Our last few newsletters have focused on a core competency for training facilitators -- the ability to use role play effectively in your workshops to help participants build skills in a non-threatening setting.  In this issue, we'd like to turn our attention to one of the skills you may be trying to teach.

As organizations have become flatter and more matrixed, the ability to give feedback skillfully is one of the characteristics that sets top performers apart from their colleagues.  A typical employee will need to give feedback to his/her peers and even to the boss -- and of course, managers also give feedback "downward" to their direct reports regularly.  Feedback, if done well, can improve performance at all levels of an organization, can strengthen teams and relationships, and can decrease conflict because "irritations" are addressed before they get blown out of proportion.  

We have compiled a few best practices for giving feedback.  Here are some pointers for how to say almost anything to almost anyone:

• What:  Be specific. Give examples to support your comments.  People may not understand what they're doing without clear examples.
• When:  Timing matters.  Give feedback as soon as possible -- in the moment if appropriate, or as soon as you can speak to the person privately.
• Why:  Explain the consequences of the behavior -- that is, what is happening, or how are others being affected, by the behavior. For example, "When you are late to work, I have to cover your phones and can't get started on my priorities for the day."
• How:  Critique the behavior, not the person.  No one wants to feel attacked.  For example, "When you interrupt me, I lose my train of thought" will be more well received than "You are so rude!"
• Who:  To whom can you give feedback?  Anyone, so long as you approach it diplomatically and in the spirit of improvement.