Feedback Guidelines
Effective feedback communicates whether or not someone's behavior is
"on target" in relation to a goal. It works best if the receiver doesn't feel
defensive in response to your communication. Particularly where other behavior is
desirable, you can encourage change by paying attention to the following guidelines:
1. Instead of making explicit or implicit
judgments, be descriptive:
Judgmental: "You should delegate more."
Descriptive: "I noticed Larry and Helen have
a lot of free time and you worked long hours last week finishing that proposal. They've
been asking for more work. What happened?"
2. Instead of a
general comment that's open to
interpretation, be specific:
General: "You're too ego-driven."
Specific: "You
could have shared credit with your
team-mates for our improved profitability in the San Francisco operation."
3. Instead of
criticizing
the
whole
person, direct your feedback toward
behavior
that can be changed:
Personal: "You're a buffoon!"
Behavioral: "You took 30 minutes for your
introduction. Some of your stories were funny, but this group was pressed for time and you
lost their interest."
