Providing feedback is one of the most important tools for developing followers and achieving desired results. Feedback communicates the actions or behaviors that we desire to see more of, less of, or the same in the future. So, with effective feedback we can shape the behavior of a person and we can move towards the most desirable results for the organization.

In other articles we have provided advice and guidance on providing feedback, such as ten tips for feedback or a description of the necessary context for feedback or the character traits for making feedback effective. You can find a compilation of articles on effective feedback here.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines feedback as “the transmission of evaluative or corrective information about an action, event, or process to the original or controlling source.” A similar definition is found in BusinessDictionary.com, which says that it is the “process in which the effect or output of an action is ‘returned’ (fed-back) to modify the next action.”

In seminars intended to teach the skill, we break the feedback process into three, easy to remember steps – identify the specific action, describe the impact, and set the expectation. Feedback can only be effective when these three steps are completed. Let’s look at these three steps in more detail.

Step 1: Identify the specific action, behavior, event, or process. Operating under the assumption that we have an established relationship of communication with the intended recipient of our feedback, the specific conversation might begin with a description of the action, such as “the way that you helped the team reach a consensus” or “the three conclusions as you wrapped up your presentation.” Corrective feedback might begin with something like “the tone that you used in replying to Joe seemed very condescending” or “the facts that you presented don’t support the conclusions that you drew.”

Too often people think that they are providing feedback with a very general statement, such as “great job on the presentation” or “you add a lot to this team.” Such general statements could be considered affirmations, but they have little value for guiding future behavior, thus not really constituting feedback. The more specific and descriptive our statement, the better guidance it provides for future behavior.

Often feedback is better received when we first ask for permission, especially in the case of corrective feedback. Also, when providing corrective feedback, a bit of positive at the front end makes the recipient more open to the negative. An example might be, “Your presentation was good with a logical flow of the background information and each slide was a nice, bite-sized addition to our understanding, but may I offer some advice?”

Step 2: Describe the impact of the action. There are two elements of impact that are necessary for effective feedback. First, the personal impact or impression on the feedback provider. And second, the broader impact, whether it be on the organization, audience, peers, or whatever.

The personal impact makes the feedback just that – personal. Feedback becomes more digestible when the provider can share a feeling prompted by the action. Did their action, behavior, event, or process make you feel happy, intrigued, disappointed, angry, confused, excited, or whatever emotion was present? If this is important enough to provide feedback, there should be some emotion that arose, telling you that you should address it. Perhaps this is a good time to remind us that feedback is important, so we may need to train ourselves to notice those opportunities to feel something and to provide feedback.

The second half of describing the impact is to provide a broader context. Was the action in line with organizational goals or not, did it disrupt a meeting or discussion, is it likely to have hurt the reputation or effectiveness of the recipient, did it demonstrate behavior in line with or contrary to the organization’s desired culture, etc? Again, our goal in feedback is to be as specific as possible in order to tie the referenced action with the results, either positive or negative. Specifics make it more likely for the communication to be clearly understood and accepted, thus increasing the likelihood of long-term impact. A statement such as “you were rude, and I don’t want that to happen again” has little value. Rather a statement such as “I was disappointed to hear the rude comment you made when you said ___. That sort of comment breaks down the cohesion of our team and makes it more difficult to work together. We want this organization to be a place where each person is valued and accepted.” is more likely to gain the attention and acceptance of the recipient. Another example of describing the impact could be “The information in your presentation was so clear but I noticed that you said ‘um’ frequently. That habit can make your audience think that you are not confident in what you are presenting.”

Without demonstrating the impact, both personally and in the larger context, a comment about certain action can feel more like a slap on the back or a slap on the wrist, depending whether it is positive or negative. Without demonstrating the impact, such comments have little impact on the future. Therefore, they can’t be called feedback.

Step 3: Set the expectations for future action, behavior, events, or processes. Feedback is about identifying what we want more of, less of, or the same amount of. The third step of the feedback process is a statement or a discussion of our expectations relative to the specific action that we are addressing. The feedback process must provide clear expectations for the future.

Depending upon the situation, the third step of the feedback process might also include consequences or a plan of action. If we are talking about a serious negative action or behavior, the process may call for identifying the disciplinary action that will take place in the event of a next occurrence. If we have communicated the specific action and the specific impact that action, it is only natural that a specific consequence be communicated.

On the other hand, the feedback discussion may be related to an action or behavior that is beyond the recipient’s present capabilities. In this case, the discussion may call for either the feedback recipient to develop a developmental plan of action or it may require that the feedback provider and the recipient together define a developmental plan.

“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.” – Harvey S. Firestone

Effective feedback is crucial for effective leadership. To be able to spot opportunities where feedback is appropriate and to then provide it in a way that helps in the development of the recipient, is the best way to guide the growth of the people that we lead. To nudge the actions and behaviors of team members to align with organizational vision, goals, culture, and strategy is the best way to maximize the effectiveness of the organization. Many leaders underestimate the power of feedback and overlook the constant opportunities for providing it.

Are you providing enough feedback to those around you? Are you providing feedback in a way that maximizes its benefits?