why it is of importance to use feedback to our advantage, and different communication skills can be employed

why it is of importance to use feedback to our advantage, and different communication skills can be employed

Feedback is an essential tool in our working environments as it helps us develop our skills and improve on them. Whether it is negative or positive feedback from a manager or a coworker, one gets to know his abilities and where he stands performance-wise. When an employee has behaviors or attitudes that are troubling, it is of the essence to give the right feedback. When presented properly, it can have significant changes in an employee and help in building a positive work environment. Similarly, when delivered in the wrong way, it can hurt a coworker and cause demotivation (Sheffield, 2016). This shows why it is of importance to use feedback to our advantage, and different communication skills can be employed:

When delivering feedback to a colleague associated with troubling behavior, it is good to start with positive feedback. According to Maier 2016, recognizing a colleague’s strength will help in balancing your feedback and also boost his confidence. He states that it is essential to avoid linking the negative and positive feedback. Describing a colleague’s behavior based on observation and facts rather than his traits based on judgments also helps in preventing it seems like a personal attack (Maier, 2016).

Feedback can be constructive when framed in the right way. Focusing on the situation and framing it in a way that allows change is vital in preventing the other person not to feel like he is attacked. According to Forbes Coaches’ Council, framing the feedback in a way that focuses is on change without using derogatory tones and comments is useful. To prevent the other feeling like he/she is attacked is helpful to frame the feedback to his benefit (Forbes Coaches Council, 2017).

After delivering your feedback, give the recipient time to respond. This helps in making the conversation more engaging and come up with better solutions. Asking for their feedback also shows that you are open and value their opinion too. Winter states that giving a coworker a chance to take their advice helps in making the feedback stick more and offer a better solution. At this moment, one is capable of understanding both sides of the problem (Winter, 2019).

In conclusion, when giving constructive feedback, it is good for one to show empathy to the other coworker. Feedback used to our advantage helps in creating a better working; thus, when delivering, one has to provide positive aspects based on facts. Also, be able to focus on the situation and change. Lastly is to create a mutual conversation and give the recipient a chance to make his comments.

References

Winter, J. (2019, October 15). Giving Constructive Criticism-That Won’t Make Anyone Cringe. Retrieved from https://www.themuse.com/advice/giving-constructive-criticismthat-wont-make-anyone-cringe.

Maier, S. (2016, March 10). How to give constructive feedback to colleagues. Retrieved March 13, 2020, from https://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/human-resources/2016/03/how-to-give-constructive-feedback-to-colleagues.html.

Sheffield, T. (2016, June 9). How To Effectively Tell People What You Think. Retrieved March 13, 2020, from https://www.bustle.com/articles/165434-9-ways-to-give-constructive-criticism-that-are-actually-helpful.

Council, F. C. (2017, June 19). Council Post: 15 Ways To Offer Truly Constructive Feedback. Retrieved March 13, 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2017/06/19/15-ways-to-offer-truly-constructive-feedback/#2c5089056e9b