effective when leaders consider 'giving feedback' as their 'responsibility' and not just a 'duty'. Constructive feedback is all about disconnecting the individual from his/her performance and conveying to them as to 'what' is working for them and 'what' is not. The key to giving good feedback as a leader is being clear within your mind of the impact you want to have on your team through your feedback and being accountable to it.

Feedback, the shortest word with the letters A,B,C,D, E & F in! It is critical that the person giving feedback pays attention to immediacy, relevance (because the quicker the feedback can be given the more likely it is that it either reinforces or discourages behaviour), timing and privacy (because it is essential that the person receiving the feedback is in the right mindset to receive it and where it is negative that it is done in private), that the feedback is descriptive based (using observation rather than judgement) and that the person receiving it confirms they understand the feedback.