Giving Feedback

How to Give Feedback That Promotes Employee Engagement by Violet Dhu

“Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man’s growth without destroying his roots.” – Frank A. Clark

Studies have reported that giving feedback helps improve employee engagement and promotes productivity. This, however, relies heavily on how the feedback is given, which affects how the feedback will be received. This is one of the reasons why many leaders seek to improve their skills in giving feedback.

Check out these tips on how to give feedback that promotes employee engagement.

1. Schedule ahead of time

A surprised employee may be uncertain to receive any kind of feedback. He or she is more likely to become defensive and take the feedback negatively. Schedule the feedback and inform your colleague ahead of time of when the feedback conversation will be and what it will be about.

Things to remember when informing a colleague about upcoming feedback conversation:

  • Be specific on what the feedback will be to avoid striking fear and dread. Having your colleague feel fear and dread is not a good way to start a feedback conversation.
  • Inform your colleague about how long the feedback conversation will be. This will help him or her prepare for the conversation.
  • Let your colleague have a say on when the feedback conversation will be.

2. Present Data and Facts

Presenting tangible data and facts in a feedback conversation is more likely to produce a positive response from your colleague. Focusing on the data and facts allows you to focus on the behaviour rather than the person, which also helps you avoid making assumptions. When you present facts, you give your colleague a chance to clarify his or her actions and participate in the conversation.

3. Offer an Impact Statement

Why does this fact matter, and who on the team is affected by it?” By offering an impact statement, you are telling your colleague how important this feedback conversation is and how your work or current project will be affected by the outcome of this conversation.

4. Ask a Question

Question to ask should be open ended to help guide your colleague how to navigate forward, constructively. Your question should motivate your colleague into creating a solution to the problem at hand.

Face-to-face communication has never been more important now that we are moving on from the impact of this pandemic. If you’re thinking about improving your communication skills on giving feedback, join Violet Dhu in her upcoming online workshop on Giving and Receiving Feedback on 7th of August.

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