How to Give Feedback Using This 4-step Framework - BetterUp

How to give feedback using this 4-step framework · Context. Start by identifying the situation. · Observation. Communicate the behavior in a clear ... HowItWorks Coaching Acoachingexperiencealignedtoyourbusinessstrategy. ForOrganizations Wedevelophigh-performingculturesthatfuelbusinessgrowth. ForEmployees Coachingforall,notjusttheC-suite. IdentifyAI™ OurScience DigitalLearningPrograms Insights&Analytics BusinessSolutions Growth&Transformation Buildleadersthataccelerateteamperformanceandengagement. BetterUpCare™ Agrowthapproachtomentalfitnessandorganizationalhealth. Diversity&Inclusion Fosteracultureofinclusionandbelonging. SalesPerformance Transformyourbusiness,startingwithyoursalesleaders. ForIndividuals Customers Resources Library Bestpractices,research,andtoolstofuelindividualandbusinessgrowth. Events Viewon-demandBetterUpeventsandlearnaboutupcominglivediscussions. Blog Thelatestinsightsandideasforbuildingahigh-performingworkplace. Research Innovativeresearchfeaturedinpeer-reviewedjournals,press,andmore. About AboutUs We'reonamissiontohelpeveryonelivewithclarity,purpose,andpassion. Careers Joinusandcreateimpactfulchange. News&Press ReadthebuzzaboutBetterUp LeadershipTeam Meettheleadershipthat'spassionateaboutempoweringyourworkforce. Login BacktoBlog Howtogivefeedbackusingthis4-stepframework ByMadelineMiles July15,2022 -9minread Sharethisarticle Jumptosection Context Observation Impact Next Offersuggestingstatements Beconsciousofyourbodylanguage Startgivingfeedbacklikeapro  Givingfeedbackcanbechallenging,especiallywhenyouhavesomethingcriticaltosay.Howoftendoyouponderoversayingsomethingorjustlettingitslide? Constructivefeedbackcanhelpyourcolleaguesimproveandenrichtherelationshipsinyourteam.Consequently,itcanbringeveryone’sperformancetoahigherlevel.However,feedbackonlyworksiftherecipientsarewillingtoacceptitandworkonit,whichdoesn’thappenautomatically. YoucanusetheContext-Observation-Impact-Next(C.O.I.N)formulatomakebothpositiveandconstructivefeedbackmoreimpactful. Let'sdigintowhatwemeanbyleveragingtheC.O.I.N.framework—andhowtobestempoweracultureoffeedbackwithinyourorganization.  Context Startbyidentifyingthesituation.Let’ssaythatyoufindoneofyourcolleaguesregularlyinterruptsothersandit’sstartingtocausefriction.Otherpeoplehavementionedit—andyouwanttonipitinthebudbeforeitturnsintoaconflict. Giveyourcolleagueareferencepoint:aspecificexampleofwhentheymayhavedemonstratedthebehaviorinquestion. Forexample,letthemknowyou'respecificallyreferringtowhathappenedduringtheteammeetingthedaybefore,ratherthancommentingontheirgeneralinteractionswithothers(eventhoughyoumayhavemorethanoneexample). Observation Communicatethebehaviorinaclearandobjectivemanner.Focusontheactionsthatyourcolleaguetook,andnotontheirpersonality. Forexample,youmaysay, "Inoticedthatduringourteammeeting,youweresoexcitedaboutthetopicwewerediscussingthatyouinterruptedMarkandJulieseveraltimeseach." Impact Helpyourcolleagueunderstandwhyyou’recommentingonthisbehaviorbydescribingitsimpact.Thebehaviormayimpactoneorseveralpeople,orevenanentireteam.It'simportanttotreatyourfeedbackwithcaretoachievethedesiredbehaviorchangesyouwanttosee.  