The word “feedback” is used by specialists from various fields around the world. It is derived from English terminology and means providing feedback. Due to the longer form of this term in the Polish language version, we use the original English vocabulary. So what is feedback and how to give it?- we suggest!

Feedback – what is it?

Feedback is feedback used in business to determine the quality of the work of its associates. The use of feedback in practice will allow you to increase the level of skills in a specific field, thanks to valuable tips from the coordinator of a given project. Feedback can be positive or negative and is educational in most cases.

Conscientious, substantive and valuable feedback is extremely important in the context of working with subcontractors and partners. It should be practiced quite regularly – the feedback will then be more natural and empathetic.

How to provide feedback?

We should give feedbackin accordance with the principles of good manners (savoir-vivre).First of all, pay attention to the culture of speech, containing positive and negative messages (we do

everything so that the recipient does not feel offended). It is also worth addressing the interlocutor directly and judging the action performed, not the persona.

As a person giving feedback, you should give more positive feedback than negative – this will motivate your co-worker to act and allow you to correct the most important mistakes.What are the 5 key rules for providing feedback?

• Direct return to the addressee

The first and most important rule of providing feedback – direct return to the addressee. This will make it easier for the recipient to respond to the indicated advantages and disadvantages of the actions performed. If the matter concerns only one person, we should not discuss their work in the presence of third parties – the addressee may perceive some comments as an attack and lose confidence in the group. It is best to provide feedback not only during the meeting, but also in the message. It may be an addition to the conversation – the recipient may not remember everything or only written feedback.

• Assessment of the action performed

When giving feedback, we should only evaluate the action performed (never the person). There is a very fine line between these two messages – be careful not to exceed it. We can harm our associate’s feelings in this way.

Information for the photo:at this point, I suggest adding a photo in the context of evaluating an action, a direct return to the addressee.

We should also remember that recalling past mistakes in a situation that does not require it is an unnecessary activity. Just like comparing your colleague to other people who are slightly more skilled. This can lead to a situation where the addressee feels bad and treats the other party as a very demanding person.

• Giving negative information

Giving negative information should be in private. By doing this with third parties, we can cause them to change their opinion about the discussed person, to criticize it or to laugh at it (individual reactions depend on the specific environment).

It is also worth paying attention to the fact that there should be much more positive feedback than negative. If there are too many disadvantages, let’s divide the conversation into two parts – remember that the addressee will not improve all aspects at once (we recommend 3 disadvantages and 5-7 advantages during one conversation / correspondence).

• Time for the recipient’s reaction

The recipient should have time and the ability to react. People providing feedback very often forget about it, limiting themselves only to providing dry information in the form of advantages and disadvantages. If, on the other hand, we allow the other party to take an appropriate position in relation to our words – the situation may be completely different. For example, it may turn out that the assessment was not accurate.

• Positive and motivating message

Regardless of whether the feedback was more positive or negative, at the end of the message, we should motivate the recipient with a positive thought and add a few nice words to the conversation. It is also worth expressing your satisfaction with the cooperation and your hope that, after correcting the above-mentioned errors, the addressee will be able to develop even more effectively than before.

What can not be done while giving feedback?

When giving feedback, pay attention to your emotions – they should be neutral or positive. We must not allow a situation in which we convey any message by introducing a bad atmosphere into the conversation, by using expressions that demean a colleague. It is also unacceptable to avoid conversations about inconvenient information, as it will lead to stagnation in the addressee’s development.

Personal resentments and prejudices

Involving personal grudges and prejudices into the conversation is a symptom of an incorrect approach to the subject of feedback. Past disputes should be resolved privately, outside of working hours.

We should treat working time as an opportunity to develop our career, and we will do it through, among others, providing the most substantive information and treating colleagues with dignity (without entering the private sphere during working hours).

Received negative or positive feedback – what next?

In the case of positive feedback, we have nothing else to do but thank you for the message and mention the people who contributed to the discussed success. At the end, it is worth re-examining any comments (because they will surely be found) and developing further.

If, on the other hand, we received negative feedback, we should also thank for it, because the colleague took the time to present bugs that will facilitate our further development (if, of course, we carefully analyze them).

Positive feedback – tips

• thank you
• don’t deny merit;
• analyze all comments;
• keep developing;
• get involved even more than before.

Negative feedback – advice

• thank you
• ask for specific examples of errors (if you did not receive them);
• think about how you can improve the quality of your work;
• eliminate the indicated errors and send a reply message;
• present your position on the feedback received (if you disagree – explain it).

There are often situations when the client expresses incomprehensible and unclear opinions about the performed order. It is worth asking for a specific example then, because the statement that project “xyz” was developed incorrectly tells us nothing. In this case, ask the client what specific errors he has in mind and why he thinks that selected parts of the “xyz” project are incorrect.

Why is it worth asking a colleague for feedback?

If we operate in a given industry for several years, we can be sure that we do most of the work adequately well. Especially when our activities satisfy the coordinators and they do not comment negatively in the context of the orders performed.

However, this does not mean that we are flawless, because colleagues can regularly correct specific tasks without informing us about it.

Despite the fact that everyone is satisfied with our achievements, it is always worth asking for feedback, because even the smallest details can significantly improve the skills offered.

What is feedback and how to give it? – summary

Feedback is nothing more than giving a feedback. It should be presented at the right time and place – not in the corridor or any communicator, but in the office or via a meticulous e-mail message showing the positives and negatives of the cooperation undertaken.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

What does properly prepared feedback look like?

Properly developed feedback should be meticulous and short, as well as free from accusations and generalizations (e.g. this work was done incorrectly). It is also worth focusing on the chosen behavior that resulted in a specific feedback. We should also remember that the feedback should be action-oriented (not persona) and based on facts and observations.

Where and when to provide feedback to a colleague?

Feedback should be presented formally, during a targeted conversation solely for this purpose. If we choose to respond in the corridor or Messenger during private chats, the recipient will not take it 100% personally and will most likely make similar mistakes the next time.

How to ask for feedback?

Please provide feedback at the end of each conversation. For example – if we agree to improve a given module by the end of the week, we should send a comprehensive project on the appropriate day with a cultural note:“I will be grateful for feedback”,“Can I ask for feedback”or“Please give me feedback”. It all depends on the context of the conversation and our relationship with a specific colleague.

What feedback means?

the communication of information that is either evaluative or corrective regarding an action, occurrence, or process to the source that was originally controlling also: the information that was sent in this manner. b: the partial return of the consequences of a process back to its source or to an earlier stage.

What are the 3 types of feedback?

• Appreciation is the act of recognizing and commending another individual’s excellent effort…
• Coaching is the process of assisting another individual in the expansion of their knowledge, skills, and capabilities…
• Evaluation is the process of judging something or someone in relation to a standard or set of criteria, with the goals of harmonizing expectations and guiding decision-making.

Sources:

• https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feedback
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feedback
• https://www.techopedia.com/definition/7159/feedback