Over recent months we have featured a number of articles on feedback and the response to these has been very positive. It seems that this is something that most of us have some challenges around – we believe we can both give it and receive it better. In response to the interest in this topic our Queensland associate, Aubrey Warren, takes the discussion further. ...

A friend told me about an interesting experience he's had upon moving into a new role.

He's committed to ongoing learning and development - for himself and those in his team. As part of that he actively seeks feedback and he's learned to make a habit of giving feedback as well. But his new environment has reminded him that feedback is very much part of the culture that we create.

He'll say to someone, "Can I give you some feedback?". The reaction he typically gets in this new environment is: A concerned look ... A hesitant "okay" ... Folded arms, tightened facial muscles, a furrowed brow. Wariness.

He can't know what's happening inside the person's brain, but all the externals suggest that their reaction to an invitation to get some feedback is not good. Which bothers him for three reasons: The first is that it suggests that "feedback" is pretty widely interpreted as "bad news", "correction", "failure" or "problem".

The second is that this team has no other competing interpretation for the word "feedback", whereas his previous team understood it in much broader and more positive terms.

The third is that it makes his task of passing on constructive feedback more of a drama than it should be. Because typically what my friend is setting up when he asks "Can I give you some feedback?" is an exchange in which he wants to pass on some supportive acknowledgement or appreciation for what the person or group has done.

The good news is that despite the early wariness about feedback, his intentional efforts are being noticed. And appreciated.

"Feedback" shouldn't be a word solely associated with "bad news", "wrong" or "performance problem". Consider four types of feedback that can be part of healthy and positive everyday workplace life:

• Instructive - there are few more frustrating things than being given something to do without proper instruction (and often without clear performance expectations). Instructive feedback enables us to improve, develop and refine. Giving instructive feedback shows respect for the task and the person performing it.

• Corrective - yes, there are times when, despite instructions, we fail to follow procedures or meet standards. There's no sense letting mistakes, faults, failures, or poor performance go on unchecked. No one wins from ignorance. And there's no respect for either the task or the individuals involved if we don't correct problems. (And few things erode our authority more quickly than failing to address problems in a timely and professional manner.) Corrective feedback should be matter-of-fact, directive, clear and specific. It doesn't need to come with an apology. It loses impact if it comes with personal judgement. And of course it will be rightly ignored and resisted if it's delivered with abuse or aggression.

• Supportive - perhaps the least acknowledged but potentially most powerful form of feedback. It's said that we tend to take strengths (our own and others') for granted and damage control weaknesses. And that's often how feedback works. We remain silently grateful for the good things people do and summon up courage to tackle the faults in emergencies. Supportive feedback takes a number of forms including empathising when things are tough, encouraging in the face of challenges, acknowledging and participating. It's perhaps the easiest and most "everyday" form of feedback we can engage in.

• Appreciative - similar to being supportive, appreciative feedback actively says "thank you". It looks for opportunities to celebrate and highlight achievement, persistence, ingenuity, creativity, character, service, high standards, and positive example. It respects unique contributions and outstanding endeavours and sometimes (though not always by any means) comes with a tangible expression of gratitude in the form of a reward or gift. It's about "catching people doing something right". It's amazing how motivating a simple expression of appreciation can be.

When we consider these four types of feedback, most of us would probably say "yes, please" if we were asked "would you like some feedback?”

In Sharpening the Focus: Managing performance in the APS (2006), the Corporate Leadership Council noted that some of the key factors shown to drive employee performance are: "the fairness and accuracy of informal feedback the employee receives, and their manager's emphasis on the employee's performance strengths" (p16).

Note the word "informal". Feedback is too often seen as some formal - even artificial - form of communication. In fact, the more we normalise it the richer and more useful it becomes. In healthy relationships feedback is frequent, informal and, of course, honest and constructive. Because the goal of feedback is to build up, not tear down.

And one of the most powerful ways to create that culture is to help people become confident enough to actually invite feedback.

So, what will be the response when you next ask, "would you like some feedback?” Whatever the initial response, you can take a step towards better conditions for success if your feedback becomes known for being appropriately instructive, corrective, supportive and appreciative.


Aubrey Warren represents growth coaching international in Queensland and is Australia’s only Master Trainer of Situational Leadership®