Many leaders, educators and parents need to give feedback to employees, students and children. Michael Labuan, a professor at the University of Winnipeg, gives the following tips on giving effective feedback:
1. Get into an assertive mindset. Assertiveness is important because the receiver needs to observe the confidence of the person giving the feedback.
2. Prepare what you are going to say specifically. For example, if the person has been tardy or made a mistake, you must speak about the mistake in an assertive direct manner that addresses the issue but not the person’s character. The goal is to repare and learn from the mistake.
3. Designate a specific time and place that you will get back to the person to evaluate the reparation.
4. When giving feedback, listen to what the other person is saying and work collaboratively to resolve the issue. Seek to understand and then to be understood as Stephen Covey recommends in Habit 5.