Basics of feedback

Definition:
“Feedback is just factual data or information that assists someone to become more aware of the
impact of their skills, behaviors, attitudes, and performance.”
“Providing information about the effectiveness of an action, behavior or performance. It involves
sharing observations, insights and suggestions to help individuals.”
“Feedback is information about the gap between the actual level and the reference level of a system
parameter which is used to alter the gap in some way.”
Effective feedback is always
 Timely
 Specific
 Objective
 Respectful
 Actionable
 Regular
 Ongoing

Types of feedback
1. Evaluative feedback: helps you see how you did and where you are. It
is evaluative because it compares how you did to how you could have done it. The gap
between the actual level and the reference level.”
To make evaluative feedback real, here are five feedback examples:
 Number 1: At the end of the quarter, you drove 10% fewer marketing leads than
you forecasted. The feedback here, and perhaps it came from an automated
dashboard, tells you how you did in relation to how you thought you would do. This
not only lets you know how you did, but it provides a data point that can be the
signal you need to improve how you drive leads and/or improve your next forecast.
 Here are a few other examples:
 Number 2: A direct report tells you: “You are the best leader I’ve ever worked
with.”
 Number 3: You did not meet the qualifying standards to participate in the Boston
Marathon.
 Number 4: You moved to on a Duo lingo leaderboard.
 Number 5: Your formal bid in response to a Request for Proposal (RFP) was
selected.
You may be thinking, “What!? Wasn’t that comment from the direct report also the
appreciative type of feedback?” Indeed, you are correct! The types of feedback can blur
into each other; at times, it can feel like the feedback types exist on a spectrum. Let’s zoom
out a bit to add context to this example.
2. Appreciative feedback: helps you know you are valued and recognized. Here are five
examples of appreciative feedback:
 Number 1: Your basketball team’s center points to you in gratitude after that great
pass.
 Number 2: Your grandparent says, “I am so grateful for all you’ve done for us.”
 Number 3: Your teacher praises you in class for always asking great questions.
 Number 4: Upon returning from a dangerous military mission, one sergeant hugs
another.
 Number 5: A patron at the restaurant where you work leaves you a great tip.
You’ll notice that appreciation can be spoken in words (as the grandparent and teacher did)
or it can be unspoken or nonverbally communicated (as with the basketball center, the
sergeants, and the patron who left a great tip). Unlike Evaluative and Coaching, which can
touch on negative areas, appreciation is positive. It motivates us. Keep in mind, however,
that everybody wants different types of appreciation. Some, though they may not admit it
and might blush as it happens, love to be appreciated in front of peers. For others, quietly
renewing their contract for another quarter may be all the appreciation they want or need.

3. Coaching feedback. The coaching feedback type helps point the way to how you can
improve. Here are five examples of coaching feedback:
 Number 1: A colleague tells you they loved the flyer and social media graphics
you created, but to please make sure to use the company’s proprietary font. After a
conversation, they recommend taking a course they just completed titled “Omni
channel Branding.”
 There’s a positive comment in this feedback, and it’s also coaching feedback
because it highlights a gap and a potential way to improve it in the future. Keep in
mind that coaching feedback can come from anywhere – it need not be from a more
senior colleague.
 Number 2: “Here’s what worked for me when I was in a similar position,” a
colleague begins.
 Number 3: Your ballet teacher offers advice on how to improve your grand plié.
 Number 4: Through active listening and asking questions, one teammate guides
another to finding their own solution to a challenge.
 Number 5: A teammate says: “I’m not a great public speaker, but I noticed each
time you looked down at your notes it took away some of the great energy that kept
your audience engaged. Are you open to working together so we can both
improve?”
4. Feedback literacy. Feedback literacy is a term I use to refer to an individual’s
understanding of and capacity to effectively give, receive, and process feedback. The term
has research roots in the world of education, where it is primarily used to describe students’
 ability to receive feedback. I’ve expanded its use, pulling it into the business world so we
have a broad term to describe the overall feedback capacities.

Based on formality and timing

5. Planned feedback. Planned feedback refers to any feedback session that is scheduled in
advance. Often referred to as formal feedback, this type of feedback may occur at regular
intervals, such as during quarterly or annual performance reviews or even within a day’s
notice. The benefit of a formal feedback session is that the primary feedback giver(s) and
receiver(s) have a chance to prepare.
6. Informal feedback. Informal feedback is often considered the most common form of
workplace feedback because it can occur anytime and come from anywhere in the
organization. Although informal feedback is often thought of as differing from formal
feedback in that it is not scheduled, it can include scheduling and planning elements. The
benefit of good informal feedback is its timeliness. Sometimes, this type of feedback can
be incorporated minutes after an activity, leading to improved outcomes.
7. Unplanned feedback. Unplanned feedback is not scheduled in advance and occurs in real-
time. Although it’s often referred to as informal feedback, unplanned feedback differs in
that it is truly spontaneous and in-the-moment. Therefore, Employee A’s conscious email
could be considered informal but it would not be considered unplanned.
8. Real-time feedback. Real-time feedback occurs as the activity is happening. It can be
planned (as in a collaborative working session) or unplanned (as in feedback received from
the audience during a presentation).
An example of real-time feedback that is planned would be: the design lead mentioned
earlier schedules a 30-minute call with the junior designer so they can work in real-time to
improve the brochure.

