Performance Feedback
Performance Feedback
Receiving, Asking for, and Providing
Learning, improving and growing are all key components of career success.
But how do you measure that growth? Think of feedback as the most valuable data you can receive—or give. It’s an essential tool that helps you measure your progress, clarify your blind spots, and empower both yourself and those around you.
Learning to both receive and provide feedback can transform your professional life. Here’s a blueprint to help you master this critical skill.
Learning how to receive and provide feedback can make a difference in your own and on others’ work experience. Think about feedback as data you can use to measure yourself against your goals. Collect information from several sources.
Here are some tips on receiving and asking for feedback:
Receiving Feedback:
Navigating feedback can be tough, but your mindset makes all the difference. As you prepare to receive information about your job performance, check in with your emotions. Are you feeling defensive, fearful, or open? Your goal is to be open.
Listen to the information being shared. Feel your emotions but do not react. Pay attention to the words they use, the focus should be in the behavior and not on you as a person
Ask questions to clarify any statements, ask for specific details and evidence. For example, "Can you give me an example of a time when this happened?"
After the conversation, take time to process what was said. Re-evaluate your mindset. Do you trust the source? Is the feedback timely and relevant? Acknowledging the source and context is part of the process.
Consider: do you trust the source (manager, stakeholder, supervisee)? is the timing and viewpoint relevant?
Develop an action plan: What can you do with this information? Who needs to be involved? What resources do you need?
Follow up: incorporate the feedback into your goals, try again, improve and have a meeting to review your progress
“Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man’s growth without destroying his roots.”
– Frank A. Clark
Asking for Feedback:
Identify people you trust, let them know that you seeking growth and improvement, identify your goals and let them openly share their observations
Have clarity on your goals, what are you trying to do? what are your personal and professional goals?
Who else can you ask?
Take notes, do not react; take time to review and reflect
If you need, go back and review the feedback; perhaps you have questions or your reviewer has reconsidered some points
Don’t focus on what you did wrong in the past; focus on the future and what can you do differently
“Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.”
– Winston Churchill
Providing Feedback:
A hallmark of a true professional is the ability to provide clear, actionable feedback that helps others grow. When giving feedback, your focus should be on helping someone improve, not on pointing out what they did wrong.
Make it Timely and Specific. Don't wait. Provide feedback as close to the event as possible. Focus on a specific behavior or action, not a general personality trait. For example, say, "When you presented the data, I noticed you started speaking quickly," instead of "You're a fast talker."
Focus on the Impact. Explain how a specific behavior affected you, the team, or a project. Use "I" statements to own your perspective. For example, "When that happened, I felt confused because I wasn't sure if we were on the right track."
Offer Solutions and Support. Don't just deliver a problem and walk away. Suggest a solution or offer to help. Make it clear that this is a conversation about growth, not just criticism.
Make it a Two-Way Conversation. Provide the feedback and then give the person time to react and respond. Ask them what they think or if they have questions.
"The delicate task of a leader is not to make people see things your way, but to empower them to see things for themselves."
— Dr. Ken Blanchard
Related:
If you need help with receiving, asking for, or providing feedback, I can assist you.
Contact me and we can work together. Let’s get started!
Follow Telma Sullivan Career Coaching on Facebook and like the page.