3 strategies for leaders to give effective feedback

Communication is the number one aspect of any business, yet many leaders and managers fail to deliver it effectively, writes Shivani Gupta.

When someone says, “I need to give you some feedback”, most of us recoil and do not look forward to that conversation. Many might avoid it altogether. This is for people who need to receive the feedback as well as the people who need to provide it. Why is that? Most leaders, owners, and managers are not trained to give feedback, which should ideally be welcomed. And most people are not trained to receive feedback. Due to the lack of training in this communication, the feedback is often awkward, unplanned, and has the opposite effect of what was intended.

There are, however, strategies that you can implement that can create an improved culture where feedback may be welcomed.

1. Build up the relationship with the person to whom you want to give feedback.

I call this earning the right to give feedback. Many leaders and owners believe that because they are the “boss”, they have earned that right already as they are paying their salaries. That is true from a hierarchical perspective, but if you want to truly engage your people, you need to treat them as equals.

One way to earn the right is to view the feedback as a bank balance. Money cannot be withdrawn from an account if there are no monies in it. I believe that a 4:1 ratio is ideal. Four parts positive feedback and acknowledging the person when they have done something right. Then, withdraw the account when you need to provide constructive feedback when something needs to improve or change. By having your people build up the bank balance, it makes withdrawing the money much easier as the person receiving the feedback feels that it is more balanced and not just when you are unhappy when something goes wrong. You catch your people doing something right first!

2. Implement a coaching program within your business.

This is where the individual people work on the gaps they need to close based on their performance review for further growth in their roles. Structured feedback is then given in the areas of development the person requires, and the coach works with the coachee to address these areas. These areas need to be identified in a trio of coachee, coach, and leader and agreed upon before the coaching begins. The coach is trained in giving feedback. My experience is that if you are the leader sponsoring the coaching, ask for feedback every three to six months from both the coach and coachee, depending on the length of the coaching program. This investment in your key talent helps them grow. It also lets your people become better at receiving feedback. By investing in coaching programs, it also becomes a retention strategy for key talent, which can save you tens of thousands of dollars to not retrain a new person.

3. Train your managers on how to give and receive feedback.

The number one reason people still leave their jobs is the direct relationship with their direct leader or manager. This training helps you as the leader of that business, manage your people to create a communication culture. Once your leaders and managers are trained, they can help their people develop. When communication is open and constant, it increases engagement and productivity of the people that are there. It creates a culture that is essential for a high-performing team.

Communication is the number one aspect of any business, yet many leaders and managers fail to deliver it effectively. This leads to discomfort and apprehension around receiving feedback. And the messages that need to be heard by your people are not heard. Assessing which strategy would help improve your business culture and then implementing one of them would be a way to create a stronger feedback culture where feedback would be welcomed.

Shivani Gupta is an author, speaker, trainer, and facilitator.