What are some tips for giving feedback to clients from different cultures?

2 Learn about your client's culture

To give feedback that is relevant and appropriate for your client, you need to learn about their cultural values and norms. How do they view the role of the teacher and the learner? How do they express respect and appreciation? How do they handle feedback and criticism? How do they communicate verbally and non-verbally? You can research online, read books, watch videos, or ask your client directly about their culture. Be respectful, curious, and open-minded.

3 Adapt your feedback style

When providing feedback, you should consider the timing, format, content, tone, and body language to best suit your client's culture. You can give feedback immediately after a performance or wait for a later session, and choose to use a sandwich method, direct method, rating scale, checklist, or narrative. The content of your feedback should focus on technical, artistic, or personal aspects of the vocal performance. Your tone should be formal or informal with positive or negative words and you may choose to use humor or sarcasm. Additionally, you should use eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, or physical contact to show your feedback non-verbally.

4 Check for understanding

After you give feedback, you need to check if your client understood and accepted your feedback. You can ask them to repeat, summarize, or demonstrate what they learned from your feedback. You can also ask them how they feel about your feedback, what they liked or disliked, and what they need more or less of. You can also encourage them to ask questions, give comments, or share their own feedback. This way, you can ensure that your feedback is clear, helpful, and respectful.

5 Seek feedback on your feedback

Finally, you need to seek feedback on your feedback from your client. You can ask them to rate your feedback on a scale, fill out a survey, or write a review. You can also ask them to give you suggestions on how to improve your feedback style, content, or delivery. You can also seek feedback from other vocal coaches, mentors, or peers who have experience with different cultures. By seeking feedback, you can learn from your mistakes, celebrate your successes, and grow as a vocal coach.

6 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?