Hot Tips For Providing Feedback
Written by Joanna Geysen, The Culture Group
When conversing virtually, it’s easy to become distracted while you are looking at a screen. You could miss some vital visual and verbal cues. Staying engaged and ‘in the moment’ with another person can make all the difference.
Are you making the conversation you are having at that time, the most important thing you are doing ‘in that moment?’ Or is just another virtual meeting you have get through…? Self-checking and a little preparation can go a long way.
Here is a list of tips to help you through giving virtual feedback…
👂Open Questions – the best way to start any conversation. Start the interaction by simply asking about someone’s experience. Try ‘what did/do you think?’; ‘how well did that go?’; ‘I am interested in hearing your thoughts…?’ Be clear on what the meeting is about, allow the other person to share their view.
♥️ Get to the Heart – What if they say they thought it went well and don’t voice any concerns? If you observed the problem directly, you can say, “I ask because I noticed X,” and if you didn’t observe the problem yourself, try, “I ask because I understood X” Be clear on what the problem is. Brainstorm the issue so you are better placed to move to resolution.
✅ Positive Intent – Constructive feedback is always better received when you show genuine interest for the other person’s experience of the situation “what was your experience of X?”. Followed up with stating the impact. “The impact was X”. (Providing evidence/example statements). People generally want to do a good job. If you use positive intent this goes a long way to improve how another person hears less favourable news.
🤝 Mutual Understanding – Gain agreement, Summarise. Remember people may need some time to reflect on the feedback. Save time at the end of the conversation to ask, “What are your top three takeaways?” “What are you needing from me/the team?”. Be clear, set expectations, actions, and loop back to set the next check in.