Effective Feedback – Part 2: How to Give Feedback

Feedback has been shown to be a key motivator improving competency and so driving performance. By the same token the lack of feedback or inappropriate badly delivered feedback will have the reverse effect and can even reduce retention rates, it’s worth getting it right.

In this series of two posts we’re looking at the three key elements of delivering or receiving effective feedback.

  1. Timing – When and where you give feedback.
  2. Structure – How to give it.
  3. Receiving – How to receive feedback.

In this post we’ll look at the Structure of how to give feedback with a great tool called the Three Is Model. 

The structure for giving good feedback

Effective feedback has three elements to it:

  1. It is clear and specific based on fact
  2. It is relevant and promotes a desire to change
  3. It is constructive and unambiguous in relation to future action.

Use the Three Is Model to structure your feedback effectively.

  • The first “I” is the incident. What actually happened, what did you observed?
  • The second is the impact. What was the impact or result of what happened?
  • The third “I” is the improvement. What do you want the receiver to do differently in the future, the change in behavior?

Let’s work an example:

In your presentation you talked slower and louder when you talked about the benefits.

This is the incident. Note, it is as specific as possible about what happened.

I noticed that your audience was really focused on you and many were nodding in agreement.

Here’s the impact an engaged and agreeable audience.

I think you should build on this more particularly at the start and close of future presentations.

Note that for positive feedback the improvement is either keep doing it or do it more, you could go further and suggest encourage your colleagues to do the same or similar suggestions to pass on the good practice to others.

The most important aspect in the incidence slice is to base it on fact and not opinion, why? Because opinions are often different and so can cause arguments and conflicts. We cannot argue about facts.

You missed the plane.

There were three typos on page one.

You didn’t call me to say the client had arrived.

These are all verifiable incontestable facts, opinions however, are open to more interpretation.

You’re hopeless with time.

You don’t take pride in your work.

You couldn’t be bothered to let me know.

These can promote defensive reactions and arguments that have no possible agreement point.

Impact can also be twofold, it could be tangible or task related.

We won the pitch.

You met your target.

The client wants to use you again.

However it may be more related to behavior and so intangible.

I’m really proud of you.

I’m confident to give you more responsibility.

I trust you with key clients.

As you own these feelings they are in effect facts. I cannot tell you that you are not proud of me if you say you are.

There are options for the final stage improvement. Although, this is the third slice, it really is the meat in the sandwich.

What change do you want to see?

You have two ways of making this clear, the quickest and arguably most efficient way is to tell me. Be direct.

In the future please leave at least an hour to get to the airport

however, there may be situations when you want to have a more collaborative conversation about what should happen next particularly, if this is a key stage of development for a team member or when you’re giving feedback to a senior team member and don’t want to appear to be overextending your authority. To do this, you use open questions.

How do you think we can improve?

I hope this series of posts has been useful. Obviously there is a lot more to the subject, perhaps this will whet your appetite to work with Sun and Moon!

David Solomon
Managing Director, Sun and Moon Training
@SunMoonDavid

Photo copyright: pressmaster / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Menu