6 Steps to Giving Feedback to Team Members
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When giving feedback to team members, there are six steps that you should absolutely do:
It should be related to a task, project, or event. Giving feedback when it’s not grounded to a specific example can come across as vague and lacking evidence.
It should focus on specific behaviors and not one’s personality.
It should be specific, not vague.
The person giving the feedback should be clear on the consequences if behavior doesn’t change. Kim Scott shared a memorable example where her boss complained that she said “um” too much at an executive presentation. Scott ignored her. When the boss then said, “When you say, ‘um’ you look stupid” then Scott realized the consequences of not changing her behavior.
Appeal to the recipient’s self-interest. Scott’s boss could have said, “When you say ‘um’ you embarrass me.” However, that may not have appealed to Scott because she may not care if her boss looked stupid. But by saying “you look stupid,” it appealed to Scott’s ego, and she sought to change her behavior immediately.
(Optional) Append a plan. This is not required, but feedback is more effective when there’s an action plan to rectify that behavior. The recipient . may not know what they need to improve. If you have a specific action they can do, they’ll appreciate it. Be as specific as possible. Simply suggesting that someone “Be more articulate” or even “Sign up for a presentation coach” can be construed as being vague.
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