Just mention the word "feedback" and people start to get nervous. Why in the world would you want to give feedback to the people you work with?  Someone will get defensive, someone else might get angry or -- worse yet -- cry.  The words are likely to come out all wrong.  And besides, it's the boss' job to give feedback, not yours.  It's better to just keep quiet, right?  Wrong.

Regular feedback, both positive and constructive, can help to build a stronger team and a more effective workplace.  When everyone is giving feedback at all levels (up, down, and sideways), quality goes up along with accountability.  But we can't just tell people to start giving more feedback and assume they have the skills to do so.

Most people, from front line workers to executives, benefit from following a model for giving feedback.  There are lots of models out there, most of which cover similar aspects of the conversation.  

Situation:  

It's helpful to put the behavior in context.  When, specifically, did you observe the behavior?  What was happening at the time?  Help the person remember by clearly explaining the situation.

Behavior:

There's no point in giving feedback on character, motivation, or attitude. Behavior is observable and measurable; it is what you can see or hear people doing.  No one can argue with behavior.

Impact:

What is the impact or outcome of the behavior in question?  Why does it matter?  Without specifying impact, the person may have no real reason to change.

Let's look at an example that follows this model.

S:  Yesterday in our team meeting . . . 

B:  . . . you interrupted Traci three different times, talking over her to offer your own ideas.

I:  Not only did she stop contributing to the meeting, but others did as well.  I'm concerned that we won't get optimum results if we don't have everyone's voice in the room.

See?  We specified the Situation, the Behavior, and the Impact. No name calling, no statement about this person's character ("I can't believe how rude you are") -- just a simple statement of behavior, in context, and the impact it caused.  

Notice also that there is no "A" in the model, for "Advice".  This is intentional, as it is now up to the person receiving the feedback to roll up his or her sleeves and get busy coming up with a solution.  

Try following these simple (but powerful) steps next time you need to give some feedback.  Let us know how it goes!