How do you adjust feedback for different situations?

Feedback is to offer constructive and helpful information to assist individuals or groups in improving their performance, understanding, or skills. We need to highlight strengths that can be built upon and areas that may need further development. It aims to facilitate growth, enhance learning, and promote effective communication by offering insights, suggestions, and recommendations in a respectful and considerate manner. Whether in personal, professional, educational, or creative contexts, my purpose is to contribute to the recipient's progress and success through meaningful and actionable feedback.

The key aspect is what do you want to achieve with this feedback? We usually want something to change, something to be different. For example, a behaviour or a process. This change can only happen in future situations. The thing is usually when we offer feedback we talk about the past. About situations or behaviours that have already happened. What I propose is to offer 'feedforward'. This means that instead of talking about the past, let's shape the future. Be clear about what you want to be different, how is the change going to be noticeable and build together ways to achieve this change. This way we make progress easier, minimize difficult feelings and position ourselves (and others) towards the goal and the future,?together.

One thing I have found helpful is to adjust feedback withing the framework of situational leadership. Each person requires a type of feedback that matches, on one side, their level of expertise and on the other, their level of maturity and seniority in their specific role in the organization. feedback needs to be constructive, clear and timely.

In my experience, I have learned that the message or how much detail you give in the situation is important and dependent on the person whom you need to give the feedback to. For example, I have learned to use the RACI method for decision making and subsequently now use it for deciding on how in-depth to go when providing feedback. Those that need to be informed get the general feedback, whereas those that need to be consulted or accountable get a more detailed feedback. The tone of voice, choice of words as well as room setting is important to set the tone for the type of feedback. A quiet room for one on one, corrective feedback and an open, crowded room for praise feedback.

Once you're clear on your feedback's goal, consider timing. If someone's tackling a vital task with a deadline and your input isn't crucial for that task, wait. After they've finished and deadlines are met, they'll likely be more open to hearing your feedback. If you provide feedback while they're still under pressure, it could add stress and disrupt their focus, making things worse. On the contrary, if your feedback directly relates to their ongoing task, it's better to share it ASAP. This shows your willingness to help and might bear immediate improvements. Vacations are tricky too. People won't act on feedback during time off and they might even forget it by the time they return. Discuss after they're back at work for better results.

It's important to think about whether the person you want to give feedback to is open to it. It's a good idea to check if the other person wants to hear your feedback by asking the person directly, taking into consideration your relationship.

People often think “feedback” is purely constructive, but remember that you should give positive feedback too. As you build your relationship, previous positive reinforcements helps when you need to give particularly constructive feedback — you’ve already established trust with the other person.

Approach the feedback process with empathy and respect. Put yourself in the recipient's shoes to better understand their feelings and potential reactions. Show that you value their efforts and perspectives. We should choose our words carefully so the feedback goes across as supportive rather than critical. Use language that is clear, specific, and non-judgmental. Avoid using overly negative or confrontational language.

Be aware of the recipient's cultural background. In some cultures, direct criticism or negative feedback can be seen as impolite or confrontational, or even taken as a personal attack or a sign of disrespect It's essential to recognize and adapt to the cultural norms of the context in which you're giving feedback. This might involve using more tactful language, framing feedback positively, or considering the appropriate time and place for such conversations.

Fully agree. All leader need to be sensitive and understand the public you are giving the feedback and adjust accordingly. I had a experience where I tried to provide a detailed feedback to a novice and it was a disaster once he was expecting just a positive feedback and praise.

I typically start from my baseline for communicating any feedback: share it verbally and directly with the individual (1 on 1). This empowers the receiver to ask questions while engaging in a conversation that promotes clarity. In the case of correction, once I've had the initial conversation and the action happens again afterward, the next step is to follow up via email. The email should include a brief clarifying example of the action being critiqued and a quick discovery question to guide them toward whatever changes need to be made. Additional conversations will be necessary to ensure alignment. When in doubt, ask how those you work with prefer to receive feedback in advance. Never assume a one-size-fits-all method will be effective.

Feedback styles encompass a range of approaches tailored to diverse needs and contexts. We a use constructive criticism offers growth-focused suggestions, while positive reinforcement boosts morale and confidence. Other types like encouragement and support provide emotional backing, directive feedback offers clear instructions, and collaborative feedback fosters engagement. Appreciative feedback builds positivity, balanced feedback combines insights, and specific feedback targets details. Inspirational feedback connects efforts to purpose, while reflective feedback promotes self-assessment. By employing these styles judiciously, effective feedback becomes a catalyst for growth, collaboration, and improvement across various domains.

