5 Ways To Deliver Feedback Effectively

In my current role, often I have to coach people to help them learn and grow in the organization. Constructive criticism delivered thoughtfully, with the best intention boosts employee morale, learning and productivity. Over the course of the last few years I had the opportunities to give and receive feedback (not fun!) many a time and here are the excerpts from my notes:

1)    Ensure Clarity: The content is critical and must be easy to understand. Never change the basic content as you progress with your discussion. Try to avoid complex sentences/ words and keep it as simple as possible. The intention is to ensure that the counterpart understands the message clearly.

2)    Be Specific: Giving generic feedback like “Improve your deliverable quality” will not help anyone. Be as specific as possible and give few examples on specific instances where the expectations were not met along with sample action plans (Think how you would have done it if you were in their shoes) which they can further refine.

3)    Focus on your tone: Maintain a neutral tone and body language, especially while having a difficult conversation. It would be best if you can practice this ahead of time to ensure that the message hits the right note without getting too emotional while speaking.

4)    Choose the right words: The same message can be delivered in 100 different ways. The recipient is more likely to resist, dismiss or get plain emotional (sometimes you just can’t help it!) if the words are not carefully chosen. Always try to end on a positive note.

5)    Practice makes perfect: It is always a good idea to practice a few sentences ahead of time, to get used to hearing it!

Happy Coaching!!