Starter Question

Think about a time someone gave you helpful feedback. What made it helpful?

Feedback and Advice

Advice is recommendations about what might be thought, said or done to manage a problem

Feedback is evaluative communication Evaluation literally means “to find value in”

Praise

Criticism

Levels of Feedback

Task and procedural Relational Individual Group

Types of Feedback

Descriptive Evaluative Prescriptive

Feedback and Advice

Benefits of giving advice: Helps organization function more effectively Enhances employee identification with organization Enhances employee satisfaction & performance (if positive) Increases awareness of expectations Allows management to learn things

Giving feedback and advice can result in negative consequences: Make stress worse Undermine autonomy Damage the relationship with the advice giver

Praise

Criticism

Feedback and Advice

Advice for giving good advice and feedback: Determine if advice/feedback is really needed or wanted Make sure you have expertise in the area you are advising in

Come across as confident and share your similar experiences

Advice/feedback should be appropriate for the relationship you have with the recipient (e.g., the closer you are the better)

Be respectful of the recipient’s autonomy and competence Be detailed and accurate Use whole messages Recommend concrete, feasible behaviors that are useful Define appropriate consequences for success and failure

Considerations When Giving Feedback

Where: In public or in private

When: Timeliness– Close in time to when behavior happened– No surprises or ambushing

What: Behavior that can be changed

Who: Alone or with others

How: Partial vs Whole messages

Whole Messages

Direct, concrete messages that convey the truth with both kindness and firmness

Whole messages combine:+Observations +Thoughts +Feelings +Needs +Consequences

Partial messages leave one or more out

Partial message: “Why don’t you act a little nicer?”

Whole message: “You say very little (observation). It makes me think that you don’t care (thought). I feel angry (feeling), but what I really want is for you to talk to me (need). If you do, I will spend more time with you (consequence)”

Advice for giving whole messages: Emphasize that you are being honest out of respect Put value on your relationship with the target Focus on things someone can change

Guidelines for Receiving Feedback

Listen without interrupting

Keep an open mind and avoid defensiveness

Paraphrase to ensure fidelity before responding Be gracious and assume the person giving feedback has your

best interests in mind