Delivering Feedback and Criticism Training Outline

Be Brave

It is imperative for whoever is meant to deliver feedback and criticism to actually deliver it. It happens sometimes that there will be an administrator who fears he or she will deliver the feedback incapably, and hurt the feelings of the employee more than address the problems or the employee and help seek improvement. However, this runs the risk of putting the feelings of the employee over the image and success of the company. You cannot afford to constantly tolerate an employee who is failing to fulfil his or her responsibilities, or your company’s efficiency may drop, like it is giving money away for poor work, which in turn, makes the quality of your products seem poor. It is best to remember that the delivering of feedback is always in the best interest of the company. This applies from the lowest level of the company to the highest. Constant feedback and criticism on events and actions is one of the primary keys any and every company needs in order to fuel improvement. A company today that is not constantly improving can be left behind by the competition surprisingly quick. If you have to, base your bravery in the motivation that you are giving feedback for the good of the company, and the improvement of the company. That bravery means you care about both the company and the employee. For example, if Sarah delivers her feedback about the actions of his colleague James, James will now be informed of the areas he can change and improve.

Be Kind

Now, some people in the company may not have any qualms or fears about delivering feedback or criticism. However, it sometimes devolves to the point that all they can say is criticism, and negatively so. Not a single positive word ever leaves their mouths, and it gets to the point that these people are seriously starting to demoralise the remainder of the staff. This must be avoided; demoralised employees can become greatly discouraged. It is much more likely to raise their spirits and productivity when feedback is delivered positively, and focuses on providing solutions for them to do that will address the problem and help them feel better about their mistakes. A common technique used by companies around the world is the sandwich method. This particular method of feedback and criticism is ferociously effective at getting the point across, but while being sensitive and positive in its delivery. The key is to always deliver positive points first, follow it up with points to improve on, and then reiterate the positive points. This makes sure that while your negative criticism gets across, it also has a more positive vibe, so they are more likely to receive it as you trying to help them than they are to receive it as you being mean, as most poorly delivered criticism goes. Kindness can go a long way when it comes to delivering your feedback and criticism, so never forget to make it your default way of addressing problems even if the problem is really agitating you. It is a symbol that you are professional, and capable of managing yourself and your emotions, while communicating a difficult point without agitating someone else. This will all be possible if you are just kind in your delivery, and keep it generally positive, but stay brave enough to say what you think the other person can do better.

Remember How Some Respond

Not everyone responds to feedback and criticism the same way. Some workers will respond very enthusiastically to positive feedback, but will withdraw and shrink when they hear anything remotely negative. Others are not responsive to anything but harsh, brutal delivery backed with factual presentation. It is key to remember how certain colleagues respond to criticism so that you can appropriate a response in that vein, and speak their language. It helps get your point across more effectively, and in doing so, make a bridge to better improvements. However, if it so happens that you are meant to deliver feedback and criticism to someone whose responses you are not familiar with, you can always refer to the basic method of being kindly and positive in your approach. It is almost never something someone can dislike you for legitimately, since others can attest that you were indeed positive and kindly in your approach to delivering feedback and criticism to that person. Still, as much as possible, observe your team members and watch how they react to getting feedback. It will help you get your own points across to them more effectively later.