Guidelines for giving and receiving feedback
Giving feedback
- Feedback is most likely to be effective when given soon after an event
/ behaviour, eg before an individual's behaviour becomes a barrier to
group effectiveness.
- Focus only on behaviour / actions that can be changed.
- Make sure that feedback is balanced, ie contains both positive and
negative elements.
- Describe behaviour ('You didn't bring the notes to the meeting as
agreed') rather than criticising or demeaning it.
- Be specific ('You didn't bring the notes, so we weren't able to get
on with the task') rather than general ('You're lazy and unreliable').
- Own and express your feelings ('I felt intimidated when you argued
your point'), rather than expressing absolutes ('You were aggressive').
- Check that an individual has heard your feedback as you intended it,
eg ask him / her to re-phrase what you've said.
Receiving feedback
- Listen carefully.
- Check that you've heard what the speaker intended to convey.
- Consider the feedback carefully. Avoid jumping to conclusions. Don't
simply reject it.
- You might ask others for feedback in order to gain a more balanced
view.
- You might ask for feedback on particular aspects of your contribution.
- Weigh up the consequences of changing or not changing your behaviour.
- Decide what - if anything - you'll do as a result of the feedback.
- If necessary, request some thinking time before responding.
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