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Brain Circuits
Struggling to give feedback? Here’s how to start
For leaders, giving performance feedback can feel uncomfortable and awkward. Here are the first three prerequisites.
1. Choose the right timing and setting
Giving feedback effectively hinges on choosing your moment and place. Whether it’s a project or an event or some kind of behavioral issue, don’t wait too long – but don’t do it in the heat of the moment, either. Aim to be as objective and dispassionate as possible, and to minimize stress.
As a rule of thumb, the right time is:
- soon after the event or behavior
- when all parties are calm
- when you all have time to dedicate to the conversation
- when there are few or no distractions
As for the setting, seek to give your feedback:
- somewhere private where you won’t be disturbed
- somewhere neutral where the power balance feels less acute
- face-to-face, if possible
- somewhere where you can avoid having to multitask.
2. Be clear in intent
Giving feedback should never be a power play. Your objective is to help clarify and rectify a situation and lay the ground for growth and improvement. With this in mind:
- be clear about your intent
- assume that others have good intent…
- … but be careful not to demand that they assume it of you
- keep the focus on the outcome of your intent; not just the intent itself.
3. Positive/negative ratio
It’s crucial to balance the positive with the negative. In general, aim to:
- avoid being overly negative so as not to demotivate your employee
- avoid being overly positive to maintain balance and ensure your input is complete
- skew towards interactions that favor growth and enhanced performance
Key learnings
Giving feedback is a critical aspect of your leadership. Finding the right time and the place to give it, being upfront and clear about your intention, and keeping things essentially positive will help you get it right.
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