Art of Giving Feedback - An Essential Skill in People Management

Course details

One area consistently gives both managers and employees difficulty – the need to give and accept effective feedback. The problem is that giving effective feedback is one of the most crucial elements you can do to do help employees improve performance. It establishes a connection between what employees are doing and how actions are perceived by others.

Giving feedback is not about dishing out criticism. Unfortunately, this often proves to be the case when managers find themselves under pressure. It is at these times that emotions get in the way of effective management. Under stress, all carrots harden into sticks which the manager uses to whip their employees into shape.

The purpose of this workshop is to impart skills that are necessary to both give and receive constructive and positive feedback in a way that maintains relationships and increases performance. Feedback opens the door to discussion and problem solving, and it is important for personal growth and development. When feedback is given constructively the receiver of the feedback is more likely to listen non-defensively and take appropriate action. The receiver of feedback has equal responsibility in creating a comfortable interaction between the giver and receiver.

How Will You Benefit?

After the workshop, you will be able to:

• define feedback
• identify guidelines for giving feedback
• demonstrate the ability to use observation versus judgment
• apply steps to giving constructive feedback
• apply steps to giving positive feedback
• identify guidelines for receiving feedback

What Will You Learn?

Definition of feedback

• Define feedback
• Exercise: What makes feedback hard to give?

Observation versus judgment

• Group Exercise: Case study

Feedback guidelines

• 5 guidelines
• 4 steps
• Partner role play: Feedback Conversation
• Activity: Ball in the box (four styles of feedback)

Apply steps to giving constructive feedback

• State your positive intent for giving the feedback
• State the specific behavior and impact
• Ask for the other person’s point of view
• Discuss solutions or actions
• Instructor demonstration of four-step feedback model
• Trio Role Play: Giving constructive feedback
• Providing constructive feedback to bosses and peers
• Handling difficult responses to your feedback
• Activity: Handling difficult responses in an effective way

Guidelines for receiving constructive or positive feedback

• Activity: What would you say?