How can you give mindful feedback that is sensitive to diverse perspectives and experiences?

4 How to deliver mindful feedback?

When giving feedback, it is important to communicate clearly, respectfully, and effectively. To help you deliver mindful feedback, consider using the SBI model - Situation, Behavior, and Impact. Describe the specific situation where you observed the behavior, then explain the behavior objectively and factually, and finally state the impact or consequence of the behavior on you, others, or the outcome. Additionally, provide both positive and negative feedback - recognizing what was done well as well as suggesting what can be done better or differently. A good rule of thumb is to use the 3:1 ratio: three positive feedbacks for every negative one. Furthermore, open-ended questions are useful for understanding the person's perspective and experience. Examples include: "How do you feel about your performance?", "What did you learn from this project?", and "What are some areas that you want to work on?"

5 How to receive mindful feedback?

Giving feedback is only half of the equation; the other half is receiving feedback with openness, curiosity, and appreciation. To do this, you should actively listen to the person giving feedback, without interrupting, judging, or defending. Additionally, if you’re unsure of what they mean or want, don’t hesitate to ask for clarification. Doing this can help avoid misunderstandings and confusion and show that you value the feedback. Lastly, expressing gratitude is a powerful way to acknowledge and appreciate the feedback and the person giving it. This can help shift your mindset from seeing feedback as a threat or a criticism to seeing it as a gift or an opportunity. Thanking them, explaining what you learned, or sharing how you will use the feedback are all great ways to express gratitude.

6 How to follow up on mindful feedback?

Feedback is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process. To make the most of your feedback, you need to follow up on it and take action. After receiving feedback, it's important to review it and reflect on the main points and messages, strengths and areas for improvement, and action steps and goals. Additionally, create a feedback plan that outlines how you will use and implement your feedback. This plan should include a feedback summary, action steps, resources and support, timeline and milestones, as well as evaluation and measurement. Lastly, seek ongoing feedback from your feedback giver, peers, mentors or yourself to monitor progress, adjust actions and celebrate achievements.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?