Basic Principles of Feedback
What is the problem with the feedback in the picture?
First of all, it's not feedback at all. In our culture, feedback refers to any kind of criticism. In fact, feedback is information that is intended to change a person's behavior or actions.
Second, feedback is not supposed to be about personality — it's supposed to be about actions. A person can't change their character or personality in a short amount of time, but they can change their behavior.
FEEDBACK SHOULD BE:
- Specific, based on facts
- Not about personality, but about action
- Timely (safe, relevant)
Effective Feedback Structures
AID
This model is great for one-way feedback on an action, a task done or not done, a behavior, or a situation.
AID allows you to be specific and to build a logical thread from action through "drama" into sentences, shows the relationship of actions. Allows you to focus not on the question of why, but on what to do.
Action
To begin with, it is necessary to outline the actions under discussion. Emphasis is on what was going on, not on your interpretation or evaluation of the process. You don't have to focus on what the intentions were, who made a mistake or misbehaved where. Limit the number of actions you comment on a level they can handle – far better to give feedback on one key action that they can digest and build on to make a difference, than ten things which leaves the message diluted (and invariably leaves them demotivated).
Action questions to consider:
- What are you there to discuss?
- What did you see?
- What evidence/facts are there for this performance level?
Impact
In this part, we determine where this leads. What went wrong (or really good), where the mistake happened (or insight), what it affected. This can include positive or negative impact on the end result, or on the process itself.
If something has gone wrong, this step will shift the focus from people to specific actions and decisions.
Otherwise when giving praise it is easy to say to someone ‘that was really good, well done’ without saying why it was good or what made the difference this time compared with previous occasions.
Impact questions to consider:
- What impact is this performance having on the team?
- How does this performance effect other departments?
- How is the customer (internal or external) impacted?
- What evidence do you have for this?
Development or Desired Behaviour
Remember, the purpose of feedback is to enhance performance and motivate. So this last stage is important to determine what happens next e.g. develop to make it even better next time around, to correct a mistake or to perfect a process.
Put the emphasis on what is missing rather than what is wrong — building on strengths or positives is far more likely to engender enthusiasm. Using open questions, ask the individual how they think things can be developed or built upon. This will help to gain buy in and you may be surprised by the options they suggest.
Development or desired questions to consider:
- What needs to change going forward?
- What does the goal look like?
- Are actions SMART?
- When will you meet again to confirm improvement or review results?
BOFF
Sometimes we feel that something goes wrong, the atmosphere in the team heats up, relationships deteriorate. While in the past we could turn a blind eye to this, in today's teams and companies, relationships and building trust in the team come to the fore. BOFF is great for informal environments, situations where we cannot or do not want to speak the language of standards.
Behaviors
Note a fact, an event, and/or a person's behavior. Do not generalize your judgments (avoid wording: always, never, often...) and do not give an emotional coloring.
For example: "You didn't submit a report today"
Outcome
State the consequences that have occurred or may occur as a result of the noted event/behavior.
For example: "This already/has the potential to lead to..."
Feelings
Describe your feelings, emotions, attitudes toward what is happening.
For example: "I'm frustrated because I can't get the data in time"
Future
Ask what the employee is willing to do to ensure that the event/behavior does not happen again in the future.
For example: "What will you do in the future to send reports on time?"
If the agreements are not followed, next time move on to the logical consequences
- Agree on what will happen if the employee violates the obligations again. The employee must formulate the possible consequences himself or herself.
For example: "We've already had an agreement, and you haven't fulfilled it. So let's agree on what will happen if you don't report by the deadline in the future"
- Inform the employee of the administrative consequences (fine/reprimand/reprimand/dismissal) if he/she fails to comply with the agreement.
For example: "We've discussed the issue of submitting a report on time more than once. If you fail to submit your report on time this time too, I will be forced to impose..."
SOR
The model is suitable for one-way feedback, in case of violation/ deviation from fixed standards. SOR allows you to speak the language of criteria, so it is very suitable for formal environments.
Standard
Describe the company rules, values, and standards by which all employees must work.
For example: "The standard is for an employee to write his or her tasks in Notion every day. This allows us to better redistribute the workload in the team"
Add context to the very beginning — this helps build a causal link between the actions and the standard.
For example: "We noticed that you've been having some Notion problems for the last three weeks"
Observation
Note the misconduct committed by the employee. Don't go off on an emotional assessment ("that's terrible," "you don't respect the team"), as this can have a negative impact on the consequences of the feedback.
For example: "You haven't written in Notion for 9 days in the last 3 weeks, and if you did, you didn't reflect all of your tasks"
Result
Describe the consequences that such a violation can lead to.
For example: "We can't properly distribute the workload in the team, so some employees overwork by doing unnecessary tasks. We can't evaluate your productivity and efficiency"
Suggest at the end a plan for solving the problem or ask the employee to formulate their own steps to fix the problem.
For example: "I'm asking you to tell me every other day about your progress in Notion"
Not as a team-lead: how to give critical horizontal feedback
Step 1. Get the right to feedback
Warn the person that you want to give him or her feedback, get permission to do so. Especially if you want your feedback to change their behavior.
If a colleague is not ready for feedback, there is no point in trying to force it. It will make no sense, because it will be perceived as an attack and an attempt to violate personal boundaries.
Step 2. Clarify your goal and state it to your colleague from the start
Why do you want to give feedback? What is your goal? What do you want to achieve from your colleague?
Show transparently that you have common goals. The person you are giving feedback to should understand that they are important to you.
*Step 2.5. Give the context
If you want to discuss a situation in the past, share your input: what situation do you want to talk about, when and under what circumstances did it occur?
Be specific, again: Don't use generalizations and value judgments, just facts and reality.
Step 3. State your opinion
It is important to be honest with your colleague, to be caring and not try to withhold important facts.
Here you can start to apply blocks and logic from the structures discussed above, in our situation AID will do.
Step 4. What to do with it all
Focus on the future, don't take too long to deal with the past. Discuss how to make things right and avoid making mistakes in the future.
Feedback in the hands of someone who knows how to give it is an indispensable tool for the growth and development of any team.
