Giving constructive feedback involves sharing information or perceptions with another about the nature, quality, or impact of that person’s behavior, in such a way that recipients maintain a positive attitude toward themselves and their work. It can range from giving feedback pertaining specifically to a person’s work (performance) to impressions of how aspects of that person’s interpersonal behavior may be pervasively affecting relationships with others.
Feedback is an integral part of two-way communication. It is the link between the things you do and say, and understanding the impact these have on others. In terms of influencing people at work feedback is, perhaps, the most important interpersonal skillOpens in new window that leaders can develop.
Feedback is a key leadership skill that is imperative to the long-term success of the organization, the team, and the leader. Giving feedback is an essential leadership skill in the development of employees as suggested in the following list.
Feedback helps employees achieve their goals. One key characteristic of a good leader is that they are able to reach organizational goals by motivating others. Giving constructive feedback helps individuals grow by learning how they can improve and by reinforcing the activities they are doing well. This ultimately helps them achieve both personal and organizational goals.
Feedback builds trustOpens in new window between the leader and employee. Although it can initially be challenging, when an employee and leaders become adept at giving and receiving feedback—it is a two-way street—it builds a foundation of trust. When done well, the feedback process should not be anxiety-inducing for either party. It should be a mutually beneficial learning experience that helps individuals gain new insights that will help them improve performance.
Feedback influences employee engagement. In organizations where leadership knows how to give effective feedback, employees are more engaged. According to Gallup, ‘“When employees strongly agree that their manager provides meaningful feedback to them, they are 3.5x more likely to be engaged than other employees.’ Additionally, ‘Employees who receive daily feedback from their manager are 3x more likely to be engaged than those who receive feedback once a year or less.”’
A higher level of engagement is associated with better performance, lower turnover, and higher rates of employee satisfaction, all essential elements of staying competitive and attracting top talent.
Feedback reinforces individual accountability. An organization—whether large or small, corporate or not-for-profit, complex or traditionally structured—cannot function to its fullest if individuals do not take accountability for their projects, tasks, and behaviors.
Keep in mind that accountability is defined as a commitment to follow through on what has been agreed upon and to take ownership of the outcome.
Feedback is crucial at reinforcing an individual’s accountability to their commitment as it provides support, guidance, and direction in a way that builds confidence.
In our view feedback is the characteristic that differentiates between:
leaders who successfully motivate and develop their staff and those who struggle in their leader-follower relationship role
coaches and advisers who really succeed in improving performance and those who just skim the surface
trainers who effectively impart skills that are transferred into the workplace and those who just run training courses
mentors who release potential and those who strife it
people who make effective team members and those who get in the way of team performance.
Giving Constructive Feedback
Feedback has been defined as:
Information about performance or behavior that leads to an action to affirm or develop that performance or behavior.
Letting direct reports know what they have done [that] has not reached the standard, so that plans can be agreed with them on how to prevent a recurrence of that behavior and how to progress to the required standard.
What is key about these definitions is that they assume the person receiving the feedback can actually do something right or, if not, there is a positive way forward to getting it right. In other words, the assumption is that feedback is constructive: it is about building on what is good and planning further development.
The Difference Between (Constructive) Feedback And (Destructive) Criticism
Feedback can either be:
positive — reinforcing good performance and behaviors, or
negative — correcting and improving poor performance and behaviors.
Both types of feedback can, and must, be constructive. The two major problems are:
a lack of positive feedback — there is no recognition or affirmation of good performance
negative feedback provided in such a way that it becomes destructive criticism.
Destructive criticism tends to occur when feedback is given only when things go wrong (does this sound familiar?) and when there are no agreed standards against which to measure behavior or performance, or any plan for development.
It tends to come in the form of generalized, subjective comments, often focusing on personal traits or perceived attitudes, rather than in the form of objective comments focusing on specific examples of behaviors.
For example, telling someone “I don’t like your attitude” is destructive criticism. Instead you need to comment on the behaviors that are causing the problem, providing specific examples. Criticism can be very destructive to personal relationships and to any prospective development strategy.
Where there are agreed standards of behavior and performance, and two-way communication about what has gone right as well as what has gone wrong, there is feedback that we define as constructive feedback.
So, in summary, constructive feedback:
provides information about behavior and performance against objective standards in such a way that recipients maintain a positive attitude towards themselves and their work.
encourages recipients to commit themselves to a personal plan to move towards agreed standards of behavior and performance.
Graphics courtesy of PPossibilities Unlimited Inc.Opens in new window
