Feedback" has become a staple in the business world's vocabulary, but I've noticed that many people misinterpret this term, leading to potential pitfalls. In this article, I aim to shed light on these dangers.
Understanding Feedback: Do We Need It?
Let's explore the essence of feedback and its necessity. What should it be, and what do we truly require?
In the following summary, I'll share my unique perspective on this topic, echoing what you may encounter elsewhere.
Characteristics of Effective Feedback:
Purposeful: Feedback serves a purpose. It isn't about judgment, personalization, or ratings. Instead, it aims to find forward-looking solutions, reinforce positive examples, and integrate them for the long term. For instance, identifying elements that work well during presentations and those that don't resonate with the audience, prompting a different approach
Voluntary: Feedback is valuable when willingly sought. If someone is forced into it against their will, the intended outcome and benefits could be questionable. While collecting more data about a particular issue may promote objectivity, it's genuinely effective when the individual initiates or consents to the process. Valid feedback necessitates consent for accuracy; otherwise, it morphs into a system of informants and spies, eroding open communication and constructive teamwork.
Constructive: Negative feedback damages, while constructive input builds. The latter adds value, solidifies existing foundations, and moves conversations forward with optimism.
Authentic: Feedback should come from those who understand the context, project, or event being evaluated. A person unaware of the situation, absent from the relevant event, or lacking expertise in the field cannot provide credible feedback.
Face-to-Face: Deliver feedback in person, fostering a psychologically secure atmosphere. If someone fears open dialogue and seeks anonymity due to their discomfort with constructive criticism, they should reconsider their intent. Prioritize improving communication and trust over avoiding discomfort.
Specific: Articulate and specify the event that prompted the feedback, then discuss the facts. Focus on how actions might affect the organization, team, client, or the individual under scrutiny. Avoid generalizations and judgmental language, which yield negativity.
Timely: The sooner you discuss an event, the stronger your emotional connection to it. While providing immediate feedback is ideal, if circumstances don't permit an instant conversation, express your intention to provide feedback and ensure the conversation occurs within 1-2 days of the event.
Collaborative Retrospectives: In cases where retrospective assessments encompass broader periods rather than specific instances, involving the entire community or conducting surveys aids efficacy. For example, conducting a semi-annual team evaluation allows participants to reflect on past experiences, highlight successes and challenges, and collectively support improvement efforts.
Motivating: Construct feedback that motivates, includes actionable requests, goals, and plans, fostering a sense of shared accomplishment. Even when solutions aren't readily available, maintain openness and opportunities for progress.
Dialogue-Oriented: Feedback thrives in conversation. Encourage deeper discussions, utilize assertive communication techniques, avoid judgment, provide "I-messages," and pose open-ended questions. Rapid feedback instances acknowledge appreciation or indicate readiness for post-awkward situation dialogue.
A Positive Outcome: Intent and Value A favorable feedback outcome requires a genuine intent to benefit, not to harm. It creates value when well-intentioned. Recall a colleague's response when asked about a peer's work: Why not involve them directly in the conversation? Valuable insights emerge firsthand, promoting immediate dialogue. If the survey serves a different purpose, unrelated to the individual's growth, their participation might be questioned. That's the essence.
Missteps to Avoid in Feedback:
Evading Responsibility: Collecting systematic feedback on a colleague from the team often indicates evading personal conflicts and shifting blame to teammates. This manipulation obscures harmful intentions and distracts from personal accountability. Leaders engaging in such practices relinquish responsibility and decision-making to others.
Performance Evaluation vs. Feedback: Confusing performance evaluation with feedback is common. However, evaluating fellow colleagues should be seen through the lens of treating adults as adults, fostering personal growth, self-evaluation, and decision-making skills.
Seeking Attention, Not Judgment: Everyone desires attention and acknowledgment, yet constant generic positivity seems insincere. Genuine feedback involves meaningful conversations that highlight achievements, challenges, and shared value creation, fostering growth and teamwork.
Avoid Superficiality: If feedback lacks value, omit it from your processes.
Feedback as Perception: The last thing I would like to highlight is that hows something about the person giving it. It contains someone's impression, and what we hear depends on how he can articulate and connect. It describes the intentions, personality, and communication skills of the other much better than yours. It also includes his value system. Of course, this can be useful in getting to know the other person and how we can work more smoothly with them. For example, if someone is careless, doesn't like documenting his work, doesn't have the ability to record facts transparently, he will never highlight your precision. What's more, it may also happen that you find these activities annoying and unnecessary. On the other hand, you can build on his/ her lightness, insight, and generosity, and you can pay attention to not getting frustrated with details that are not important to him and that he does not understand anyway. From his feedback in this example, you can only learn that he does not appreciate that you are thorough, but not that it is not valuable or that you should leave it.
In Summation:
Feedback should be a subjective sharing of personal experiences regarding specific behaviors or performances with the involved parties. When executed effectively, feedback accelerates teamwork and innovative solutions. From this reason this is one fundamental tenet of empirical approaches.
What negative experiences have you encountered with feedback and its misapplication?
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