Five Tips on Providing Feedback with Confidence
Dear Tanja,
I hate giving feedback. How can I embrace this part of my role a little more?
The answer is in the question! Giving feedback is something to be embraced. It’s an opportunity to help others grow, develop, learn, and make changes to enhance their skills.
Here are five ways to prepare for giving feedback with more confidence.
Be present. This sounds obvious, but so often it’s not the case. When giving feedback, don’t say something to check the box. Be present when engaging with your team. Let’s say you are watching a presentation, and you know you will have to give feedback on the delivery later. Consider how you feel when watching this presentation. Are you inspired or motivated? Are you bored? Are you not paying attention? This is data that you can use in your feedback. If you were bored, what could have made it more engaging? Here is your feedback.
Be mindful. Before giving feedback, take a moment to center yourself and ensure your input comes from a place of support. I recommend a moment of meditation or breathwork. A power dynamic exists when exchanging feedback. Be aware of this and know where the feedback comes from in your heart. Always be responsible for providing input to support someone and their personal development.
Be willing. Lean into the idea that, as a manager, your role is to help build up your team. Be willing to cultivate a supportive relationship within your team. Root for each other's growth. Also, be willing to take feedback from your team. Everyone has something to learn in a work environment, and as a manager, you can create an environment where learning and development are to be celebrated.
Speak from the heart. Feedback isn’t always going to be easy to deliver. However, the best thing you can do for someone is provide honest feedback. You can create a safe space for sharing feedback, hearing feedback, and navigating complicated feelings around feedback when you are coming from a heartfelt intention. Trust yourself to deliver feedback with kindness.
Set time aside for feedback. This is part of creating a safe space. Feedback shouldn’t be a passing comment, mentioned in the breakroom, shared during a team meeting, or worse, behind someone’s back. Set an intentional time to meet, limit distractions, and allow enough time for questions or to navigate any unexpected emotions. Emotions are not bad. They are someone’s form of processing and invite you to understand how they feel and how to navigate the conversation appropriately.
The bottom line is to use feedback for good. Whether it’s challenging, positive, or constructive feedback, make sure it comes from a place of support. We owe that to each other.
Check out this PDF for more tips on #1- Staying present!
What would you add? What will you try? Share in the comments. Let’s keep working together to keep the office vibes up!
