How to Give People Feedback – well!

November 22, 2016

Giving Feedback | Hari Kalymnios | The Thought Gym

Giving feedback is a bit of an art. Done well, it can help lift and improve the person and want them coming back for more in the future. Done badly, and it can leave a person dejected, and feeling miserable.

If you watch X Factor, Strictly or any of the other shows like that, then you know just how brutal it can be. And also how some of the judges do it well.

Before giving feedback, we should consider why we are delivering it in the first place? Is it to cut the other person down (which I hope not, and doubt), or is it because you want them to get better? I hope it’s the latter. If it is, then it is no doubt in your interest to deliver feedback in the best way you can.

Here’s a way I think of giving feedback to remember what I want to cover. And that is

Good, GO, GREAT!

Good

Start with something good about what they just did. Even if it was mostly terrible (in your eyes). The fact they got up there and did it might be the good thing. Or that they are confident enough to wing it and not plan. There’s always something good. You just have to look. Open the feedback session with something nice.

GO = Growth Opportunities

Then you can address the areas that the person can grow and improve. Never term this as negatives. I.e. positive, negatives, positives. It’s a shift and reframe in your mind as much as it is the receiver’s. I don’t ever consider them as negative elements of the person’s presentation, performance or work. Just growth opportunities. Remember that you want them to improve and be a higher performer, so think about encouraging the behaviours you want to see more of.

Great

Finish with something great about their work. Leave them on a high, even though they should also have taken on board all the opportunities they have to be even more effective. It’s always good to have them walk out there feeling great about themselves so they can use that momentum to move forward even more effectively.

Good – GO – GREAT!

We want people to GO from Good to GREAT, so this is a great way to remember that in my opinion.

When you are giving feedback, I encourage you to use this framework to structure it in your own mind and deliver great feedback every time.

Let me know your “feedback” below on this article!