Feedback or feedforward?

Feedback

Feedback is an opinion about how a task and job has been done or a general evaluation of employees.

Every person as a social being loves to receive praise for a job well done. However, it is hard for people to receive criticism. When we praise a person, their sense of belonging and contribution to the organization or team grows, and consequently, their motivation grows. On the other hand, when a person receives criticism for a task performed, the feeling of satisfaction slowly declines. Most people will work harder on what was wrong because of criticism, hoping it will improve. However, there are people whose motivation will start to drop because of criticism.

How to give feedback properly?

To give feedback properly, we need to ask ourselves what is the purpose of that feedback. Do you care to point out to that person that they did something wrong or you just use feedback as a way of expressing frustration and dissatisfaction? If it is a way of expressing one’s dissatisfaction and frustration, criticism will jeopardize the ego and feelings of the other person.

It is important to note that feedback is not just another name for pointing out poorly done jobs/tasks. It is also used as a compliment for a well-performed job. Certainly, praise will be understood positively in most cases, while for criticism we still need to choose the way we say something. To avoid misunderstandings, a few rules need to be followed:

Talk about a specific situation/job/task, not a person
Be clear and precise
Do not include feelings and emotions
Include positive comments
Mention a maximum of three things a person needs to improve
Give support and offer a suggestion
Make sure the person understands you
Be honest and considerate
Do not give feedback if you are angry
Say you are there for any further questions

How to receive feedback?

Think of feedback as a gift given to you by a person. Only by getting feedback can we grow and develop. It is difficult for people to hear that they have done something wrong or that they have not met the expected criteria. Receiving feedback is a skill we can learn over time and use for our future growth. Golden rules for receiving feedback:

Listen actively
Ask for clarification
Thank the person for their time and for the feedback
Self-assess the validity of the feedback

How to start a conversation when giving feedback?

Before stating what you want to say, it is important to set the framework of communication and direct the outcome in the desired direction, or to say:

What is the purpose of this conversation (does it give clarity and/or calm the interlocutor)?
Why is this important (what is the purpose of this/ bigger picture)?
In what way do I want the employee to hear and understand what you are going to tell him/her? What do you expect him/her to do? Why is it important for them to do that?

Give each employee or team member time and try to give them constructive feedback, based on concrete facts and situations because that is exactly what will make your employees grateful, even if it is negative feedback!

Feedforward

Feedforward is giving “feedback” in advance before we even start an activity.

We can give feedforward, for example, by telling a co-worker/employee what are the two things to consider when performing the next task.

Feedforward can also be given to people we don’t know so well, we simply give suggestions on how to do something successfully.

Some advantages of feedforward:

The past is not mentioned, we only talk about the future – everything is said positively, as something that can be done (as opposed to the past that can no longer be changed)
People generally receive it more positively, they are less defensive and they do not take it personally
Feedforward can be received from people you don’t know very well
Gives the feeling that things can change
Can cover almost all topics as feedback

Feedback Culture