Intheaboveexample,theactofinterruptingrepeatedlyaffectsMarkandJulie’scontributiontothediscussion.Itmaygivethemtheimpressionthattheircontributionsarenotvalued. ItalsohasaneffectonotherparticipantswhowerelisteningtoMarkorJulieandcompromisestheflowofthemeeting.Thinkofthebigpicture,andchoosetheimpactthatismostrelevanttomention. Forexample,theimpactisbiggerwhenyoutalkabouttheeffectonthegroup. “AfteryouinterruptedMark,themeetingwassidetracked.Itwouldhavebeenbettertowaituntilwehadfinishedthediscussionandthenplananewmeetingaroundthepointyouraised.” Next Nowthatyou’vegotthroughthedifficultpartofgivingfeedback,don’tforgettooffersomesuggestionsofwhattheycoulddotoimprove.Asopposedtosimplygivingconstructivecriticism,you'regivingactionabletasksforthepersontoimprove.Whatcouldtheydodifferentlynexttime? Forexample: “Maybenexttimeyoucouldgivewhoever’sspeakingmoretimetoelaborateonwhattheymeansowecanallunderstandtheirpointofview.Thisalsohelpsthemfeelmoreconfidentaboutcontributingtodiscussions.Askyourselfwhetherwhatyouwanttosaywillbuildonthediscussionorbemoredisruptivethannecessary.” Beyondthecontentofthefeedback,howyousayitisjustasimportant.Thewayyoubringyourmessageacrosshasasignificanteffectonhowitwillbeperceived,sobesuretochooseyourlanguageappropriately. Offersuggestingstatements Therearethreestylesyoucanadoptwhengivingyouropinion: Inastrongstatement: Ithinkthattheimplementationwasflawed. Inaquestion: Doyouthinktherewasaflawwiththeimplementation? Inasuggestion: Iwouldsuggestafewchangestotheimplementationnexttime. Considerwhatyouaremostcomfortablewith,andmostimportantlythestyleyouthinkyourcolleaguewouldrespondtobest. Avoid“BUT” Sometimesit'stemptingtosay: “Ithinkyoudidagoodjobbut…” Youmaythinkthisissofteningtheblow,butyourcolleaguemightbethinking: “what'swrongnow?” Thiscanquicklymakepeoplebecomedefensive. Whenyouwanttodeliverbothpositivefeedbackandconstructivecomments,trytolistyourpointsseparately.Forexample: “Firstofall,Ihavetosaythatyouexplainedtheconditionstotheclientverythoroughly.Nicelydone. Secondly,itwouldbebetterifyoutrytokeeptheconsultingsessionabitmorefocused.Inotedafewdetailsthatcouldbeleftoutbecausetheywerenotrelevantinthiscase.Iwaslostattimes.” Usethepasttense Youwanttorefertoaspecificbehaviorinthepast.Theuseofthepresenttensewouldimplythatyourcolleaguedemonstratesthistypeofbehaviorallthetime,makingyourfeedbacksoundtoogenericandyoumightloseyourpoint. Useverbs Verbsarebetterthanadjectivesbecausetheyleavelessroomforinterpretation.Forexample: Avoidsaying: “Youwererudetoaclientyesterday.” Rathersay: “Youraisedyourvoiceafewtimesandusedshort,snappysentenceswithaclientyesterday.” RemembertousetheC.O.I.Nmodelsothepersonunderstandswhythatwasanissue. Beconsciousofyourbodylanguage Whenyougivefeedbackinperson,beawareofyourbodylanguage.Avoidgesturesthatmightmakerecipientsdefensiveoranxious. Don’traiseyourvoice:Youarenotangry,youaregivingthemfeedbacktohelpthemimprove. Don’tcrossyourarms:Youdon’twanttolookclosedofftoconversationanddiscussionaroundthefeedback. Don’tfrown:Youarenottheretojudgebuttoprovidesupport.Nonverbalcommunicationcansendmessageswithoutyouevensayinganything. Tocreateanatmosphereofopenness,keepafriendlytoneandopenbodylanguage. Startgivingfeedbacklikeapro  