7 Best Practices for Delivering Constructive Feedback

Giving constructive feedback to others is hard. But it’s super important for a number of reasons.

I remember working for an IT company around 10 years ago and I had some pretty critical feedback for the Managing Director at the time.

It was this:

“There is a lack of cohesion in the business, each department has its own agenda. I fear I’ll be in the exact same position this time next year, I am just not growing here”.

That really hit a nerve. It resonated with him though, he knew I was right and that I cared. There was a dysfunction that he was almost blind to.

To my surprise, it lit a fire in his belly, and he started taking massive action to address the issue and improve the company.

He referred to it as “Radical Honesty” at the time.

He said “remove the BS, that slows us down. Let’s be upfront, to the point and from a place of love.” That’s our mantra.

I later came across the very well-known concept by Kim Scott Radical Candor which is basically the same thing.

So why is constructive feedback important?

• It helps us get better

• It’s a catalyst for significant improvement

• It helps correct gaps in your customer and employee experience

• It helps prevent mistakes from re-occurring

• It saves money and time

• We all have blind spots, feedback raises our awareness

7 Best Practices when Delivering Constructive Feedback

1. Timely - providing timely feedback has the biggest impact. Do not let time go by without addressing the issue. The individual needs to be aware of the undesired behaviour so they can adjust it. Secondly, if you’re not promptly plugging the gap, the mistake or error may occur a second time which costs the business time and money.

2. Avoid Negative Feedback Bias - it can be easy to spot the things that need work and continue to focus on providing critical feedback. There are probably a large number of things the individual is doing well, but we sometimes have a bias to look for the things that they aren’t doing so well. Ensure you’re praising the positives too.

3. Data - bring up the data or what you have observed in real-time, so the individual can see exactly what you’re referring to. Feedback should always be data or observation driven, and not inference. Inference refers to interpretations or conclusions that we conclude ourselves without any hard facts. Be very specific about this actual state and what the desired state looks like.

4. Objection - the person receiving the feedback may disagree, and that’s ok. Helping them understand the feedback in more detail and why it’s important is critical. Also, be open to their thoughts, your feedback may be based on the data you’re aware of, and they may share something which paints a very different picture. Context adds a lot of colour, so be open to adjusting your approach or withdrawing the feedback if things aren’t as they originally seemed.

5. Timing - yes it’s important to have the conversation with the individual but “Be Human” about it. If they are going through a rough time or have just been signed off sick, probably not the time to have the conversation, it can wait. Their well-being is more important.

6. Intent - don’t assume the other person knows your spirit and intent. They might think you’re being unkind. Let them know the reason why the feedback is important and ensure you’re compassionate and caring.

7. Behaviours - the feedback or conversation should be focused on unproductive behaviours and not focused on the individual. This means focusing on their actions and not their qualities. When we talk in terms of “personality traits,” this implies inherited qualities which are difficult, if not impossible, to change. Always focus on the behaviours.

Bonus - 3 things you can do with all of your team to encourage your team to be more receptive to feedback and less resistant.

1) Feedback Environment - during onboarding and in team meetings, remind the team that employee and customer feedback is essential. It’s tough to hear but it helps us get better. We need it.

2) Reciprocal - speak to your team in 1-to-1s and let them know you’re open to feedback. Ask them this question. “Can you let me know 1 thing I can do to better support you by our next 1-to-1?”. This question is great because you are asking for them to think about a specific thing, rather than being vague.

3) Blindspots - continue to inform your team that we need feedback to grow. We all have blind spots, including you.

A reminder to yourself of why feedback is important and why you do it helps you stay on track.

It’s your job as a leader to step up and take care of these situations. Also, don’t lose sight of one of your core responsibilities as a Leader, to develop your team. Feedback accelerates the development.

Hope this helps

David

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Resources Of The Week

• Book - High Performance by Jack Humphrey and Damian Hughes - From taking responsibility for your situation to finding your 'trademark behaviours', thinking flexibly to crafting a high-performance culture, Jake Humphrey and Professor Damian Hughes identify the eight crucial steps to becoming the best 'you' possible.

• Book - Hello Stay Interviews by Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans. This book is simple, it’s about having meaningful check-ins with your team to ensure they’re happy in their roles. As opposed to asking them how you could have provided a better experience during an exit interview when they’re already halfway out the door. “Hello Stay Interviews” should form part of your engagement and retention plans.

• YouTube - Evan Carmichael Confidence Series - Evan put together a series of daily confidence-building videos from celebrities to motivational speakers delivered via YouTube directly to your inbox everyday. 254 days to Unstoppable Confidence.

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