Last updated on Aug 2, 2024

How would you approach giving constructive feedback to participants after a virtual facilitation session?

Facilitating a virtual session can be a complex task, and providing feedback afterwards is essential for growth and development. As a skilled facilitator, your approach to giving constructive feedback after a virtual session should be thoughtful and strategic. It's important to create a safe environment where participants feel valued and understood. By focusing on specific behaviors rather than personal attributes, and by using a balance of positive and negative feedback, you can foster an atmosphere of continuous improvement. Your feedback should be clear, actionable, and timely, ensuring that participants can easily incorporate your insights into their future endeavors. Remember to personalize your feedback, recognizing that each participant has unique strengths and areas for development. Finally, encourage a two-way dialogue, allowing participants to reflect on their experiences and share their perspectives.

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1 Set Expectations

Before diving into feedback, it's crucial to set clear expectations with participants. Inform them that constructive feedback is a part of the virtual facilitation process and is intended to support their personal and professional growth. Explain the criteria you'll use to assess their participation and contributions, such as engagement level, adherence to guidelines, and collaboration with others. By doing so, you create a transparent framework that participants can understand and accept, reducing the potential for defensiveness or surprise when they receive your feedback.

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2 Be Empathetic

Empathy is key when delivering feedback in a virtual setting. Recognize the challenges participants may have faced during the session, such as technical difficulties or distractions at home. When providing feedback, do so with kindness and understanding. Your tone should convey that you're on their side and invested in their success. Acknowledge their efforts and highlight what they did well before addressing areas for improvement. This approach not only softens the impact of critical feedback but also builds trust and rapport.

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Amb. Olubunmi Adewakun

TESOL/TEFL Certified |Administrator |Author |MCE |UNESCO MGIEP Educator |Licenced Coach |Certified IIU Mentor and Counsellor |Early Childhood Trainer |TRCN Certified |EF SET Certified |TOSSE Speaker |SEL AMBASSADOR
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Be Empathetic and Supportive Approach feedback with empathy. Acknowledge the challenges of virtual environments and offer support to help participants overcome any difficulties they faced.

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3 Focus on Behavior

When giving feedback, concentrate on specific behaviors rather than personal characteristics. This helps keep the conversation objective and focused on areas that participants can actually change. For example, instead of saying someone was disruptive, point out the specific instances when their actions may have diverted the session's focus. By doing this, you avoid making participants feel attacked on a personal level and instead provide them with clear examples of how they can modify their behavior in future sessions.

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Amb. Olubunmi Adewakun

TESOL/TEFL Certified |Administrator |Author |MCE |UNESCO MGIEP Educator |Licenced Coach |Certified IIU Mentor and Counsellor |Early Childhood Trainer |TRCN Certified |EF SET Certified |TOSSE Speaker |SEL AMBASSADOR
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Be Specific: Focus on particular behaviors or actions rather than general impressions. For example, instead of saying "You need to participate more," specify, "I noticed you contributed to the discussion once during the session. It would be great to hear more of your insights in future discussions."

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4 Offer Solutions

After identifying areas for improvement, offer practical solutions or resources that can help participants address these issues. If someone struggled with contributing to the discussion, suggest techniques for speaking up or offer to role-play scenarios with them to build confidence. Providing actionable advice gives participants a clear path forward and shows that you're invested in helping them succeed beyond the feedback session.

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Amb. Olubunmi Adewakun

TESOL/TEFL Certified |Administrator |Author |MCE |UNESCO MGIEP Educator |Licenced Coach |Certified IIU Mentor and Counsellor |Early Childhood Trainer |TRCN Certified |EF SET Certified |TOSSE Speaker |SEL AMBASSADOR
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Offer Actionable Suggestions: Provide clear, actionable advice on how participants can improve. For example, "To enhance your contributions, try preparing a few key points before the session that you can share with the group."

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5 Encourage Reflection

Encourage participants to reflect on their own performance and consider how they might apply your feedback. Ask open-ended questions that prompt self-assessment, such as "What would you do differently next time?" or "How do you think you could enhance your contribution to the group?" This not only helps participants internalize the feedback but also empowers them to take ownership of their learning and development.

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Amb. Olubunmi Adewakun

TESOL/TEFL Certified |Administrator |Author |MCE |UNESCO MGIEP Educator |Licenced Coach |Certified IIU Mentor and Counsellor |Early Childhood Trainer |TRCN Certified |EF SET Certified |TOSSE Speaker |SEL AMBASSADOR
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Encourage Reflection: Invite participants to reflect on their own performance and consider how they can apply the feedback. Questions like "How did you feel about your participation in the session?" can prompt self-assessment.

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Richard Forth

Senior System Administrator at CoSector
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Ask the team what they felt went wrong, you may get better insights yourself also. What you think went wrong and what actually went wrong are very different sometimes, and can lead to better outcomes having all the details available to us when we make decisions on policy or procedeural improvements, which should also be team led.

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6 Promote Dialogue

Finally, promote a two-way dialogue by inviting participants to share their thoughts on the feedback provided. This can be done through follow-up emails or a dedicated discussion time at the end of the session. Encourage them to voice any concerns or disagreements they may have in a respectful manner. This exchange can provide valuable insights into their perspective and foster a collaborative environment where feedback is seen as a tool for mutual growth.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Richard Forth

Senior System Administrator at CoSector
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Keep the feedback neutral and general, dont name names or throw colleagues under the bus. Doing so is not professional and only stokes resentment. You can tackle specific issues without naming names. For example: "We need to take extra care before restaring services on production environments. If syntax checker is available, use it. And check for typos or missing files before restarting the service. If necessary, ask a colleague to peer review your work". This sets clear expectations going forward without making anyone feel bad, at least, if they know who they are, they might feel bad, but no-one else needs to know.

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Rachel Davis

Workshop Experience Designer + Facilitator — Reach out to work with me! 🙌
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Sure constructive feedback is part of the process but not in the way our lovely AI friend is implying here as directly to participants. Feedback loops should be integrated intentionally and be part of the flow. * Use a retrospective to help people reflect. I Like, I Wish, I wonder helps participants articulated, what they liked about the session, what they wished would have happened, and what they still wonder about. * Use prompts and questions to guide participants in opening up their mind during sessions, this is an effective way to help people engage. * Understand the personalities and challengers in the room and adjust your engagement and prompts to those types of challengers instead of a blanket approach.

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How would you approach giving constructive feedback to participants after a virtual facilitation session?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Set Expectations

2 Be Empathetic

3 Focus on Behavior

4 Offer Solutions

5 Encourage Reflection

6 Promote Dialogue

7 Here’s what else to consider

Facilitation

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How would you approach giving constructive feedback to participants after a virtual facilitation session?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Set Expectations

2 Be Empathetic

3 Focus on Behavior

4 Offer Solutions

5 Encourage Reflection

6 Promote Dialogue

7 Here’s what else to consider

Facilitation

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