Feedback methodologies are frequently shaped by the prevailing culture, be it within a company, a country, or other contexts in which individuals reside. To illustrate, poorly constructed negative written feedback, in certain circumstances, has the potential to trigger extensive debates and even legal actions. Conversely, personal one-on-one positive feedback might be perceived as relatively less significant when juxtaposed with those expressed within a collective setting.

I like openly asking my team members how they prefer to receive feedback. Contrary to popular opinion, some people, in fact, like to get feedback in written form so that they can digest it slowly before we engage in talk. In most cases, however, verbally delivered feedback is more powerful because, in conversation, we can better connect to the other fellow.

A robust feedback framework involves understanding the context and purpose, preparing by gathering relevant information, providing or seeking timely and specific feedback, maintaining a balanced approach that acknowledges strengths and areas for growth, encouraging open communication with empathy and respect, setting actionable goals collaboratively, following up for accountability and continuous learning, considering cultural sensitivities, incorporating positive reinforcement, and ensuring confidentiality. This comprehensive approach enhances the effectiveness of feedback exchanges, fostering growth and improvement.

Feedback is one of the major component of any type of business , Either it’s for new issue or old one. So first need to know very well the specific issues & the feedback level, then give feedback.

Seeking feedback is a valuable practice that involves actively requesting input, insights, and opinions from others to gain a well-rounded perspective on your performance, actions, or ideas. When seeking feedback, approach others with an open and receptive attitude, specifying the areas you would like feedback on and the purpose behind it. Be prepared to listen without becoming defensive, and use the feedback received to make informed decisions, improve your skills, and enhance your overall understanding.

When I need to provide extensive feedback, I've found it helpful to wrap up the conversation by asking if the other person found the feedback valuable. Was the timing right? Did I use the right language to encourage them to use the feedback? Was my approach effective, or would they have preferred an email or chat message with bullet points? This approach fosters a stronger connection, as it gently conveys that I don’t put myself above the other person and admit that I might make mistakes as well. This way, I can show that I value their feedback and envision a path where both parties grow, rather than expecting growth solely from them.

In today's feedback-shy world, actively seeking feedback is a remarkable stance. It's not just about receiving input; it's cultivating a growth mindset. By embracing feedback, you treat it not as critique, but as a precious perspective that polishes your skills. Seeking feedback means you've unlocked the treasure of others' insights, broadening your horizons and enriching your journey of growth.

Feedback is a gift. It gives you a different perspective on a situation and the ability to perform better in similar situations. Often, requesting feedback is done with too open-ended of a question. "How'd I do?" Instead, get specific. I frequently ask three questions of my team: What am I doing I should stop? What am I doing I should continue? What am I not doing I should start? This yields far better feedback, and it gives me a different lens for viewing my performance. Tailor specific questions to your situation and the gift of feedback becomes a performance multiplier.

Please always take note of the feedback received so you can review it and adjust it based on the situation, making it possible to avoid repeating the same mistake. Also, it helps track your feedback implementation and makes it easy for you to adjust the feedback, even in critical situations.

The timing of the feedback is also important. Sometimes immediately after is appropriate but there may be times when you need to give space to the other person before giving feedback. Too quick/in the moment feedback may feel powerful but it's not always needed. The choice of words is something that determines the impact. Use simple language but appropriate to the situation. Weight in the emotional impact of the feedback to ensure you generate positive motivation through the feedback. Agreeing on the mechanism and timing of the feedback with the person who you are supporting will also help set parameters. It's similar to establishing guardrails to ensure the process of feedback is robust.

Follow up is always important Providing feedback is great, but it should not stop there. You need to engage in a few follow up sessions to ensure that your initial feedback was received, understood and executed in the expected manner. It is often seen that post a feedback meeting you feel positive that the recipient understands only to find out weeks or months later that they completely misunderstood the feedback and now the situation is worse. On the other hand, we need the follow up to ensure that the feedback is working constructively if it was a solution to a problem as if not, then we need to re-evaluate the situation and look for a new solution that’s practical and sustainable. In essence Feedback Effectiveness review.

All feedback is helpful, but that doesn't mean it's all worth acting on. Sometimes feedback misses the mark because the individual offering it doesn't have full context of the situation. Even though we may not use feedback from an "armchair quarterback," it gives us insights into how that individual views problems. That, separate from the situation, can help us grow by broadening our perspectives. It also helps us better understand where that team member can provide the most value.