Feedback on Performance - How Receiving and Giving Great Feedback Can Drive Outstanding Results
Feedback on performance in the working environment is very important for a variety of different reasons:
Employees want to learn and grow. Without feedback, they will be rudderless
To improve the workplace environment and ascertain that everyone is aligned towards a common goal
To get your team to the next level
In this blog post, I would like to share some best practices surrounding feedback on performance for both the feedback giver and the feedback receiver.
“Feedback is often raw data veiled in someone’s opinion or judgment.
~ Thanks for the Feedback! (Stone, et al…)”
Feedback Receiver
I would encourage you to remember that feedback on your performance is a gift. It is not always easy to hear, and some feedback givers don’t deliver feedback well. However, try to look past the possible poor delivery and look to the crux of what is being shared with you. Is there merit in what the person is saying? How might you look at it from their perspective and consider how they are seeing it? Might you make some changes according to their feedback and see how it works?
Also, try not to take the feedback on your performance personally. This is easier said than done. Remember, feedback in the workplace is a reflection on your work and not on you as a person.
A great strategy to better understand what the feedback giver is sharing and why is to ask for more details. Try saying: “Hmmmm, that’s interesting that you say that. Tell me more.” Or , “What did you notice that led you to provide me with that feedback?” Try to get to the raw data of what they observed or didn’t observe.
If you are team member who is not getting enough feedback on your performance from either your colleagues, your manager or your stakeholders, the best thing you can do is to ask for it. Be specific about what you are looking for feedback on.
Requests – Performance Feedback Examples:
I would like to get your thoughts on my presentation skills. Specifically, I am looking for feedback on section two when I talk about the data and the graphs. Are my explanations clear? Do I go into too much detail?
I would like to get your thoughts on my presentation skills. Specifically, I am looking for feedback on my delivery. Do I fidget too much? Perhaps I speak too quickly. Do I seem nervous or confident to you when I present my Power Point?
Do you see how the two requests above are very specific? They are clearly telling the observer what to focus on and where the requester feels they might need help.
If we are not specific in our requests and we ask general questions like: “What did you think of my presentation?” The response we often get is: “Yeah, it was good.” This kind of feedback generally doesn’t serve us. There is nothing we can learn and no way we can grow with a response like that.
Feedback Givers
Feedback is a funny thing. When we receive feedback, it is often times raw data veiled in someone’s opinion or judgment. (Douglas Stone, et al..)
Imagine that you are at a cocktail party and one of the guests is standing in the corner all by themselves. One of the partygoers might share with you the following observation: “That person standing in the corner all by themselves not talking to anyone thinks that they are too good for anyone here and that is why they are not engaged in conversation.”
Another attendee might say: “That person standing in the corner all by themselves not talking is so shy. They would love to be engaged in conversation, but they don’t know how to approach people and introduce themselves.”
And a third person might share: "That person standing in the corner all by themselves not talking to anyone is normally very sociable. However, they had a fight with their partner before coming here this evening and they are just not at their best."
All or none of the above might be true. The reality is…. we don’t know unless we ask.
If you are a feedback giver, I would encourage you to suspend judgment. Be curious! Start by sharing the raw data that you either observed, or didn’t observe, and then ask an open-ended question to find out what is going on.
Performance Review Phrases - Examples:
I noticed that you raised your voice with a customer today. Help me understand what happened there….
It seems like you've been coming in late quite often recently. Just wanted to check in to make sure everything is ok. How can I help?
I noticed that you didn't participate in today's team meeting. I’m curious, what was the reason for that?
Try to understand what is happening for other person and why you are observing the given behaviour. If you can suspend judgment and simply be interested, you and the other person will benefit in many ways.
You will gain insight and understanding as to the crux of the issue
The other person will feel heard and understood which will result in a strengthened relationship
The likelihood that you will be able to resolve the issue together is much greater as this type of approach allows for vulnerability and trust building.
Positive Things to Say in a Performance Review
As much as possible, your feedback should be timely. Don’t wait many weeks or months to give feedback on something. The other person might not remember, and it is so much less effective. Try to give feedback as best you can in the moment or shortly thereafter.
When giving feedback during a performance review, remember to speak to the specific task, project, deliverable. Avoid critiquing the person or their character.
I hope this blog post gives you some good ideas to get started with if you are looking to improve your leadership skills around feedback. There is so much more that goes into the art of giving great feedback. One book that I cannot recommend enough is Thanks for the Feedback by Stone and Heen (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.). It deconstructs what feedback is & isn’t and gives some indispensable advice on how to give and receive feedback well. Click here to check it out. (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases
Do you want more personalized help with your feedback skills or building your leadership toolkit overall? Don’t hesitate to reach out here.
Interested in Learning More About Feedback?
Here are some additional resources that might be helpful. Please Google the titles below.
What Managers Get Wrong About Feedback – Harvard Business Review Ideacast
Constructive Feedback for Managers: Giving Feedback Effectively – Forward Focus
5 Steps to Giving Good Feedback – The Muse