Manufacture Your Day by BEING WILLING TO GIVE AND RECEIVE CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK

If you learn to provide feedback without being judgmental (being aware is the first step), you can truly help people to get to the next level.

As human beings, we are easy to judge but it is important to understand that when we judge people, we limit them. This is probably the biggest challenge in my profession as a coach – self-management of judgmental thoughts.

Providing consistent, constructive feedback is a challenge that most managers have in common. It is easier to provide feedback when it comes to job skills but when it comes to attitude, tardy behaviour and poor character, it can frighten people just thinking about it.

If you are one of these managers, acknowledge it and be determined to tackle this challenge. Providing feedback is a skill that can be learned and it will become easy as soon as you have a process in place and start to practice.

Feedback is there for 2 reasons:

• Help people to improve
• Reinforce positive attitudes and behaviours that you would like them to continue (most of the time overlooked)

Nobody wants to get criticized but most people will appreciate if you help them to get better.

Here is a simple constructive feedback process that works:

1. Tell the person what he/she is doing well (be very specific) – vague feedback is no feedback
2. Bring yourself into a mental state of wanting to help the person (non-judgmental, non-criticizing)
3. Ask “Can I give you a success tip that will help you to do even better?” or “Can give you one of my thoughts that will help you to become even better at what you do?” (find your own wording)
4. If you………., it will help you (it will benefit you, it will be good for the team/family, etc.)…… because…… (depending on the scenario, describe the impact on the feedback receiver, on other people or on the company).

This process works at home with your spouse and with your children as well.

I also really like Simon Sinek’s process when it comes to difficult conversations such as confrontation. He calls it FBI (feeling, behaviour, impact).

Please watch the following video: Effective Confrontation

Another video with a great process: 3 Funny Examples of Giving Feedback

Be gracious and receptive whenever you are on the receiving end because constructive feedback is truly a gift.

If you want to become better, you will.

Food for Thought:

How do you feel when you have to give constructive feedback? Do you get defensive when you receive feedback?