7 Steps for How to Give Feedback

One of the things that most leaders and managers dislike doing is giving feedback. This stems from two main reasons. You don't know how to give feedback in the proper way so it makes the conversations uncomfortable and you don’t like to hurt a team member's feelings. The reality is that not having regular quality conversations with your team members, which includes feedback and constructive criticism, will result in people walking on eggshells and the team not growing. You will also not develop strong leaders that help your business and team get to the next level. In this post, I want to share with you a proven approach that has led me to build highly productive teams. Share this with your managers and colleagues to help everyone elevate their feedback approach.

The 7 Steps of Giving Constructive Feedback

Give Praise

Schedule a time to meet with your employee, and start the conversation by talking about their gifts and how much you believe in them. You’ll need to praise how much value they bring to your organization and share that you believe in their capabilities.

Show Vulnerability

In step number two, you need to talk about your own mistakes during your career. By sharing your experiences, you’ll be able to show that you are relatable. Any good leader should be talking more about their failures than their successes with their team.

Ask for Permission

Next, you need to ask your employee for permission to be direct. Ask them if you can be very honest with them, and you’ll find they usually say yes. If they do say no, schedule another time to talk to them again in this manner. Pressing the situation with an unwilling team member will result in an unproductive conversation.

Highlight the Issue

Highlighting the issue should be your next step to delivering constructive criticism effectively. State what you want to speak about, and ask about what happened during the situation you need to discuss. Give them the opportunity to share their side of the story. Ask as many questions as possible to understand what’s been happening in their work or personal life. Let them talk without interrupting them and listen with care.

Provide Direction

Once you understand what the issue is, it’s your job as a leader to give proper direction. What has worked really well for me to add credibility to the advice and direction I’m giving is to suggest a video, article, or book from a credible source that backs up my advice. This way the attitude of “who are you to give me that advice” is easily silenced in a productive way.

Hold them Accountable

Next, you need to hold the person accountable. You need to give them a deadline for the action you’ve suggested and tell them clearly what you expect from them. If possible, agree

End with Praise

To continue motivating your employee, you need to instill belief and confidence in them. Tell them about their strengths and how you believe in them to be able to make these changes. Provide examples to not only remind them they are capable but also to signal to them that you are watching and care.

By following these seven simple steps and acting in a sensitive and caring manner, you’ll see that your employees will be more welcoming of constructive feedback. It will create a culture where everyone is accepting of feedback and you’ll help to elevate your employees which in return will elevate your team or business to the next level.

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