How to Give Effective Feedback

Giving feedback is a normal part of our personal lives. We like to tell our family members what we think of their behavior or leave online reviews of the restaurants we go to or the things we buy. At work, however, giving feedback may not be so natural. We want to ensure that the feedback we give to our colleagues is useful and strengthens our working relationships rather than damaging them.

What makes effective feedback?

There are two types of feedback: reinforcing and redirecting feedback.

People typically prefer to give feedback on things that they want others to continue doing and do more of (reinforcing feedback) rather than suggesting things that someone should do less or stop doing altogether (redirecting feedback). The good news is that any feedback becomes easier with practice, especially if you deliver it effectively.

We define effective feedback as feedback that...

Contains at least one specific example of the context [situation].
Recipient's behavior and/or abilities [behavior]
Explicitly indicates the impact (positive, negative, or both) of the recipient's contributions [impact]

Why is effective feedback so important?

Effective feedback strengthens the relationship between both parties and is beneficial for both the person giving the feedback and the one receiving it.

The benefits to the giver are usually intuitive (e.g. work becomes easier, future mistakes are avoided, etc.). But there are also positive effects for the recipient. But don't just take our word for it - our research shows that effective feedback improves an employee's performance.

Looking at ratings between two consecutive performance reviews, we find that 5% more employees who received five effective pieces of feedback improved their performance ratings than employees who received no feedback. Even more surprising is that the performance ratings of employees who received ineffective feedback decreased by 2% compared to employees who received no feedback.

This finding underscores that effective feedback (and not just any feedback) is critical to performance. In previous research, we've also found that high performers, in particular, crave targeted feedback to help them grow.

So where should we start? Here are six tips for giving effective feedback - both reinforcing and redirecting. The more you practice, the better you will become.

6 tips for effective feedback

• Pay attention to timing
Before you give someone feedback, put yourself in their shoes. Is the person capable of receiving feedback? Are you in the right mood to give it? Giving feedback when emotions are running high - e.g. E.g. right after a heated meeting or disagreement - is not the best time. Strong emotions can impact your ability to give feedback, especially if it's redirective.

Wait for a more neutral time to provide feedback. Waiting for a time when both parties can prepare emotionally and tactically often results in a more productive conversation. However, it is important not to wait too long so that your feedback is still timely and relevant to the current situation.

However, the best time to give feedback is when someone asks for it. Our research shows that feedback is 16% more likely to be effective when it is requested. So be sure to give feedback when asked because it shows that the person is already ready to hear your input.

• Prepare, prepare, prepare
Before you give feedback, you should think about: What is the purpose of your feedback and what should the result be? Your feedback must include the impact of the person's behavior and how repeating or changing that behavior can make a positive difference for themselves and/or others.

For example, telling someone to "speak up more in meetings" without providing further context doesn't help the person understand why that behavior might be useful. Think about why you are asking someone to change their behavior. You could express that you want his ideas to be heard so that the team doesn't miss out on valuable opportunities. You could also say that this would help the person gain more assertiveness and influence within their team.

To prepare, it can be helpful to write down the words you will use and assess whether they will help the person move forward. Chloe Hamman, Director of People Science, Product at Culture Amp, says: "A quick mini-sample of the conversation in your head can be helpful."

It is also crucial that you prepare your intention to give feedback. Research shows that students who were told by their teachers that they had "very high expectations" but that they knew students could meet them were more likely to revise their essays than those who were not told this. This formulation was even more effective for students who did not trust their teachers. Therefore, it is important that you communicate your intention for the feedback - especially as you are still building trust with the recipient.

• Give specific examples from your personal experience
Whether you're giving reinforcing or redirecting feedback, it's important to be specific. Concrete feedback ensures that someone can learn from it. It also serves as a basis for comparison and a guide for future behavior.

Telling someone they did a good job is a nice compliment, but it doesn't help them know what to repeat in the future. Specific feedback might look like this: "I liked that you shared your idea about market segments in the meeting; it was something the team hadn't considered and alerted me to the need for further research.

When you give examples, make sure they are based on your own experiences and not hearsay. If you e.g. For example, saying, "I've heard that you're always late to meetings" can make someone feel defensive. Your first instinct will probably be, "Who said that?" This train of thought ultimately distracts from the goal of the conversation. Instead, focus on what you personally experienced to maintain dialogue between the two of you.

• Make it actionable and forward-looking
It's important to provide feedback on specific behaviors or skills that someone can apply or improve. Give priority to behavior-based feedback (e.g., "In our last two team meetings, I noticed that you didn't participate in the discussion. Your perspective would have added value to the project") over personality-based feedback (e.g., " "You're too reserved in meetings") is crucial to providing actionable feedback.

Likewise, focusing not just on past behavior, but on what the person can do (or change) in the future, helps keep the conversation focused on improvement rather than criticism. Richard Boyatzis' brain scan research shows that being criticized for past behavior does not motivate us to change. Instead, we shut down and become defensive. In contrast, feedback that shows us what we can do to achieve our goals results in a rush of dopamine, a mood-boosting neurotransmitter, in the brain.

• Make giving feedback a regular process
Not every action or scenario requires feedback, but it is important to make feedback a regular process. Continuous feedback allows employees to develop throughout the year and creates an environment for better communication, collaboration and performance.

Fresia Jackson, Lead Researcher at Culture Amp, explains how you can implement continuous feedback in your company: "As a leader, feedback can sometimes be at the bottom of the list of tasks to do. Setting aside time for it on a regular basis can ensure that You can also do it, for example by setting aside five minutes at the end of your 1:1 meetings with employees. It is also important to celebrate and discuss important milestones for your team members At the end of the project there will be time to discuss the experiences together."

• Don't be afraid to give feedback to your manager or supervisor
Finally, when giving feedback, it's important to consider who you're giving it to. While it may feel daunting to give feedback to your manager or team leader, we've found that giving feedback from the top down has a positive impact on the company.

Companies that provide upward feedback are perceived more positively by their managers and executives and are more motivated than companies that do not.

When providing upward feedback, you should still follow our previous advice (i.e., timing it right, preparing for the conversation, and making the feedback actionable, specific, and forward-looking).

Give feedback that employees actually want to act on

With these six tips for effective feedback, you'll now be able to have better conversations with your colleagues, managers, executives, and direct reports. Although effective feedback may feel uncomfortable at first, the long-term benefits far outweigh the temporary inconvenience.

Invest in your colleagues' growth and success by letting them know what you value about them and how they can improve their demeanor at work.

To create a culture of feedback in your company, be a role model by simply asking for it. This can have a ripple effect within your organization and show that everyone can benefit from feedback.

This is how you all get better together.