How to give constructive feedback effectively?

Do you sometimes struggle with not knowing what to say or how to say it when giving feedback? Here are some tricks and tips to help you the next time you aren’t sure how to construct your feedback. And some other suggestions for providing a professional environment and procedure.

What is constructive feedback?

Constructive feedback can be important in motivating and encouraging your care team. Constructive feedback is a way of providing specific and actionable information which facilitates improvements and outcomes. If done right, it can be highly motivating and facilitate better productivity and/or performance.

Here are 5 ways you could use to provide effective constructive feedback:

• the praise sandwich
• the medal and mission
• make it private
• personalisation
• set time

The praise sandwich.

This approach is involves 3 layers and it’s a tasty one at that. You start off with the first slice of bread by giving a positive praise. You then add the filing where you provide your constructive feedback. Note: the word ‘criticism’ is not used. You finish on the 2nd slice of bread where you end with another positive comment. For example, [name] I really enjoyed how you interacted with [name] today. I would like to suggest that you also attempt to prompt the other services users into the conversation. Though it was lovely to see the smile on [name]’s face during your conversation. Great work today [name]. Keep it up.

This way of giving feedback can be really effective is it noting the positives and the ways to improve.

The medal and mission.

This strategy is useful when the member of staff needs to take charge and complete a task. For this you provide the member of staff with their ‘medal’ using positive praise and you then give them their mission. For example, [name], I thought it was fantastic how you approached [name] using Makaton. What would be great next time if you could include some Makaton signing for the choices you gave? How does that sound?

This can be particularly effective if the individual needs to improve a certain task or skill.

Make it private.

There’s been times feedback has been given in the right space and the wrong space. A cafe, restaurant or open space isn’t the best place to give and receive feedback. Who wants to hear feedback when colleagues or members of the public can hear it? It’s like if we go to the Doctors, we would never expect to be given test results in the waiting room. Giving feedback in the wrong place can cause trust issues. The environment can play a big part in facilitating open and honest conversations.

Personalisation.

In many of the above examples, there has been a common theme. The person’s name. By adding in personalisation to your feedback, can enable the learner to truly believe in what you are saying. This is important as it can boost confidence and motivation. Be specific in what they have done and achieved recently. If you have primarily praised how they worked with the team, provide specific feedback for the individual staff member too. It’s also important that the feedback does not criticism the individual and is negatively personal.

Set time.

Those times we feel rushed, often cause us to feel deflated. So why are we rushing to give feedback and not giving enough time? It can make an individual feel undervalued or not part of the work family, if they are slotted a time just before you have to head off. If you are planning to give feedback to a member of staff, first identify the typical times you are interrupted. Plan the feedback around your most busiest times. Of course, we cannot always control them, particularly emergencies, though planning around the busier times should reduce interruptions.

In conclusion.

Many of us thrive on receiving feedback. It enables us to feel like valued member of the team. It can have a motivating and inspiring effect. It can also facilitating us to take ownership of how we behaviour, act, think and work. It can take some practice in feeling confident or comfortable in giving feedback. Try one or two of the above strategies and see how you get on.

If you’re looking for more information, here are some resources:

• Skills for Care – Building resilience – click here
• Mind – How to manage stress – click here
• Check out our other blog posts – click here

Have you used any of the above methods before? How did it make them feel? Did they go onto achieve even more? Let us know in the comments below!