So how do you provide high quality feedback? Firstly, you need to observe your team as much as you can and speak with others with whom they work in order to have enough information to construct high quality feedback messages. Secondly, you need to provide balanced feedback regularly, not just when something has gone wrong.
Thirdly, you need to ensure the feedback is the starting point of a wider discussion where you listen to their perspective. You should also be open to receiving feedback on your managerial performance too.
To ensure the feedback you give is high quality always construct it in advance and review it. How would you feel if someone delivered this feedback to you? A simple and effective structure for high quality feedback messages is the AID model. AID stands for action impact do. The aid model helps you create high quality feedback messages that are clear, specific, and unarguable. A is for action.
Start by outlining the specific behavior or aspect of their performance you wish to address. For example, I noticed in that client meeting yesterday that you arrived 10 minutes late and didn't apologize.
I is for impact. The more you communicate the possible impact of their behavior or the performance issue, impact on the client, impact on their reputation, on you as their manager on the team, et cetera, the more that you raise their awareness of the seriousness of the situation and the need to address it.
Remember, high quality feedback should be unarguable.
If they can argue with it, then it's poor quality feedback. For example, you were rude and unprofessional is arguable. It's judgmental and could make the recipient feel upset or angry. But my concern is that the client may have thought to you, unprofessional. I think it looked unprofessional, is unarguable as no one can argue that you think something or are concerned about something.
D stands for Do. As in what will the feedback recipient do differently in the future based on the feedback provided.
You can, if you feel it is appropriate, tell them what to do, but of course they might not agree with you.
If you ask them what they think they should do, then you are allowing them to take ownership of this change of approach or behavior. You don't actually have to use the word do in the question. A great question to ask here is what are your thoughts about that? Remember, you should also use the AID framework to recognize strong performance and the same rules apply. Action. I noticed that you stayed behind to answer the client's questions at the end of yesterday's meeting, even though I know you have a huge workload. Impact, I thought that really showed our commitment to this relationship, and I'm sure the clients were hugely impressed by your efforts to reduce their concerns. Do what else can we do to strengthen this relationship? Remember, feedback should be regular balanced between recognizing strong performance and addressing under performance, and always carefully considered to ensure it is of a high quality.
If you follow these guidelines, you will build a team of confident, motivated, high performers. You will retain your top talent and consistently meet and often exceed your team goals.
