Management Tip: Giving Feedback
Over the years, I have compiled a handful of tips that I try to refer to as a manager, employee, and program manager (I'm a Group Program Manager). Today's topic is on giving feedback. Sorry (doomo sumimasen) if my notes are a bit criptic, but I think you'll get the point. And remember, this is a very western view of giving feedback. I'm sure it is different in Japan and other areas of the world.
Giving Feedback: Be direct, don’t exaggerate, and don’t make it sound more pleasant than it is. And keep the following in mind:
- Facts: Based on factual events. Stick to what you have observed and know, not rumors.
- The Right Detail: Focus on the right detail (the big ones that matter)
- Empathy: Offer understanding and empathy, encourage joint problem solving - ask questions.
- Big Picture: Explain the big picture - How does the behavior affect individual or group goals?
- Considerate: Be very positive (what you want, not what you do not want). What’s the recipient’s perspective?
- Immediate: Give feedback immediately
- Behavior: Keep it specific to their behavior. Don’t let your own views distort the specifics.
- Set a Goal: Focus on what to do next time. Set a goal to improve the behavior.
- Confirmation: Confirm the issues & goals
- Affirm: Affirm that they can do it (& mean it).
And yes, I do share this information with my team and the rest of Microsoft via MySite on our internal deployment of SharePoint Portal Server.