Here's how you can make your feedback constructive and helpful.
Providing feedback is a delicate art, especially in the realm of program management, where the success of a project can hinge on effective communication and team dynamics. Your feedback has the power to uplift or demoralize, to clarify or confuse, so it's crucial to make it constructive and helpful. By following these guidelines, you can ensure your feedback is received in the spirit of growth and improvement.
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Parvez Ahamed, PgMP®, PMP®Senior Program Manager | I help organizations in solving complex NPD/NPI challenges using program management |…
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When giving feedback, avoid vague comments that can lead to confusion. Instead, focus on specific instances or behaviors that need attention. For example, rather than saying "Your work isn't up to par," you could say, "The project timeline was not adhered to in the last phase, which caused delays." This approach provides clear direction and makes it easier for the recipient to understand and act upon your feedback.
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-Use specific instances, e.g., "The project timeline was not adhered to in the last phase, causing delays." -Address particular actions or behaviors that need attention. -Provide actionable guidance to ensure the recipient understands and can improve.
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Always be specific in your feedback. SBI, which stands for Situation, Behavior, and Impact, is a great feedback framework. Example: Situation (Set the Scene): "During the recent project planning meeting for the [Project Name] launch, we discussed the resource allocation for the development phase." Behavior (Describe the Action): "You mentioned that you would finalize the assignments by the end of the week. However, it's now Monday the following week, and the team hasn't received the finalized plan." Impact: "This delay has caused some uncertainty among the team members regarding their roles and responsibilities. As a result, they haven't been able to begin their tasks, potentially impacting the overall timeline effectively."
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Here are some tips to make your feedback more constructive and helpful: Clearly point out what worked well and what needs attention. Feedback should address the work itself, the processes, or the outcomes, rather than making personal attacks or judgments on the individual. Even when providing critical feedback, maintain a positive and supportive tone. Explain the reasoning behind your feedback and how it aligns with the overall goals, standards, or best practices. Instead of just pointing out problems, provide actionable recommendations for improvement. Recognize the efforts and progress made, even if the desired outcome wasn't achieved. By following these principles, your feedback will be more likely to lead to positive change.
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Making Your Feedback Constructive and Helpful: 🔸 Be Specific: Provide clear, specific examples of behaviors or actions that need improvement, rather than vague or general comments, to help the recipient understand exactly what to work on. 🔸 Focus on Solutions: Offer actionable suggestions and practical steps for improvement, guiding the recipient on how to address the issues and enhance their performance. 🔸 Balance Positive and Negative Feedback: Combine constructive criticism with positive reinforcement, highlighting strengths and achievements to motivate and encourage the recipient. Taking these points into account, you can deliver feedback that is both constructive and helpful.
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Providing constructive and effective feedback requires a few essential measures. Don't just say "good job," but rather specify what was done well in order to assure understanding. Keep things balanced by emphasizing both your advantages and your shortcomings. Giving feedback as soon as possible following the event is essential to ensuring its relevance. Encourage discussion to start a two-way discourse that lets the other person express their viewpoint. Together with criticism, make suggestions for change to create a clear route forward. Follow up to monitor development and provide continued assistance.
Balancing your feedback with positive reinforcement is important. This doesn't mean you should shy away from pointing out areas that need improvement, but rather that you should also acknowledge what is working well. By highlighting strengths alongside weaknesses, you encourage a more receptive attitude and reinforce effective behaviors and strategies that contribute to the program's success.
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When providing feedback, aim to strike a balance between acknowledging strengths and areas for improvement. Highlighting strengths can boost confidence and motivation, while addressing areas for improvement helps the recipient to grow.
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To stay balanced, appreciate efforts, and maintain a positive tone. It's worthwhile to acknowledge the strengths of an individual as it reinforces performance in positive direction. Nevertheless, the areas of improvement need to be highlighted. Use empathy and be a good listener
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The Feedback Sandwich Recipe is a technique for delivering constructive criticism in a way that is both encouraging and palatable. 1. Start with the "Bread" - Positive Reinforcement. Acknowledge a specific accomplishment or strength. This sets a positive tone and shows appreciation for the person's efforts. 2. The "Filling" - Constructive Criticism. Here's where you address areas for improvement. Be specific and actionable, providing clear guidance on what could be done differently next time. 3. End with More "Bread" - Positive Reinforcement. Reiterate your confidence in the individual's abilities and offer encouragement. This helps maintain a positive atmosphere and motivates them to improve.
Timing is everything when it comes to feedback. Provide your insights close to when the event or action occurred. This ensures that the details are fresh in everyone's mind, making your feedback more relevant and easier to act upon. Immediate feedback can prevent small issues from becoming larger problems and helps maintain the momentum of the program.
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When it comes to feedback, timing is crucial. Give your observations immediately after the incident or action. For example, if a team member, delivers a great presentation, praise specific points right after the meeting. If another one missed a deadline, address it the next day. This ensures details are fresh, making feedback more relevant and actionable. Quick feedback keeps the program moving forward and helps prevent minor issues from escalating.
