The Art of Constructive Feedback: A Leader’s Guide
While employees generally appreciate constructive feedback and understand its benefits, many leaders and managers feel uncomfortable delivering it. Yet, providing feedback is crucial for personal and organisational growth.
Download your 10-step guide to giving constructive feedback here
According to Zenger & Folkman, 92% of people agree that negative feedback, if delivered appropriately, is effective at improving performance. However, Gallup reports that only 26% of employees strongly agree that the feedback they receive helps them improve their work.
When given correctly, feedback can motivate employees, build commitment, and enhance team and organisational performance. However, it’s not enough to simply give constructive feedback and assume the job is done. Leaders need to ensure the right message has been received, clearly understood, and that appropriate steps are agreed upon and taken.
10 Steps for Giving Effective Constructive Feedback
1. Prepare for the Conversation
Consider what you want to achieve with the feedback. Do you need to set clear expectations, offer improvement suggestions, or ask the employee to identify future approaches? Choose the right time and place for the conversation.
2. Empathise
Put yourself in the other person’s shoes and think about how to deliver your message in a way they can understand and absorb.
3. Check Your Assumptions
Our brains often jump to conclusions, make judgments, or are affected by biases. Ask yourself, “What are all the possible causes of this situation and this person’s behaviour?” before reaching a conclusion.
4. Focus on the ‘Why’
Emphasise that your goal is not to criticise or blame, but to help them do their best and achieve their objectives.
5. Structure Your Feedback
Keep the conversation focused and avoid irrelevant issues, excuses or defensiveness. Focus on the behaviour, not the person, and be specific.
6. Explain the Impact
Highlight the impact of their behaviour on you, the team, and the organisation. Zenger & Folkman found that 74% of employees who received feedback were already somewhat aware of the problem but often didn’t know how to improve or were unaware of its impact on others.
7. Keep an Open Mind
Be prepared for the other person to have a different perspective on events. Ask questions if appropriate to allow them to share their point of view.
8. Listen Actively
Zenger & Folkman’s research found that the more managers showed they were listening to their employee’s perspective, the more honest and trustworthy their feedback was perceived to be.
9. Manage Defensiveness
If the other person becomes defensive or argumentative, stay calm and avoid escalating the tone of the conversation. If necessary, suggest taking a break to allow them to process what you have said and return to the conversation later.
10. Focus on the Future
The purpose of constructive feedback is to improve performance and motivate people. Avoid dwelling on past events and focus on how they can take steps to improve their performance going forward.
Giving feedback is a leadership skill and performance management technique that can be developed, improved and honed with practice. Harvard Business Review (2017) found that 21% of managers avoid giving negative feedback. However, by failing to tackle challenging conversations, they may allow resentment and frustration to build by ignoring performance issues. By managing people and having regular feedback conversations, you can improve your confidence, build trust with team members and help individuals achieve personal, team and organisational objectives.
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