How to Give Feedback
Wait to give feedback until you aren’t feeling angry, excited or overwhelmed., Consider your intentions before you give feedback., Try to remain as neutral as possible., Write down your observations., Divide feedback into positive (pro) and negative...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Wait to give feedback until you aren’t feeling angry
Emotions can cloud good judgment, so give it a day or a week before you express yourself. -
Step 2: excited or overwhelmed.
If it comes from a place of jealousy, resentment or boastfulness, your feedback is unlikely to be helpful or constructive.
You may make a situation worse by speaking out. , Although feedback is a subjective opinion, you should be able to assess all aspects of something.
Appreciate the good and the bad. , Describe how you felt and what you saw.
Try not to muddle this important feedback with interpretations or emotions.For example, an observation is “your report was heavily sourced” while an interpretation might be “you couldn’t have possibly ready all the books in your bibliography.” , This is for your own personal use to ensure your feedback is fair and balanced., You can suggest a course of action.
Don’t give feedback that doesn’t provide options to review and change the situation.
This is the time when you can reference rules, acceptable behavior, a syllabus or term of service that has not been met.
Be specific, not ambiguous.
For example, instead of writing “This is unacceptable,” try writing, “The writing style does not follow the protocol and professionalism that is expected for market research reports.” ,, You will get your message across better because you will be able to convey your meaning with emotions and handle issues that arise.
Although online feedback is helpful, consider calling a company to complain about a product or shipment.
A customer service representative will be able to handle your issue more quickly.
They may also give you the apology and reparation that you are looking for because they can hear the concern in your voice. , Try saying, “I arranged this meeting because I wanted to discuss the recent project.” If the feedback is mostly negative, you can prepare the person by saying, “I have a concern that I thought we could address.”, If you’ve ever heard the adage, “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down,” then you know that negative criticism should be wrapped in positive statements.
Choose something from your “pro” column to lead the conversation.
If you are critiquing someone for work, try saying “What I appreciated about your work was…” If you are writing a review online, try saying, “I was so excited to try out this product.
I’ve been waiting for a product like this.” , List the things you saw as directly as possible.
Avoid adding emotional reactions. , Don’t allow hyperbole, just state what problems it may create.
For example, if you observe that a person’s report didn’t address the subject they were asked to answer, you could say, “I feel that we can address this now and improve your final paper.” Also, if you are explaining unacceptable behavior to an employee, you can say “I saw the way the team was interacting, teasing Mr.
G because of his age.
The employee rules of conduct don’t support this behavior and it should stop before there is a harassment problem.” , Ask the person “What are your thoughts about this paper/event?” This is your opportunity to ensure they have understood the feedback.
If you are calling a business, ask them what they think about what you’ve said.
Then, be silent.
Don’t break an uncomfortable silence for 30 seconds, but give the person time to think about how to handle the feedback.
Don’t be afraid if the person’s reaction is angry or negative.
This is how some people respond when embarrassed or caught off guard.
Allow the person to blow off some steam or respond at a later date if necessary. , Thank the person for their time and say that you would be happy to support them with a new draft.
If the feedback was mostly positive, try a statement like “Keep up the good work” or “I’m really impressed by your work ethic.” Always end the discussion on a positive note. , This is especially important if you are calling to complain about a service, since a customer service representative is more likely to respond to a calm, reasonable complaint. -
Step 3: Consider your intentions before you give feedback.
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Step 4: Try to remain as neutral as possible.
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Step 5: Write down your observations.
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Step 6: Divide feedback into positive (pro) and negative (con) columns.
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Step 7: List reactions that the person should be aware of.
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Step 8: Reread or review the item a second time to ensure you have all the necessary info.
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Step 9: Choose face-to-face feedback over email or phone whenever possible.
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Step 10: State your reason for the feedback if the person whom you are addressing is not aware that they will be receiving it.
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Step 11: Start with a compliment.
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Step 12: State your observations.
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Step 13: Add the reason that those observations have bearing on a project
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Step 14: a person or a company.
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Step 15: Allow the person to respond to the criticism.
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Step 16: Respond with support.
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Step 17: Keep your tone calm and unemotional during the exchange.Defensiveness or anger will reduce the effectiveness of your feedback.
Detailed Guide
Emotions can cloud good judgment, so give it a day or a week before you express yourself.
If it comes from a place of jealousy, resentment or boastfulness, your feedback is unlikely to be helpful or constructive.
You may make a situation worse by speaking out. , Although feedback is a subjective opinion, you should be able to assess all aspects of something.
Appreciate the good and the bad. , Describe how you felt and what you saw.
Try not to muddle this important feedback with interpretations or emotions.For example, an observation is “your report was heavily sourced” while an interpretation might be “you couldn’t have possibly ready all the books in your bibliography.” , This is for your own personal use to ensure your feedback is fair and balanced., You can suggest a course of action.
Don’t give feedback that doesn’t provide options to review and change the situation.
This is the time when you can reference rules, acceptable behavior, a syllabus or term of service that has not been met.
Be specific, not ambiguous.
For example, instead of writing “This is unacceptable,” try writing, “The writing style does not follow the protocol and professionalism that is expected for market research reports.” ,, You will get your message across better because you will be able to convey your meaning with emotions and handle issues that arise.
Although online feedback is helpful, consider calling a company to complain about a product or shipment.
A customer service representative will be able to handle your issue more quickly.
They may also give you the apology and reparation that you are looking for because they can hear the concern in your voice. , Try saying, “I arranged this meeting because I wanted to discuss the recent project.” If the feedback is mostly negative, you can prepare the person by saying, “I have a concern that I thought we could address.”, If you’ve ever heard the adage, “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down,” then you know that negative criticism should be wrapped in positive statements.
Choose something from your “pro” column to lead the conversation.
If you are critiquing someone for work, try saying “What I appreciated about your work was…” If you are writing a review online, try saying, “I was so excited to try out this product.
I’ve been waiting for a product like this.” , List the things you saw as directly as possible.
Avoid adding emotional reactions. , Don’t allow hyperbole, just state what problems it may create.
For example, if you observe that a person’s report didn’t address the subject they were asked to answer, you could say, “I feel that we can address this now and improve your final paper.” Also, if you are explaining unacceptable behavior to an employee, you can say “I saw the way the team was interacting, teasing Mr.
G because of his age.
The employee rules of conduct don’t support this behavior and it should stop before there is a harassment problem.” , Ask the person “What are your thoughts about this paper/event?” This is your opportunity to ensure they have understood the feedback.
If you are calling a business, ask them what they think about what you’ve said.
Then, be silent.
Don’t break an uncomfortable silence for 30 seconds, but give the person time to think about how to handle the feedback.
Don’t be afraid if the person’s reaction is angry or negative.
This is how some people respond when embarrassed or caught off guard.
Allow the person to blow off some steam or respond at a later date if necessary. , Thank the person for their time and say that you would be happy to support them with a new draft.
If the feedback was mostly positive, try a statement like “Keep up the good work” or “I’m really impressed by your work ethic.” Always end the discussion on a positive note. , This is especially important if you are calling to complain about a service, since a customer service representative is more likely to respond to a calm, reasonable complaint.
About the Author
Kyle Shaw
Brings years of experience writing about organization and related subjects.
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