Giving Effective Feedback
Early Career Faculty Development Program
29 August 2011
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Francine Montemurro,
Boston University Ombuds
www.bu.edu/ombuds
Giving Effective Feedback
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Giving Effective Feedback
Why bother?
• Improvement.
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• Motivation, confidence,
and engagement.
• Clarity/self-awareness:
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Job expectations?
Performance quality?
Best use of my time?
Influence on others?
Quality of relationships?
Giving Effective Feedback
Learning Objectives
• What it is.
• How to give and solicit it.
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• Help make it easier, and
discuss why it’s hard.
• Help make it ‘real’ for you.
• Others?
What is Effective Feedback?
• Communicating important information …
• … about performance (positive or negative) …
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• … in a way that helps the recipient hear what
you are saying …
• … and that helps identify steps to improve or
continue performance.
What Effective Feedback Does
Effective Feedback
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• Helps recipient understand exactly what she
did & what impact it had or might have had.
• Build strengths and address weaknesses.
• Motivates recipient to begin, continue or
stop behaviors that affect performance.
• Encourages self-assessment & accountability.
When?
• Regularly, as part of an ongoing
process.
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• At the moment it is needed.
o When development opportunities arise.
o When an employee needs to modify
behavior.
Where?
• Ideally, in a private setting.
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• Ideally, where you can give your
undivided attention.
• Ideally, where you can help the
recipient feel comfortable.
Ten Tips on How
1.
Keep your composure.
2.
Be specific. Give context. Be clear.
3.
Focus on behaviors, not the person.
4.
Explain the impact of the behavior.
5.
Be timely.
6.
Be artful.
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Ten Tips on How
7. Know when to stop talking and when
to listen. Listen, listen, listen!!!!
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8. Ask for joint problem-solving options
and define next steps for success.
9. Affirm your support for the person.
10. Move on.
Eleven Common Mistakes
The feedback
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Judges the person.
Is vague.
Is exaggerated with generalities.
Speaks for others, not for you.
Ascribes motive.
Includes an implied threat.
Eleven Common Mistakes
The person giving the feedback
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7. Phrases feedback as a question.
8. Retreats while giving feedback.
9. Delays giving feedback.
10.Gives advice too early.
11.Doesn’t choose her words wisely.
Why is giving effective feedback difficult?
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Why is giving effective feedback difficult?
• Interactive process with no script to follow.
• Tough to get the balance right.
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• Not always easy to anticipate or handle the
emotional response.
• Requires time, skill, and commitment.
• Requires one other thing . . .
What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder?
What makes the dawn come up like thunder?
Courage!
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“I” Messages
Four parts of an “I” Message:
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• When you__________(state
what you observed
•
When you were late to work
yesterday . . . .
• I felt/thought___________
(state what you felt/thought.)
•
I was frustrated/troubled/ etc. . . . .
• Because______(state what you
need.)
•
Because when you are late we
can’t start our staff meeting on
time . . .
• I would prefer ______ (state
what you would prefer.)
• And I would prefer that you arrive
at the agreed-upon time 9am
Soliciting Feedback from Others
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Soliciting feedback from others
• Gives you a reality check.
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• Shows you care about their
perspective and that their
feedback matters.
• Shows some humility/that
you’re not a Know-It-All.
• Increases the odds they will
want to hear your feedback.
Soliciting Feedback
Some tips on getting it right
• Be clear about your own motives.
• Solicit feedback from the right sources
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• Explain what effective feedback looks like.
• Ask open-ended questions.
• Don’t expect artful feedback.
• Avoid debates. Listen, and seek to understand.
• Manage your own reactions.
Questions, comments, etc
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Francine Montemurro
Boston University Ombuds
19 Deerfield St, Suite 203
(617) 358-5960
http://www.bu.edu/ombuds/