Giving feedback is hard.
My journey on the path to giving feedback to other folks started quite a while back.
The problems came around two areas -
- Whether the feedback I was giving was clear
- Whether the feedback I was giving was actionable
I ran many experiments but applied techniques and the two which I found out to be most effective are -
- Following the SHARED model of giving feedback
- Balancing encouraging and corrective feedback
Let's start with the SHARED model
It is as follows -
S - Establish shared intent - goal behind the conversation.
H - Provide context of what happened - Describe the situation as you perceived it
A - Describe specific actions - Describe the situation as you perceived it
R - Explain results - Describe implications of those actions
E - Engage - ask for their perspective
D - Discuss Solutions
For a more detailed breakdown -
I have outlined the whole model in depth in this notion template
Feel free to duplicate this and reshare as much as you folks want!
The benefits of using the SHARED model -
- It clarifies the intent in the beginning so people don't get defensive when you are giving feedback
- It makes sure you put up concrete instances so that the feedback you are giving feels grounded
- It makes sure you ask for the perspective of the counterpart
- It doesn't seem to them that you are acting as the sole judge, jury and executioner
- It makes sure you help them derive actionable next steps
Balancing encouraging and corrective feedback
Corrective feedback can have a demoralizing effect on your teammates.
For this reason,
I made sure to call out things which went well by my direct reports.
I have blocked 2 hrs in my calendar for this every week.
This allows for reinforcing feedback for behaviours I want them to show.
Celebrating small wins is necessary.
Otherwise, the time interval between positive reinforcing feedback becomes too large.
Some examples of small wins are -
- A well-built PR
- Active mentoring and coaching provided by the direct report to someone else in the team
- Doing something new and doing it well
Will keep on running more experiments and update them on upcoming newsletters.