Feedback is an essential element of performance management and team development.
This lesson familiarises you with the key aspects of giving open, constructive feedback about professional performance and will help you to develop your skills in giving both positive and negative feedback.
Read the following checklist for giving feedback produced by the HR department of the British Council and match the action points in the box below with the related checklist points in the table.

 

Check points

Action points

[1.01]

Agree the facts

Think about the evidence

[1.02]

Criticise the action

Think about the behaviour NOT the personality

[1.03]

Ask and listen

 

[1.04]

Explain why it matters

 

[1.05]

Agree a way forward

 

[1.06]

Be positive

 

Action points

 

Think about the behaviour NOT the personality
Think about the evidence
Use open questions to be clear
Offer help and support if it is needed
Less likely to get it wrong in the future
Be creative – there may be more than one way to solve a problem
Now read the guidelines for giving feedback taken from the Ashridge virtual learning resource centre and complete the text with a word or expression from the box.
Rounded Rectangle: upwards winners and potential winners value behaviour specific aware winners and losers
You need to decide what you want to reward and give recognition as a reward to consistent performers as well as for one-off events. This might be to communicate on performance or a person's effect on others. It could be to make the person more [2.01] _______________ of what he/she does or how she/he does it. To do this requires courage, skill, understanding, self-respect, and respect for others.

Focus on [2.02] _______________ that can be changed. Consider how much feedback to give and when to give feedback. Think about whether the feedback has been clear and whether the feedback has been accurate. Feedback must be designed to give [2.03] _______________ to the receiver and not release for the giver.

Structure the team culture and climate to achieve this. Praise must be [2.04] _______________ and sincere and it is quite acceptable to praise [2.05] _______________ (boss) as well as your peers or subordinates. Recognise and encourage direct reports for their level of achievement based on their standards and not on yours. Avoid rating and classifying people as below or above standard. It only creates [2.06] _______________ when in fact it may be the individual's circumstances which make it difficult to succeed. It is better to manage for performance by setting up a personal contract for performance. This creates [2.07] _______________ .

A company has received complaints from several members of staff about the quality of the feedback they have received from managers. The HR department has responded by issuing the following guidelines:

Feedback is not always praise but meaningful feedback is:

·                     immediate

·                     specific

·                     describes results

·                     something the receiver can act upon and change

·                     of benefit to the receiver and not the giver

·                     more often positive than negative

·                     verifiable
Some examples of the inappropriate feedback are shown below.
(a) Make notes as to how the feedback is inappropriate – more than one change may need to be made (the first one has been done for you)
[3.01a] You’re always coming in late – not good enough! not specific, perhaps needs to be verifiable
[3.02a] I hear you’ve been rude to our customers again  
[3.03a] About time you got a stronger deodorant, isn’t it?  
[3.04a] Why can’t you do this the way my last PA did?  
(b) Now rewrite the statements in an appropriate, professional way.

3.01b

e.g. This is the third time you’ve been late this week. I think we need to discuss this, John. Can we meet tomorrow morning at 9.00 to talk about it? ü

3.02b

 

3.03b

 

3.04b

 
Read the comments made by clients, colleagues and managers about an employee’s performance. His line-manager will use these comments to give feedback in a job review meeting.

A Total lack of confidence in face to face meetings

B Sales figures up again this month, but has a terrible relationship with colleagues.

C Turned up late for 3 meetings at our office with excuses about being busy.

D Looks the part but extremely disorganised. Never gets reports done on time.

E Has given the sales office a boost with his drive and ambition.

F Gets results but comes across as arrogant and rude.

Many issues regarding his performance have been raised. Can you complete his line-manager’s notes matching the various issues with the correct subject heading?

4.01 Presentation

4.02  Time management

4.03   Interpersonal skills

4.04  Achievement

 

 

 

 

 

 

Terrible relationship with colleagues

 
What needs to done before the job review meeting when the line manager will give feedback? Add to the line manager’s notes below.

Need to check specific times and dates when he was late for clients’ meetings

Examples of bad relationship with colleagues  - verify comments made about this

 

 

 

 
Match the first half of the statements in the table about giving feedback with the second half from the box below

5.01

Comment on the behaviour or performance;

do not comment on the person

5.02

Evaluate don’t judge

 

5.03

Provide specific examples;

 

5.04

Give support on how to develop;

 

5.05

Explore alternatives together for improving performance;

 

do not make generalisations without evidence to support your comments

do not comment on the person

do not just give answers

do not just criticise

show how poor performance relates to goals or agreed objectives and how it can be improved to meet these criteria.

Think about all the people you give feedback to in different contexts– at work, home, with friends. Do you give feedback differently in these different contexts? If so, why? Look back at the activities in this lesson and use them to help identify areas where you could improve the quality of the feedback you give. If possible arrange for someone to observe you giving feedback and then ask for their feedback on your performance!
Make some notes in the space below.

 

 

 

 

 
In this lesson you have:
 
looked at what to do and not to do when giving feedback
read advice on how to structure feedback
focused on your own situation and how to develop your skills when giving feedback
 
The next e-m@il lesson focuses on your ability to listen to people and really understand what they’re trying to communicate. We call this Active Listening.