How To Give Difficult Feedback At Work

HOW TO GIVE DIFFICULT FEEDBACK AT WORK (Without Hurting Feelings) Chances are that at some point you will have to give somebody you work with feedback when you identify an opportunity for improvement. However, many people get this process completely wrong, and alienate colleagues rather than inspiring them. If you have ever received negative feedback that was not constructive, chances are you remembered how it made you feel long afterwards. And it's likely that it didn't really motivate you to try and improve! Let's take a look at a more effective way you can go about giving feedback, that will motivate others, help you establish yourself as a credible mentor, and make people appreciate your guidance. LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS Build trust uoithin your team People only respect others who give them a reason to. Unfortunately, many people forget this, and try to demand respect based purely on their title. Your employees won't respect or listen to you just because you want them to, so you have to build genuine trust. Passion = Performance People who are passionate about their role and believe in the company will tend to perform better, so making everyone on your team feel valued will drive them to help you succeed. "People seldom refuse help, if one offers it in the right way." A. C Benson THE PROCESS Be empathetic There is always a reason why somebody isn't performing, so rather than going in all guns blazing telling somebody that they are doing a poor job, it is more effective to try to understand why, and work with them to offer the necessary support. People don't usually mess up on purpose! Start wwith something positive Don't just jump straight in with your negative points about someone's performance. Instead, start by complimenting them on something that they are doing well. This way they will not feel attacked, and will be more open to hearing your suggestions for improvement. Suggest improwements Rather than just telling someone that something could be done better, explain how. Helping people improve is often welcome, but just telling somebody their performance is bad with no suggestions for improvement will just dampen their spirits and probably make them less confident and motivated. End on a high Once you have let them know what you think could be done differently and why that would be beneficial, round up with another compliment. It is a good idea to highlight a strength, something that you think brings value to their work in general. THE BENEFITS TO THIS METHOD Your team feel empowered Unclear feedback often leaves people feeling helpless and like there is no point trying, as they do not know exactly what they have done wrong or what they can do to improve. By offering clear suggestions, you are giving a goal to work towards! You maintain your credibility By thinking through what your reasons for providing feedback are, and carefully constructing your feedback so that it is clear and actionable you are making a good case for why your advice should be followed. Badly thought through feedback will just make people doubt your judgement and competence. You build trust Employees will come to resent you if they feel unjustly criticised, and they won't feel committed or loyal to you. Well thought through feedback with a clear goal and a focus on the positive aspects makes people want to try harder, knowing they can ask for help or guidance if they need to. noticeboards online Brought to you by Noticeboards Online Ltd Sources: www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2015/08/29/how-to-give-constructive-feedback/ http://www.inc.com/matthew-jones/the-simple-way-to-give-difficult-feedback-without-hurting-feelings.html http://www.amanet.org/training/articles/Do-You-Know-How-to-Give-Constructive-Feedback.aspx