Giving and receiving feedback in the workplace is one of the most important aspects of motivating employees to be more productive and grow as professionals. There are two main types of feedback: positive and constructive. Employers use positive feedback to praise their workers and constructive feedback to inform them about how to improve.
Knowing how to give feedback professionally can also prevent a waste of time, resources, and energy. It can strengthen interpersonal relationships within the team, raise self-awareness, and develop positive habits, too.
In this article, we provide examples of correctly giving and receiving feedback, discuss mistakes to avoid, and share tips on creating a feedback-friendly workplace.
Key Takeaways
- Sharing feedback among colleagues can create healthy relationships and a positive work culture and help employees improve their overall performance.
- Individuals providing feedback need to be objective and transparent, structure their input well, and avoid stereotypical behavior.
- Employees who receive feedback should consider it a means of development, avoid over-defensiveness, and respond to it with action.
- Being too harsh and vague, using inappropriate language, or giving feedback in public can make the recipients fearful of criticism in the future.
- Employers can create a feedback-friendly work culture by encouraging open dialogue, organizing training and workshops, and using different methods for giving and receiving feedback in the workplace.
5 Golden Rules for Giving Feedback
Although it may seem easy, giving feedback requires tact, empathy, and clarity. Many things could go wrong if providing feedback is not done right (e.g., lowering employees’ self-esteem or straining relationships).
Let’s take a look at the five golden rules for giving feedback below:
#1. Be Specific and Objective
Using ambiguous or vague language when providing feedback can lead to misunderstandings and render your intentions futile. For example, if you say, ‘You need to improve your work,’ your colleague may not know what exactly you are referring to.
Instead, you can say, ‘I noticed that you didn’t meet the deadline on the last task, which delayed our last project.’ You can also suggest improving time management skills by saying, ‘I noticed that this task is overdue. Can you try to prioritize your work better for future tasks?’
Developing communication skills is good for preventing vague feedback. It is also essential to be objective and not point out something the receiver has no control over (e.g., the client’s late response to an email).
#2. Focus on Behavior, Not Personality
Providing feedback directly focusing on an employee’s behavior can get to the core of the problem and ensure they do not feel attacked. This is because addressing an employee’s personality may sound offensive and unrelated to the issue.
For instance, instead of saying, ‘You do not care about what we have to say in daily meetings,’ you can say: “I haven’t seen you in daily meetings for a while. Is everything all right?’ Furthermore, you address the problem by saying, ‘You are missing important details that we discuss in our daily meetings. Would you mind joining them more often?’
Being impartial and not jumping to conclusions about someone’s personality will allow you to focus on and discuss their behavior. This will also make giving and receiving feedback in the workplace smoother.
#3. Use the “Feedback Sandwich” Wisely
One of the golden rules for giving feedback is to use the sandwich method. It requires you to start positively, address the area that needs improvement, and end with praise or a compliment.
This way, colleagues receiving feedback will not feel discouraged or focus solely on their flaws. However, this method is generally overused and does not fit every situation.
Specifically, you should use this method only if you are prepared to provide positive and constructive criticism. Creating and sharing two random appraisals while addressing one element that needs improvement will likely be ineffective.
In contrast, we recommend sharing only constructive feedback if that is everything you have prepared. The same rule applies to providing positive feedback.
#4. Give Feedback Promptly
Discussing a recent situation is more efficient than bringing up something that cannot be changed or that everyone has forgotten. This is why you have to provide timely feedback.
The issue you bring up too late may relate to a one-time situation that never happened again. Similar situations may not allow employees to improve, which can cause frustration and resentment.
You can share feedback ‘at the moment’ or right after you see the opportunity. In addition, giving and receiving feedback in the workplace daily can also be a good idea. Plus, you can give your employees the benefit of the doubt and see if the situation is temporary or something worth addressing.
#5. Adapt Your Approach to the Individual
Not everyone has the same attitudes, perspectives, and beliefs, especially in a diverse work environment. Therefore, getting to know your colleagues well and brushing up on your interpersonal skills before providing feedback is a nice way to get good results.
When giving feedback, you can adapt your tone of voice and body language and choose your words carefully. For example, if you talk with an overly sensitive person, you should approach with a friendly and gentle tone.
