Providing constructive feedback that drives growth

One of the impactful leadership skills is to give effective feedback. Whether it’s acknowledging good work or addressing areas for improvement, feedback is essential for development, both for individuals and teams. When delivered thoughtfully and appropriately, it clarifies expectations, reinforces positive actions, and guides professional development. This week we are looking at the skill of providing constructive feedback that truly drives growth and addresses performance issues fairly. 

Effective feedback

Feedback doesn’t always help the situation, there are key differences between constructive and destructive feedback. To ensure that feedback is a catalyst for growth in your team lets explore the differences between constructive and destructive approaches:

• Constructive feedback: This type of feedback is focused on specific behaviours or outcomes and is delivered with the intent to help the recipient. It is often accompanied by suggestions for development and is provided in a supporting and respectful manner. Constructive feedback aims to build confidence and competence.
• Destructive feedback: In contrast destructive feedback (criticism) is often vague, personal and lacks steps for improvement. It can be focused around outcomes that are beyond the control of the person receiving the feedback or outside of their control. It can be delivered harshly, focusing on flaws rather than behaviours and without any accompanying development opportunity. Destructive feedback can damage morale, confidence and growth in your team.

Frameworks for giving effective feedback

 There are several effective frameworks for feedback. One that can be used is the SBI (Situation, Behaviour, Impact) model, developed by the centre for create leadership. It is a structured model to give feedback that can be developmental and helpful:

• Situation: Clearly describe the context in which the behaviour occurred. Being specific about when and where is preferable. For example “During yesterday’s team meeting…”
• Behaviour: Focus on the observed actions or words, avoid assumptions of intent. Focus on what is within the control of the person receiving feedback. For example “…when you interrupted John while he was presenting…”
• Impact: Explain the effect of the behaviour on the team, project, or organisation.  Stick to the facts and avoid exaggeration. For example “..it made John feel disrespected and disrupted the flow of the discussion.”

The SBI model delivers clear, specific and concise feedback based on observable actions and consequences. Some additional points to consider are:

• Focus on behaviour: As highlighted in the SBI model, stick to what was seen, heard, read (etc), rather than making assumptions about a persons motivations or intent. It can be tempting to speculate about the source of behaviour but often it is not helpful in giving feedback. 
• Be timely: Feedback is most effective when the details are fresh in the mind, so as far as possible give feedback close to the event. 
• Be specific: Vague feedback such as “you need to improve your communication” is unhelpful. It can be especially frustrating for individuals who require clear and direct communication, who may not link such feedback to the improvements required. Instead point to specific behaviours and offer development that can be broadly applied. 

Navigating difficult conversations

As a leader you will encounter the situation where performance issues arise, or team members fall short of the organisations values or ethical standards. Holding difficult conversations about standards can be emotionally challenging for leaders. There may be apprehensions about how the team member will react, this is often uncomfortable for the leader. However, addressing performance or conduct issues promptly and fairly is an important aspect of leadership. Not only does it ensure accountability and reinforce expectations of standards, but it also demonstrates fairness to the rest of the team. It is important to uphold organisational fairness to your team, ignoring problems can breed resentment, lower morale, and ultimately harm the productivity of the whole team. 

When approaching these conversations these tips can help:

• Prepare emotionally: Acknowledge your own discomfort and consciously aim for a calm, objective and supportive demeanour. Focus on the behaviour or performance gap and its impact rather than personal judgement.
• Choose the right environment: Find a private and neutral setting, where the team member will feel comfortable to have an open conversation with you. 
• Focus on facts and observations: Begin by clearly stating the behaviour or performance issues you’ve observed. Present the facts and if there are numbers have these to hand so that they can be discussed early in the conversation. Avoid vague or subjective opinions try and substantiate what has happened. 
• Clearly outline the impact: Explain the consequences, or potential consequences of the issue and who is impacted by it. This will help them understand the importance of maintaining standards. 
• Collaborate on solutions: Frame the conversation as problem solving but also listen to the perspective of the team member as to what would work for them. Work together to identify potential causes and explore solutions or support that can be provided. 
• Document conversations and agreed actions: Any agreed goals should follow the SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) format. These should be documented in any notes made of the meeting which both participants should agree to. 

Importance of receiving feedback gracefully

Feedback is a reciprocal process. As leaders, we not only need to give feedback, but we also need to be receptive to it. When receiving feedback, even if it is difficult to hear try to:

• Actively listen: Focus fully on what the other person is saying without interrupting or formulating your response.
• Seek clarification: If you don’t understand or it isn’t clear what is being said, ask for specific examples or further details.
• Manage your emotions: It is natural to feel defensive, but try to remain calm and open. Focus on the message rather than the delivery, if the delivery was not ideal. Remember it may have taken courage for someone to offer feedback to their leader.
• Thank the giver of feedback: Acknowledge the effort that the person has taken to provide you feedback. Accepting difficult messages goes a long way to building trust in your team and an open culture that can help you identify unforeseen problems. 
• Reflect and take ownership: Take time to process feedback and identify areas for growth or improvement. 

Tip for the week

This week, identify a difficult conversation that you’ve been putting off, whether it’s addressing a performance concern or giving feedback on a recurring issue. For aspiring leaders it could be giving feedback to someone who is a peer or even offering feedback to a supervisor on a specific issue (where appropriate and within professional boundaries). Make it a priority to schedule this conversation. 

Remember the principles we’ve discussed this week: focus on behaviour and impact, be specific and timely, aim for a fair and constructive dialogue, and ensure the environment is conducive to effective feedback. By tackling difficult issues directly and respectfully, you demonstrate courageous leadership and create the culture of accountability, openness and growth in your team. Don’t let these conversations and the issue behind them fester, addressing them promptly is the kindest and most effective in the long run. 

Next week, we will be exploring the power of motivation and engagement within the team, discussing strategies to inspire and drive high performance.