Useful Tips for your Next Feedback Round!

The end of the year is coming and many teams are planning their feedback round / quarter review in the next weeks! Is that the case for you as well?

Feedback shouldn't be perceived as something negative or super formal; instead, it should be an integral part of the team's culture.

But let's face it: We all feel differently about feedback. 🤪

Feedback can develop a range of emotions and reactions, depending on our personal experiences and stories.

It may trigger feelings of self-doubt, frustration, and vulnerability. However, when given and received effectively, feedback can inspire positive change and growth.

🟡 Why is giving feedback so important?

In a nutshell: to inspire individuals to change or maintain their behaviors.

Feedback typically falls into two categories:

➡️ Constructive Feedback: to highlight areas for improvement and foster learning and growth

➡️ Positive Feedback: recognizing strengths, successes and providing encouragement.

Establishing a healthy feedback culture can significantly enhance relationships among colleagues and foster trust. Research shows that providing positive feedback not only boosts happiness at work but also contributes to a positive work culture.

Fake recognition is the worst! Feedback is not about making people feel good!

It's important to avoid "fake recognition" or "toxic positivity" - It should be meaningful and constructive.

🟡 What's your feedback style?

Are you direct? Do you demonstrate empathy? Are you comfortable revealing your vulnerability, or do you prefer to keep emotions off the table?

And which feedback model are you using?

• The STAR model (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
• DESC model (Describe, Express, Specify, Consequences).
• AIR Model (Action, Impact, Request).
• or maybe the sandwich style (positive, negative, positive)? Let's try to avoid this one please... as it can be confusing for the recipient and may compromise your credibility when delivering positive feedback.

💡Take a moment for self-reflection to analyze your style and consider how you might be perceived when giving or receiving feedback.

🟡 What’s the best methodology for giving impactful feedback?

You need to find one that suits you and one you feel comfortable with, but here are some tips to pay attention to regardless of the methodology:

➡️ Turn the “YOU” into the “I”:

Instead of starting your feedback with “YOU have to…, YOU didn’t do…,” -> turn it into “I felt stress when…/ I am confused.../ I was concerned...”: It’s harder to argue with your feelings.

➡️ Consider the FBI Technique: Feelings – Behaviors – Impact:

• Express your feelings: “I was quite stressed during the meeting / I realized that / I was really inspired by / I am so proud of…” Be specific!
• Share the behaviors that caused that feeling.
• Speak about the impact that behavior might have in the future. Check out Simon Sinek's explanation of the FBI technique in this great video on effective confrontation (at 02:00): Video of Simon Sinek explaining the FBI

➡️ Another impactful method I love is "Feedforward":

While typical feedback focuses on past events, feedforward concentrates on possibilities for the future. In some scenarios, it can be more impactful to look to the future rather than looking to the past.

For example, instead of saying: “You talked too fast during that presentation,”

try the feedforward approach: “Next time you present, try taking a pause between each slide; it will help you to re-balance, and your delivery will be more effective.”

And, of course, regardless of the methodology you choose for your feedback, keep in mind:

• Creating an environment of psychological safety is a basis
• It should be a healthy exchange and not a confrontation or a conflict
• Feedback is a two-way street: give and receive + it's a dialogue
• Train people to give feedback: teach them to use positive psychology and to give feedback effectively
• Train people to receive feedback (we are all triggered when we receive constructive feedback; we need to learn how to recognize and deal with our triggers). More info here
• Be specific rather than general and ambiguous
• Be authentic and not fake with your feedback
• Make it a norm and not an exception once or twice a year

Giving and receiving feedback should be part of your team's culture. It should be done regularly and not always in a super official manner.

Try to incorporate it into your team's meetings, 1:1 sessions, and informal discussions. I have seen companies organizing feedback walls in the office, expressing customer feedback in different formats, or starting their monthly team meetings with feedback rounds using interactive tools.

The most important thing is to make it an integral part of your team's culture.

🟡How to handle feedback?

Receiving feedback and managing our emotions can be challenging.

What should be done if constructive feedback fails to positively impact behaviors? or if employees consistently complain without taking feedback seriously?

I'll develop this topic in one of my future articles! 😊

In the meantime, keep in mind that cultivating a culture of feedback is crucial for team success. By providing meaningful and constructive feedback, we can inspire change, promote growth, and create a positive work environment.

💡Wanna teach your team how to give, receive and handle feedback?

Get in touch, I lead webinars and workshops on this topic! More info

Written by Aurelie Litynski

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