You can even joke with employees whose sense of humor is exceptionally noticeable. Moreover, someone who takes things literally may need a more black-or-white approach or at least some further explanations.
For instance, you can say, ‘Being late can lead to repercussions. However, in your case, we can make an exception as this only happened once.’
5 Golden Rules for Receiving Feedback
Receiving feedback is a great opportunity for growth. Still, many people mix it with criticism and take it personally. As a result, some individuals may experience low self-esteem, self-doubting thoughts, feelings of low self-worth, and even imposter syndrome at work.
Additionally, wrong feedback interpretation can cause panic, frustration, feelings of not belonging to a specific place, and other unpleasant feelings. Not tackling these situations appropriately can lead to further problems, such as mental health issues, burnout in the workplace, and lower productivity.
Finally, negative reactions to feedback can intensify the work atmosphere. Because of this, employers sometimes avoid giving and receiving feedback in the workplace, which can cause stagnation in workers’ improvement and development.
Let’s discover the five golden rules for receiving feedback and learn how to receive feedback professionally:
#1. Listen Without Defensiveness
It is common for people to react defensively when receiving feedback. This is typically because they perceive it as criticism, censure, a threat, or a direct attack on their personality. However, if the employer provides well-structured constructive feedback, you should focus on listening rather than preparing your defense.
Focusing on your defense can distract you from learning the details of potential improvement areas. Interrupting your interlocutor, not allowing them to finish what they have to say, and denying things before you even hear them can disrupt and intensify your relationship with that person.
Alternatively, you can listen attentively, consider what your coworker is saying, and wait for them to finish. Once they are done, you can express your opinion on the topic and ask them to elaborate on some aspects if necessary.
#2. Separate Feedback from Self-Worth
A one-time underperformance or a lousy period does not shape who you are. These are the temporary signs that you may have overseen something or need a rest, more focus, more effort, or more time developing particular skills (e.g., technical skills).
So, if you receive constructive feedback, pay attention solely to the working aspects it addresses and think of ways to improve them. This will prevent you from having unnecessary thoughts and feelings related to your personality, habits, or perspectives that may further hinder your progress at work.
Also, being free from intrusive thoughts and low feelings will allow you to focus entirely on your advancement. You will also build your self-confidence and see feedback as a means to broaden your horizons.
#3. Ask for Clarification If Needed
Another piece of advice on receiving feedback with a growth mindset is to ask for more details if necessary. Needless to say, an individual who gives you feedback may not explain everything perfectly. Being a good listener helps you identify the vague parts of input or the elements you do not fully understand.
You may also not be fully concentrated or able to receive feedback at a specific moment. Even then, you can agree to have a conversation but ask for additional explanations if needed.
This will allow you to acknowledge what exactly you need to change and how. More so, asking for clarification will let the other party know that you are respectful of them and interested in what they have to say. Lastly, the more details you get, the fewer chances of misunderstanding there will be.
#4. Express Gratitude for Feedback
Being grateful for receiving feedback creates a warm, relaxed, and friendly atmosphere between you and the person giving feedback. This also makes the individual giving feedback feel more appreciated, motivating them to provide well-constructed and valuable feedback in the future.
Even if you do not completely agree with your interlocutor, you can still thank them for taking the time to share feedback. If you are on the same page as the person giving feedback, you can even express your opinion about the improvement process. This can be another motivating element for your colleagues to approach you again when needed.
#5. Take Action on Feedback
Giving and receiving feedback in the workplace is effective only if employees take proper action. This is because taking little or no action on feedback is equal to a situation where nobody told you anything in the first place.
On the contrary, responding to feedback automatically shows that you pay attention to what the person sharing feedback says, understand the feedback, and are willing to improve.
To follow up on feedback, implement the suggestions you get from your coworkers. If you do not fully agree with what they said or do not agree with them at all, schedule another meeting. This can help you and the feedback giver share more thoughts about the situation and find common ground as well as the best solution for everyone.
Taking action on feedback also implies setting feedback-based goals (e.g., attending more networking events) for self-improvement. You can prioritize your goals based on their importance and discuss them with other employees to ensure their effectiveness.
