A Passion for Feedback

Try to imagine a situation where you receive no feedback on your actions whatsoever; it's difficult to imagine. You would have to be in some sort of isolation bubble, cut off from any contact with the world outside.

We all need feedback to make sense of how we are impacting the world around us. In reality we receive far more information each moment of each day than we can reasonably cope with, and yet one of the most common concerns employees express is a lack of quality feedback.

In this article, our training consultant Richard Lock [previously National Training Manager for the Early Learning Centre] considers why people hunger for feedback, why many managers are not skilled in giving good feedback or simply avoid doing so, and provides tips on improving the quality of feedback offered.

What is feedback?

Feedback is any communication, verbal or non-verbal, which offers a person some information about how he or she affects situations or others. It has been said that poor communication accounts for 80% of performance related problems in the workplace. Poor feedback is a significant contributor to this figure.

Why do we need feedback?

Feedback is necessary for growth and change to take place. Feedback allows us to make changes to either improve on what we are doing, or to try a different approach.

A study of the effects of performance feedback on self-confidence, conducted with a group of MBA students, found that those who received no feedback on their work suffered as great a blow to their confidence as those who were criticised.

We all want to know how well we are doing, and in the absence of good quality feedback we will look more closely at any gestures or ambiguous comments and try to interpret what they mean, frequently getting it wrong.

A great model to use when thinking about the impact of feedback is the Johari Window. The ideal style is the open approach where both parties know as much information as possible. The blind window depicts something others know about me, but I don't know it.

In reality the frame sizes are constantly moving. Some people give little or no information away and therefore have a large hidden window; others receive no feedback and therefore have a large blind window.

The key communication tool which gets the information into the open window is of course FEEDBACK.

So why do we appear to find giving feedback so difficult?

There is undoubtedly an element of social conditioning; it is not polite to let people know what we really think. Sometimes this is described as 'British reserve' and certainly this has its part to play. However the real reason many people find feedback difficult is the perceived amount of risk involved.

Simplistically feedback comes in two types implicit and explicit.

Implicit Feedback

Implicit feedback can be feedback which is unsaid and is given by expressions, gestures, voice tone and other non-verbal signals. It can also be statements that are not clear or contain vague references to the real message. For the feedback to be of any use to the recipient they have to:

(a) Recognise that they are receiving feedback

(b) Interpret what they think is meant

(c) Judge what actions or behaviour may have generated the feedback

An example of implied feedback would be a participant arriving 15 minutes late for a workshop noticing the trainer looking at his watch. The trainer may think he has sent a message about not being late again. The participant may have interpreted this completely differently. He may think the trainer is already running behind time so soon into the workshop and is trying to press on.

Implied feedback frequently gives very little real information and therefore is of little real value. However, this lack of any specific information also means that implied feedback is low risk. It avoids any direct communication, reduces the risk of any conflict and deals with the issue in a perceived subtle manner. Of course, in day to day living this often doesn't matter. In the world of work however it can make a dramatic difference to performance. Managers need to focus on giving explicit feedback.

Explicit Feedback

Explicit feedback gives the recipient some clear information about his effects on others or on performance. The recipient does not have to guess or assume what the feedback means because it has been clearly and specifically described.

In our earlier example the trainer might speak to the participant during a break and say 'I am frustrated by your lateness, it makes me think you are not concerned about your work and I feel I have to repeat what you missed'. The inclusion of more specific information and feelings means that the feedback is of higher value to the recipient but consequently higher risk to the sender.

What can we do to improve the quality of feedback we give and receive?

Get passionate about feedback. High performance individuals and teams intentionally seek out feedback. They want to know how they are doing and how others perceive them. They recognise that this is valuable information. They also give feedback to others knowing the impact it has on performance levels. They know failure to provide feedback results in unclear goals and objectives; fuzzy boundaries around authority levels and role responsibilities.

If you would like to improve your feedback skills there are several things you can do;

• Give feedback directly - There's a basic law of communication that states the more relay stations a message goes through, the more likely it is to be distorted. In many situations therefore, second or third hand feedback can be worse than none at all. The receiver, knowing it is likely to be distorted either discounts the feedback, treats it suspiciously, or ignores it altogether.

• Deliver feedback immediately - feedback is like porridge, it doesn't go down well when it's cold. To be effective feedback should be given as soon after the event or situation as possible. Don't save it up for the annual appraisal.

• Give feedback honestly - Whether feedback is positive or negative, your employees can see through superficial or condescending feedback immediately. If it isn't honest don't give it at all, for it will reduce your credibility for a time when feedback really matters. Remember too that the purpose of feedback is to help change employee behaviour in a way that improves performance. Feedback should only be given concerning behaviour over which the employee has some control.

• Distribute feedback evenly - many managers use the LAZY system - LEAVE ALONE ZAP YOU. Employees receive no feedback at all until something goes wrong and then they get zapped. The frequent result is manager avoidance.

When receiving feedback:

• Understand what was said - remain silent, actively listen and look for non-verbal as well as verbal feedback. Ask for clarification if desired when the giver has finished.

• Be open rather than defensive - approach feedback with an ' I want to learn' attitude. Feedback represents the other person's experience and is neither right nor wrong.

• Separate Yourself from Your behaviour - try to maintain a sense of personal worth. You can choose whether or not to change your behaviour.

• Check the fit - check to see if the description of your behaviour makes sense with what you know about yourself and what others have said in the past.

If you would like to discuss how we could work with your staff to develop their feedback skills, contact us now on 01435 865 711 or at info@hrteam.co.uk