7 Tips to Providing Effective Feedback

difficult to give and to receive, but the best way of improving ourselves

1. Effective feedback always focuses on a specific behaviour, not on a person or their intentions.

2. Be specific rather than general. Providing specific examples helps the recipient understand exactly what the issue is. You can then agree on the details and work on targeted solutions.

3. Feedback is communication to a person or a team of people regarding the effect their behaviour is having on another person, the organization, the customer, or the team.

4. Positive feedback involves telling someone about good performance. Make this feedback timely, specific, and frequent.

5. Constructive feedback alerts an individual to an area in which his performance could improve. Constructive feedback is not criticism; it is descriptive and should always be directed to the action, not the person.

6. The main purpose of constructive feedback is to help people understand where they stand in relation to expected and/or productive job behaviour.

7. Recognition for effective performance is a powerful motivator. Most people want to obtain more recognition, so recognition fosters more of the appreciated actions.