Common Feedback Mistakes to Avoid
Even though every company should strive to give and receive workplace feedback, many fail due to potential negative employee reactions. In addition, many managers may deliver feedback poorly, which can directly affect employees’ well-being.
Let’s check the common feedback mistakes to avoid:
- Being too vague. Overgeneralizing situations when providing feedback can lead to vagueness and miscommunication. Also, not putting effort into elaborating on what you have to say, sugarcoating, or being indirect can create an intense atmosphere among workers.
- Providing feedback publicly. Regardless of your management style, finding the right time to have a group and individual feedback session is crucial for efficiency. If you give feedback publicly to only one colleague, they may feel humiliated or called out. They may also take your actions personally and hold a grudge against you, which can increase negativity in the work environment.
- Using harsh or condescending language. There’s a hard line between being direct and objective and using disrespectful language. Your word choice should radiate empathy and compassion instead of scolding or threats. You must look up to giving feedback as a constructive dialogue, not a punishment.
4 Must-Know Tips for Creating a Feedback-Friendly Workplace
The importance of giving and receiving feedback in the workplace is seen in enhanced collaboration, communication, and overall performance.
However, creating a feedback-friendly culture may be challenging for various reasons. Some of them include not putting much effort into creating a structured feedback process, fearing feedback instead of seeing it as a growth tool, and marginalizing the importance of this process.
Let us examine the four must-know tips for creating a feedback-friendly workplace:
#1. Encourage Open Dialogue
Encouraging open dialogue when giving and receiving feedback in the workplace enhances healthy communication. Managers should avoid giving lectures or monologues, interrupting and leaving no space for the other person to talk.
On the other hand, allowing employees to have their say, taking their opinions into consideration, and leading a non-biased, open dialogue can help establish a feedback-friendly environment. Employees will not feel threatened in such an environment and will gladly accept any form of feedback or even feel encouraged to ask for it from time to time.
#2. Train Managers and Employees on Effective Feedback Techniques
Both managers and employees may have different feedback experiences—some may know more, some may know less, and they may dislike or like it. This is why it is helpful to organize training and workshops for them.
For instance, you can create a workshop and discuss the following aspects:
- Why giving and receiving feedback in the workplace is beneficial
- What makes employees fear feedback, and what makes it less effective
- How to implement suitable feedback models:
- Star model (Situation, Task, Action, Result)
- SBI model (Situation-Behavior-Impact)
- Coin model (Context-Observation-Impact-Next Step)
- Pendelton model
#3. Implement Regular Performance Reviews and Check-Ins
As said, waiting too long to provide feedback can make it irrelevant and pointless, as employees may not be able to respond to it. Also, providing feedback rarely (e.g., once a year) can lead to workers feeling overwhelmed as they receive too much information and have a lot to follow up on.
This is the main reason why employers should encourage regular feedback in the workplace. Managers can also ask employees to attend one-on-one meetings where they can share and discuss their ideas on giving and receiving feedback in the workplace, their progress, etc.
#4. Lead by Example
Using your leadership skills to establish the norm for giving and receiving feedback in the workplace plays a huge role in creating a friendly feedback environment. In other words, giving good feedback examples to other employees can help them learn what this process is, why it is important, and how to streamline it.
In addition to providing direct examples, managers’ decision-making skills, overall behavior, affectation, body language, way of conversing, and mood should be the greatest examples of all. By showing that you are ready to be compassionate, objective, unbiased, prudent, and cooperative, you can inspire other colleagues to do the same.
Final Thoughts
Understanding the importance of giving and receiving feedback in the workplace can create a positive working culture, increase productivity, and promote overall employee growth. For this process to be successful, feedback givers and receivers have to focus on several key details.
Those who provide feedback should be objective and focus on the behavior, not the person. Managers also need to think of ways to approach every employee according to their personality and do this promptly. Using a ‘feedback sandwich’ method may be a great idea, but only if there are both positive and negative elements to include.
Additionally, employees who receive feedback should not get defensive and see it as criticism. Instead, they need to listen attentively, consider ways to improve, and ask for clarifications if necessary. Receiving feedback gracefully also requires not taking it personally but being thankful and responding to it by taking action.
