Constructive feedback is important when working through any type of problem. Without providing feedback the situation is often left half handled and is more likely to become a problem again in the future. Although giving constructive feedback is a very important aspect of everyday life, one's ability to receive such feedback is of equally importance.
Feedback is vital to the overall improvement of one's self or of a team. You should not be surprised when you receive feedback nor should you stray from providing constructive peer feedback when necessary. A good way to set the stage for feedback amongst a group is to agree on guideline for providing such feedback. This will eliminate any misunderstanding when giving and receiving constructive feedback.
It is important to understand that feedback comes in two ways-Positive and Negative. If you want someone to consider your feedback and take note of it, then you must be sure to give both positive and negative feedback regularly. Too often, people tend to ignore times when good work should be acknowledged and only give feedback in a negative way relating to problems. This discredits the feedback that you give by creating a barrier between you and the person receiving the feedback.
Nobody wants to hear all about what they are doing wrong all the time without ever hearing about the things that they have done correctly. This overabundance of negative feedback will quickly become redundant and will not have the same effects as the combination of both positive and negative feedback combined. People are more likely to pay attention to complaints that you may have as long as they have received compliments from you as well.
When giving feedback in the form of complaints or compliments there are 5 guidelines that you should follow to make the feedback constructive.
#1: Be Descriptive about the Situation: By relating the actions to specific examples you are letting the respondent know that you have paid close attention and thought about what you are saying, not just randomly
#2: No Name Calling: Labels that describe behavior, such as unprofessional or undependable, are not received well by the feedback receiver. Avoid using such labels to describe behavior that you do not care for. Just because you are upset or do not like a behavior does not give the right to call names. Describe behaviors in a manner that does not use labels as this will be more receptive by the listener.
#3: Stay Exact: Do not over exaggerate the point and make it untrue. For instance, do not state that a person always does something wrong just because he or she may do it often. Always is a harsh word and could be unfair. By staying to the point and noting exact specifics you are telling the feedback receiver that you do pay attention.
#4: Do not Speak for Others: Speak only for yourself regarding issues that you have. Do not speak for others who are not present or for those who are. If there are others present during the constructive feedback session then they may choose to speak for themselves. State only the facts that you know and relate to and not what others may have told you.
#5: State your Feelings: Stating your feelings when you are providing constructive feedback will help to bring the receiver to an understanding of why you are saying certain things. Tell the receiver that you feel let down when they do certain things, or that you appreciate something. Make sure to let the feedback receiver know that you care about their thoughts as well by allowing them to have input into the conversation.
#6: Be Realistic: Do not set standards that are unrealistic and impossible to keep. Provide feedback often as a tool for both encouraging improvement and addressing concerns as well as to provide compliments on a job well done.