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Provide feedback in a timely manner, ideally soon after the observed behavior or event. Delayed feedback may lose its relevance and impact, and the recipient may have difficulty recalling the specific context
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Timely feedback ensures that both the giver and recipient understand the sensitivity of the feedback. It helps to proactively prevent larger problems with a specific and balanced feedback that's delivered on time
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Timing is crucial for impactful feedback. Feedback given close to the event when memory is fresh is impactful. When details are fresh in everyone's mind, both the giver and receiver can accurately recall what happened. This leads to more specific and relevant feedback that addresses the situation effectively. Immediate feedback allows for course correction while the action or event is still unfolding. This can prevent small mistakes from snowballing into larger issues. Also, prompt feedback helps keep the project or program moving forward. It prevents a backlog of unresolved issues and ensures everyone is on the same page.
Feedback should not be a one-way street; it's a conversation. Encourage the recipient to ask questions, seek clarification, and share their perspective. This not only helps them understand your point of view but also allows you to gain insight into their thought process and challenges. Such dialogue can lead to mutual understanding and more effective collaboration.
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While providing feedback open dialogue to discuss on specific issues that paves the way for agreement on the areas of improvement and solutions is very important. The person receiving feedback should be valued and respected to make the feedback successful.
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Feedback isn't just about giving comments, It's about engaging in a dialogue. For instance, after providing feedback on a project, encourage the team to ask questions to clarify expectations. If discussing a sales strategy, invite input from colleagues to refine the approach together. This two-way conversation fosters mutual understanding and enhances collaboration by exchanging perspectives and addressing challenges together.
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Feedback should be a two-way conversation rather than a one-sided critique. Encourage the recipient to share their perspective, ask questions, and seek clarification. This promotes mutual understanding and collaboration
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Dialogue helps establish a strong foundation of relationships. It sets up a common ground to understand the different perspectives at play. I have noticed, fostering dialogue early on, can better facilitate the feedback process
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For me feedback is a two way street. When team members feel their voice is heard and valued, they become more engaged and invested in the success of the program or project. Leaders gain valuable insights from team members about processes, challenges, and areas for improvement in the leadership style itself. This well-rounded perspective leads to better decision-making. By sharing feedback openly, teams can brainstorm solutions and develop creative approaches to overcome challenges.
While identifying issues is a critical part of feedback, offering solutions or paths forward is equally important. Rather than leaving the recipient feeling criticized and directionless, help them see how they can improve. Suggesting actionable steps or resources not only shows your commitment to their growth but also empowers them to take charge of their improvement.
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Offering solutions is an empowering way to provide options on the way forward. It helps level set expectations while being pragmatic.
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While pointing out issues is crucial, offering solutions is just as important. Instead of leaving someone feeling criticized, help them see ways to improve. For example, if your colleague struggles with time management, suggest using a planner or productivity app. This shows your commitment to their growth and empowers them to take charge of their improvement.
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Instead of just pointing out what went wrong, offer constructive suggestions or solutions for improvement. This demonstrates your willingness to support the recipient in addressing the issue and encourages problem-solving
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The main emphasis should be finding the solution, not pointing whose fault it was. Instead of a "blame game," cultivate a "solution-oriented" environment. Encourage everyone to identify the root cause of the issue and brainstorm potential fixes collaboratively. Rather than dwelling on past mistakes, focus on what can be done to move forward. The goal is to learn from the situation and prevent similar problems in the future.
Lastly, make sure to follow up on the feedback you've provided. This shows that you are invested in the recipient's progress and that you view feedback as an ongoing process rather than a one-time event. Checking in periodically can also provide opportunities for additional guidance and support, helping to ensure that the feedback leads to positive change.
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Follow up on the feedback you've provided to check on the recipient's progress and offer further support or guidance if needed. Recognize and celebrate improvements to reinforce positive behaviors.
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It’s important to understand that constructive criticism is not negative criticism and shouldn't be taken that way 🥲 Though it may not always be positive, its goal is to help someone improve, not to tear them down. Also, the tone of your voice and the timing of your feedback matter: 🧠 constructive criticism should be offered in a friendly manner with good intentions 🧠 ideally, the person giving constructive criticism should be ready to help brainstorm solutions and next steps to aid growth 🧠 practice constructive criticism; not every conversation will be easy, but difficult discussions are crucial for developing a collaborative team
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Providing constructive and effective feedback requires a few essential measures. Don't just say "good job," but rather specify what was done well in order to assure understanding. Keep things balanced by emphasizing both your advantages and your shortcomings. Giving feedback as soon as possible following the event is essential to ensuring its relevance. Encourage discussion to start a two-way discourse that lets the other person express their viewpoint. Together with criticism, make suggestions for change to create a clear route forward. Follow up to monitor development and provide continued assistance. To further improve the feedback process overall.
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