Feedback based on source

9. Self-feedback. Although informal feedback is often referred to as the most common type
of feedback, in all likelihood, self-feedback takes the crown. Self-feedback refers to the
feedback in our minds as we critique, praise, and compare our performance. We may
compare the speech we just gave next to an excellent TED Talk. Or the app functionality
we’re building next to how our competitor did it. Self-feedback can happen consciously
(such as an employee who was just asked to rate their quarterly performance, also known
as a self-appraisal) or unconsciously (such as an unhelpful and hypercritical thought
process that may be related to traumatic events in childhood). Space for mindfulness and
self-reflection is a key part of developing conscious self-feedback and helping to bring
unhelpful subconscious self-feedback to the surface so it can be worked with rather than
reacted to.
10. Peer-to-peer feedback. In the workplace, peer-to-peer feedback typically refers to
feedback given and received by peers at relatively equal seniority levels, but it can also
refer to peers of any level and kind giving or receiving feedback. Effective peer-to-peer
feedback is built on several key pillars, including psychological safety (where each
colleague feels respected and safe when sharing their thoughts).
11. Customer feedback. Customer feedback is feedback given by customers. It can occur in
various forms, including customer satisfaction surveys, public customer reviews, and beta
testing whereby a product or service is rolled out to a select group to provide feedback
before a general release.
12. Employee feedback. Employee feedback is a broad term that you may hear used in
multiple ways. It commonly refers to feedback given by a manager to a direct report, but it
can also refer to any feedback given and received between colleagues regardless of where
they sit on the org chart. Additionally, an organization’s leaders may request “employee
feedback” about, for example, how a new procurement process is working.

F EEDBACK BASED ON POSITIONALITY

13. Upward feedback. Upward feedback is feedback given by a direct report to their manager.
It can also refer to any feedback given by a more junior employee to a more senior
employee (this includes skip-level feedback, which would be between a junior employee
and their direct supervisor’s manager).

14. Downward feedback. Downward feedback is feedback given by a manager to their direct
report. It can also refer to any feedback given by a more senior employee to a junior
employee.

F EEDBACK BASED ON CONTENT AND GIVER / RECEIVER PERCEPTION

15. Positive feedback. Positive feedback is how we know we are doing well. This can come
in various forms, ranging from a colleague’s praise to an automated dashboard that turns
the numbers green when you’ve met or exceeded your goal. For decades, feedback research
has proven the benefits of positive feedback. Effective positive feedback is specific (it goes
beyond “great job”) and can also give employees a glimpse into a strength they may not
know about.
16. Negative feedback. Negative feedback is how we see our gaps, those areas where we can
improve. This can come in various forms, including from a friend who saw our action and
commented that they felt we can do better. In this sense, negative feedback can be
beneficial. However, for various reasons we will explore in a future video, folks often fear
giving and receiving it. Working through this fear can be challenging, but there can be
tremendous growth when you do.
 17. Constructive feedback. Constructive feedback seems to exist due to confusion or
misconceptions around what the “negative” in negative feedback refers to. “Constructive”
here implies helpfulness or usefulness, and maybe a future-oriented view, which is all in
our primary definition of feedback.

Basic elements of constructive feedback

Here are the basic elements of constructive feedback:

1. Specificity: Clearly state what you are providing feedback on, avoiding generalities
2. Objectivity: Focus on behavior, actions, or performance, rather than personal traits or
characteristics.
3. Timeliness: Provide feedback as soon as possible after the event or situation.
4. Relevance: Ensure the feedback is relevant to the task, behavior, or performance.
5. Action ability: Provide concrete suggestions for improvement or change.
6. Respect: Deliver feedback in a respectful and considerate manner.
7. Empathy: Show understanding and acknowledge the individual's perspective.
8. Clarity: Clearly articulate your message, avoiding ambiguity.
9. Focus on behavior: Emphasize what the person did or didn't do, rather than attacking their
character.
10. Goal-oriented: Align feedback with specific goals or standards.
11. Regular: Provide feedback regularly, not just during evaluations or reviews.
12. Open-minded: Be receptive to feedback yourself, and willing to adjust your own
approach.

By incorporating these elements, you can deliver constructive feedback that supports growth,
improves performance, and fosters positive relationships.

Value of constructive feedback in professional environment

Constructive feedback is incredibly valuable in a professional environment because it:

1. Improves performance: Helps employees understand what they're doing well and where
they need to improve.
2. Boosts productivity: Encourages employees to correct mistakes and optimize their work
processes.
3. Enhances learning and development: Supports continuous learning and growth, helping
employees develop new skills.
4. Fosters open communication: Encourages a culture of transparency, trust, and
collaboration.
5. Promotes accountability: Encourages employees to take ownership of their work and
actions.
6. Supports goal achievement: Helps employees align their work with organizational goals
and objectives.
 7. Encourages innovation: Creates a safe space for experimentation and learning from
failures.
8. Builds trust and relationships: Demonstrates investment in employees' growth and well-
being.
9. Reduces errors and conflicts: Addresses issues before they escalate, improving overall
work quality.
10. Drives employee engagement and motivation: Shows employees their work matters and
their growth is valued
11. Enhances credibility and reputation: Demonstrates a commitment to excellence and
employee development.
12. Supports diversity, equity, and inclusion: Helps create a fair and inclusive work
environment.

By incorporating constructive feedback into your professional environment, you can create a
culture of growth, improvement, and success. Remember, feedback is a powerful tool for building
a high-performing team!