Manypeoplefindgivingconstructivefeedbackdaunting.IfyouremembertousetheC.O.I.Nformula,youcanensureyou'regivingactionable,constructivefeedbackthatwillhelpyourpeers,manager,ordirectreportsimprovetheirperformance. WithBetterUp,youcanprovideindividualizedsupportforyourpeople.Acoachwillhelpguidethemthroughtoughconversations,includinghowtogivefeedback.BetterUpcanhelpyoubecomeaproatgivingfeedbackforcoworkers.  BetterUpwillserveasyourguidetotappingintothepoweroffeedbackonanorganizational-widelevel.Together,wecanunlockthepotentialofyourworkforcebyleveragingfeedbackmechanismsthatwork. Leadership&Management PublishedJuly15,2022 MadelineMilesMadelineisawriter,communicator,andstorytellerwhoispassionateaboutusingwordstohelpdrivepositivechange.Sheholdsabachelor'sinEnglishCreativeWritingandCommunicationStudiesandlivesinDenver,Colorado.Inhersparetime,she'susuallysomewhereoutside(preferablyinthemountains)— andenjoyspoetryandfiction. ReadNext Leadership&Management 14minread |March23,2021 Handlefeedbacklikeabossandmakeitworkforyou Whyisitimportanttoreceivefeedbackandcriticismtherightway?Herewecoverhowtohandlefeedbackandmoveforwardinaproductiveway. ReadMore Leadership&Management 11minread |September2,2019 Howtoempoweryourteamthroughfeedback Learninghowtoempoweryourteamthroughfeedbackiscrucialforeveryleader.Nomatterthemakeupofyourteam,youremployeeswantfeedback. ReadMore Leadership&Management 12minread |January14,2022 Howtogiveconstructivefeedbackasamanager Asamanager,itcanbedifficulttogivefeedbackthat'lldriveperformance.Findouthowyoucangiveeffectiveconstructivefeedbackwith5easysteps. ReadMore Leadership&Management 9minread |February4,2022 Howmanagersgetupwardfeedbackfromtheirteam Fosteringacultureoffeedbackrequiresmanagersaskingtoreceivefeedbackfromtheirteams.Learnwaysyoucanempoweryourteamthroughfeedback. ReadMore Leadership&Management 14minread |July26,2022 5reasonswhyyourcompanyneedsreal-timefeedback Givingeffectivereal-timefeedbackrequiresempathyandclearcommunicationskills.Thisguidewillhelpyoudeveloptherightprocessforyourteam. ReadMore Leadership&Management 12minread |February18,2022 Howtogetfeedbackfromyouremployees Whenwasthelasttimeyouaskedyouremployeesforfeedback?Learnhowtogetyouremployeestogiveyoumoreconstructivefeedback. ReadMore Leadership&Management 8minread |August25,2022 5benefitsoffeedback—andwhyitmatters Feedbackdoesn'thavetobescary.Learnaboutthebenefitsoffeedbackforyouremployeesandyourorganization. ReadMore ProfessionalDevelopment 10minread |March25,2022 Areyoureceptivetofeedback?Followthisstep-by-stepguide Feedbackdoesn'thavetobedaunting.Learnhowyoucanbecomemorereceptivetofeedbackwiththese5easysteps. ReadMore ProfessionalDevelopment 17minread |May5,2022 Shouldyouusethefeedbacksandwich?7prosandcons There’saheateddebateaboutfeedbacksandwiches:dotheyactuallywork?Findouthowyoucangiveeffectivefeedbacktoday. ReadMore StayconnectedwithBetterUp Getournewsletter,eventinvites,plusproductinsightsandresearch. 1200FolsomStSanFrancisco,CA94103 DownloadontheAppStore ©2022BetterUp.Allrightsreserved