Honest confession - “I tend to get too emotional when giving feedback to others”.
Purpose of feedback is to drive behaviour - drive to ‘continue’ (impact of positive feedback), drive to ‘change’ (impact of negative feedback).
Feedbacks (positive and negative) invoke emotions & feelings, which in turn influence and drive the behaviour.
Feedbacks are constructive (when they invoke right emotions, driving desirable behaviour) or destructive (when they invoke wrong emotions, driving undesirable behaviour)
Now visualise the following scenarios:
1. Giving positive feedback in a bad mood to someone you don’t like.
2. Giving positive feedback in an over indulgent way to someone you like.
3. Giving negative feedback to someone you don’t like at all.
4. Giving negative feedback to someone you like a lot.
If you don’t manage your emotions, you’ll either exaggerate your feedback or understate it, making it destructive and defeating the very objective of ‘continue’ or ‘change’.
Feedback must always be given in an empathetic and sensitive manner, respecting the sentiments and feelings of the feedback receiver.
1. Discuss negative feedback in private (prevents awkwardness & embarrassment) and positive feedback in public (boosts image & self-esteem).
2. Give negative feedback in a constructive manner (right words, tone and body language) to ensure message delivered is not received with anger, hurt, resentment, etc., but accepted gratefully and on a positive note.
3. Keep positive feedback commensurate with the situation. Over appreciating may be construed as manipulative & under appreciating as being insincere or ungracious. So don’t overdo it, underdo it or make it underserving.
4. Provide feedback without biases & stereotypes.
5. Plan your feedback rather than sharing it impromptu.
6. Consider the time and place to give feedback, wisely & considerately.
The greatest gift you can give someone is honest, constructive feedback—it’s the catalyst for their transformation and growth.
Multiple Workshops for Godrej & Boyce
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