http://www.feedback.tips/give-constructive-negative-feedback-to-managers-colleagues
WHEN IT’S YOUR BOSS
Employees are often too intimidated to give their boss constructive feedback. Instead you should see it as an opportunity to improve how your work is being managed, and point out concerns your boss may not have noticed. Imagine that in meetings your boss has a habit of immediately shooting down employees’ suggestions when they don’t agree with them. Everyone in the room may feel intimidated to speak up, but no one wants to point this out to your boss. In the next meetings, your boss gets angry at what they see as a lack of participation.
To overcome this common fear it’s critical to realize that your boss is an employee too and as such they also want to improve their performance. One of the most important parts of their job is maintaining employee retention rates. Receiving feedback allows your manager to check in and work on creating a positive atmosphere in the workplace. Though you may be tempted to give out buckets of gold stars, again, giving only positive feedback will not help them to grow as a leader.
HOW DO I GIVE CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK EFFECTIVELY?
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WORK ON DELIVERY
First start off with positive feedback. Recognizing your colleague’s strengths will help to balance the constructive feedback you’re going to give them and boost their confidence. Steer clear of linking your positive and negative feedback with “but”, “although” or “however” as this can make your compliment sound insincere.
To make sure your feedback doesn’t come off as a personal attack, describe behaviors rather than traits. Think of specific examples and base your feedback on observations and facts, rather than judgments. For example, instead of telling them they never listen to others, you could say, “I noticed that when Michael made a suggestion in last week’s meeting you disagreed with him before he finished explaining his idea.” A good way to be sure you’re not making it personal is by using verbs instead of adjectives. “Sometimes you interrupt others and forget to leave space for different opinions” instead of “You are sometimes bossy and controlling in team meetings.” To read more on delivery see Impraise’s blogpost on ‘How to Give Feedback the Right Way’.
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BRING THEM INTO THE DISCUSSION
There are always two sides to a story. After giving feedback, give the recipient a chance to respond. Maybe they get annoyed when meetings run overtime and have a hard time rejecting ideas diplomatically. This transitions your discussion into a conversation rather than a one-sided review and enables you to confirm they’ve understood your feedback. It’s only at this point when you understand both sides of the situation that you can come up with an effective solution together.
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ASK FOR FEEDBACK IN RETURN
Once you’ve given feedback, ask for feedback in return. With this step you can demonstrate that you’re open to constructive advice and value their opinion, putting you on an equal footing. Ask specific questions about your performance to show you really want to hear from them and are not just asking as a formality. For more advice see our guides on receiving positive and constructive feedback.
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PUT YOURSELF IN THEIR SHOES
If you’re still unsure how they’ll take your feedback, put yourself in their shoes. Imagine the situation is reversed. How would you react if your colleague gave you the same feedback? Would you be angry or grateful that someone pointed this out? Keep in mind differences in personality. It might be more difficult for some people to overcome a fixed mindset than others, but if you can honestly say you would not be offended receiving your own feedback, it's a good sign you’ve planned your delivery well.
SUMMARY AND TAKE-AWAYS:
Employees are being asked for feedback more and more by their colleagues, manager and company. Fear of offending someone may make you more hesitant to give constructive feedback. If you learn how to communicate your feedback effectively you can help your colleagues grow professionally, diffuse office conflicts and improve your team's productivity.
(1) Start with positive feedback
(2) Base feedback on observations, facts and examples
(3) Use verbs instead of adjectives
(4) Listen to their side
(5) Ask them to return the favor
(6) Put yourself in their shoes