The importance of effective feedback - part 2 - barriers and benefits
In my blog article the importance of effective feedback part 1 I did focus on describing what Effective Feedback is . Feedback is not a simple matter, both to give and to take feedback. It can sometimes be painful, embarrassing, defensive or create new difficulties. And this is why people shy away.
Starting with barriers to Effective Feedback
Worrying about the other person’s reaction
This is a common worry when trying to give feedback to someone. You don’t know how the other person is going to react. If you are praising them, there should be no problem but, if you are trying to give constructive or corrective feedback, a lot of reactions can take place.
For example, the person can take the feedback personally as a criticism; they can become emotional (cry or get aggressive), they might become defensive, they might be in denial or refuse to take responsibility.
These worries are real, but, if you use the techniques that we will discuss today, you will be able to reduce the likelihood that the other person will feel under attack.
Low confidence
If you are trying to give feedback to someone, you may lack confidence if you are not sure how to go about it, or you may not be sure if you are the right person to give feedback.
If you are on the receiving end of feedback, you might feel threatened if you have low confidence in your abilities, rather than seeing feedback as a learning opportunity.
Lack of training
Giving effective feedback and being able to receive feedback constructively is something that can be learned. Giving and receiving feedback is a skill that most people are not born with. So, training is important to develop this skill.
Thinking it will not make any difference
Sometimes you might give up on giving feedback altogether because it did not make any difference in the past, so you wonder what the point is.
However, the techniques for giving effective feedback that we will discuss later should help the recipient understand the importance of change and make it more likely that they will take action.
Past bad experiences
You might have had bad experiences in the past receiving feedback from someone who delivered it poorly. So, now you are reluctant to give feedback.
Also, if you had bad experiences in the past, now you might be on the defensive when someone tries to give you feedback.
Professional hierarchy concerns
You might want to give feedback to someone who has a higher rank than you, your supervisor, for example. However, you do not feel able to do so because of hierarchy concerns.
Lack of trust/credibility
It may be that the person who receives the feedback does not trust the giver. So, this will affect the effectiveness of the feedback.
Lack of feedback friendly culture
Giving and receiving effective feedback is not only down to individual employees but also to the organization as a whole. The culture of the organization has an important role in encouraging or discouraging feedback. An organization with a feedback-friendly culture encourages its employees to give and receive feedback (both formally and informally). It trains its employees on how to give and receive feedback and it fosters psychological safety (this is the sense that everybody feels safe to express ideas and opinions without fear of retribution).
The Benefits of Feedback in the Workplace
Aids motivation
Well-delivered feedback increases motivation in two ways.
If it is positive feedback, it makes the person aware of what they are doing well, so they know that they are making a difference. As a result, they will feel more motivated in the future.
Constructive feedback can increase motivation by making the recipient feel in charge of their own development. With effective feedback, you will know where you are at in terms of your performance. This will give you a sense of ownership as you will know what you need to do in order to improve.
Facilitates goal setting
Goal setting can be very important for performance improvement because you will feel motivated to perform if you set yourself challenging but attainable goals.
In order to set suitable goals (i.e., challenging but realistic), you need to know where you stand in terms of your current performance. This is why receiving effective feedback is key.
Provides a sense of purpose
Well-delivered feedback gives you purpose because it helps you feel valued and useful, by reminding you that what you do matters. In other words, it shows that the organization and/or the manager cares about what you do.
Supports learning and mastery
By receiving both constructive and positive feedback, you take charge of your learning by knowing exactly what you have achieved and what you still need to achieve. As a result, your sense of mastery of the job and of your skills will increase as you see progress in your learning.
Helps self-awareness
Well-delivered feedback helps people become more aware of different aspects of their self, including behavior and traits. As a result, this can improve things such as their emotional intelligence, their communications skills and their confidence.
Improves performance and productivity
An employee who is engaged and motivated and who is in the position to learn also performs better. This translates into higher productivity for the company.
Reduces conflict
If people know how to deliver and receive feedback honestly but without being confrontational, they are also less likely to enter into conflict. If a conflict arises (as sometimes it is inevitable), it will be less likely to escalate.
Improves teamwork
Staff who can give and receive feedback effectively is also likely to work better together, as people help each other to improve, encourage each other and talk problems through.
Reduces errors
Staff who become aware of what they are doing wrong and who correct their behavior according to feedback reduce future errors. On the other hand, positive feedback encourages staff to continue with good behavior and keep on the right track.
Asking for feedback
Hand on heart: When was the last time you asked colleagues or your manager for feedback? Has it been a while? Then you are like many other employees. Yet most people are well aware of the importance of feedback: Without feedback, there is no targeted development.
The problem is that feedback is often equated with criticism. Criticism can be part of a feedback discussion. But it is only one of many. Praise, assessments, hints and suggestions for improvement are also part of it. That is exactly why feedback is so important: Without the reflection of others, we only work on ourselves and develop further. Worse still: Possibly in a completely wrong direction. When you ask for feedback, please don't ask everyone. WHO you ask is almost more important than HOW...
Now that we have identified what effective feedback is, its benefits, the obstacles to its implementation and the different types of feedback, let’s find out how to deliver it and this is part of my course SPEAK UP!
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You cannot know everything there is to know about how to get where you want to be in life. While it’s possible to learn the needed skills, this will take time and likely a lot of money. Instead, what if you had someone (or a group of people) who can help guide you to success?
A mentor is someone who currently is where you want to be. The relationship you have with a mentor can be an official one, or it can be informal such as following in the footsteps of someone you admire. Mentors have experience and have gone through growing pains towards success. They will know what kinds of training you may need or skills to develop.