You have likely experienced feedback at some point in your life: perhaps it was a supervisor commenting on your job performance, or a teacher evaluating your scholarship, or a spouse or friend criticizing the way you behave. Regardless of the exact circumstances you have undoubtedly learned a simple truth about feedback: some instances of feedback are motivating and empowering while others leave your feeling flat and full of self doubt. The important question, then, is what separates these two types of feedback and how can you learn to craft feedback that falls into the former category. Recently, CAPP's Alex Linley, educator Jenny Fox Eades and I put our heads together to puzzle out some of the hallmark features of optimal feedback; that which is especially motivating and empowering. Here are some of the insights our meeting produced:
1. The power of expectation-the person receiving the feedback "owns" their own emotional reaction, and this is largely dependent on their expectations not only of the feedback itself but of the feedback process in general. If you know you are going to give someone feedback it is helpful to establish at the outset what the feedback is intended to accomplish, and that further work is expected.
2. The power of accuracy-it almost goes without saying that the closer to the target the feedback is the more helpful it will be. This puts the onus of responsibility on the person giving the feedback, and suggests thought should be given to parts of the feedback that might be superfluous.
3. Feedback is directed at the future, not the present-there is an important difference between focusing on what is right and wrong with current work and discussing what needs to happen to make that work great. The latter case depends on the person giving the feedback focusing on that terrific future work, painting a picture of it for the other person, and then providing steps for getting there.
4. Believing in the project- You might think that investing in the feedback process is tantamount to investing in the improvement process. You'd be wrong. I once had an editor who took weeks to get back to me and said merely "it just doesn't sing." Not only was that not very specific (see below) but it also indicated a real lack of personal investment. Worthwhile feedback has to indicate that the project can truly be great.
5. Specificity-- This one is pretty straightforward. The more specific the feedback is the more understandable it is and therefore can be better actioned.
6. Relationship-Feedback is, fundamentally, a relationship. Just consider how you would give different feedback on a short story written by your best friend, a total stranger, or your parish priest. Even if it were the exact same story you would tailor your feedback to the relationship. Looked at another way, you can harness your relationship and what you know about the person (and his or her strengths) to give better feedback.
The Example: Now that you have read all about the constituent parts of optimal feedback let's see it in action. Here is a nutshell version of actual feedback I received on a writing project. The colleague giving me the feedback did not sugar coat her words or pull any punches. She was truly critical. And yet, I left our meeting feeling challenged, motivated, and eager to get to work revising the manuscript. Keep an eye out for each of the points listed above:
"Well, I'll be honest. I was a little disappointed. I know what you are capable of and I think what you showed me just didn't represent that. A lot of the language you used was generic, phrases I have heard a million times before. And you don't make a clear enough case that your work is different than that of other authors. And your chapter descriptions are too vague. They need to get a lot more specific. I would love to see you put some of those great stories in there. You know, Robert, you only have yourself to blame for this. I have read your writing and know that it can be really engaging. What you showed me just isn't that. But I would love to see you do a major overhaul-and I do think this is a major overhaul-because I wouldn't be spending this time with you if I didn't believe there was a lot of potential here."
How can you use these some or all of these 6 features of optimal feedback to better motivate others for positive change?
