Why It’s Important To Give Feedback Within 48 Hours of an Issue Taking Place

When giving feedback, it really is a case of the sooner, the better.

The longer you wait, the less impact you’re going to be able to make and the more time wasted.

If you were doing something wrong, wouldn’t you want to know ASAP so you can correct your actions and make improvements straight away? And save you from any further embarrassment?

If you were building Ikea Furniture, when would you want to know you’d put the base on the wrong way round? Straight after you’ve done it? Or when you’re inserting the drawers and realise the fixings are back to front?

I know which one I would want.

Too often we wait for the “right time” to give feedback.

I remember with one company I worked at, we used to have fortnightly meetings and I would listen to the managers in the meeting complaining about a member of the team's performance and how there had been a complaint made.

2 weeks later, the name was brought up again. The manager said “I haven’t had a chance to say anything yet”

4 weeks later “I haven’t had a chance to say anything yet but things seem to be improving.”

8 weeks later “I haven’t had a chance to say anything but all seems to be good now!”.

16 weeks later – “We’ve had another complaint against XX for the same performance issue as before."

Now this is 16 weeks later, a whole team of managers are all thinking what a nightmare this person is and dissing their poor performance. When in reality, this person is completely unaware that there has been an issue or a complaint AT ALL!

How are they expected to have improved when they don’t know that they are making mistakes?

This might seem an extreme example – but I bet most people reading this can think of a time when they have buried their head in the sand a bit – and hoped the problem would just go away. I know I have!

Giving feedback doesn’t need to be as hard as we often make it out to be.

9 times out of 10, the person will be aware of the issue on some level so it will not be surprise.

Further to this, they will likely thank you for being honest with them and helping them to improve!