Constructive feedback: Important things you wouldn’t want to miss

If you are a manager or a leader, you have surely heard of constructive feedback. And further, you might have struggled to provide regular feedback to your team too. Today, let us unravel the hype around constructive feedback and see where we stand. To begin with, we need to understand constructive feedback. Constructive feedback refers to feedback that is provided to help employees improve performance. As the name suggests, it is constructive in nature and thus aims to build competencies that promote employees’ professional growth. It also helps enhance motivation and keep employees engaged in the workplace.  Constructive feedback incorporates a mix of positive and negative comments. It includes appreciation for the hits and guidance to reduce the misses. The goal is not to dissuade employees by pointing out their mistakes but instead to highlight areas in which they can improve. So, while including critical comments, the manager must ensure that they are laid down as stepping stones for success.  While the benefits of constructive feedback for teams are numerous, managers often struggle to provide constructive feedback. Typically, this happens due to a lack of understanding of the activity and its need. To many people, constructive feedback is an activity that provides limited and intangible rewards. But, the absence of constructive feedback massively hurts teams.  Teams that do not receive feedback miss out on crucial guidance from their managers and leaders. Consequently, they experience difficulty in improving performance. Employees could frequently find themselves directionless as no one is commenting on their work. Further, they also feel demotivated and disengage themselves from work as their efforts remain unrecognized. This sounds like trouble for any team.  Read more about how a manager’s inability to provide constructive feedback can hurt teams.  Otherwise, managers may shy away from conducting feedback sessions due to hesitation. It is common to think twice before offering critical remarks to anyone. More so when interpersonal relationships can get involved and cause negative office politics. Such fears can keep managers from becoming pros at constructive feedback. It reduces their effectiveness as managers and leaders.  Generally, it is assumed that constructive feedback is for the team. This opinion overlooks the massive benefits of constructive feedback for managers. Managers who regularly provide constructive feedback lead their teams effectively while overcoming shortcomings and utilizing every opportunity. They can also build long-lasting relationships with their team members by providing guidance. All in all, it helps managers craft an environment that aligns with their vision and eases the run along their roadmap. By assisting teams to generate higher productivity through constructive feedback, they demonstrate impeccable leadership qualities, which help them grow professionally. Such managers climb corporate ladders with ease.  Becoming a pro at constructive feedback takes time, but you can begin here by reading How Can Managers Become Pro At Constructive Feedback?  Now that we are talking about constructive feedback, the importance of feedback needs no repetition. As you begin your learning journey toward mastering constructive feedback, you will need feedback too! Start now by taking Risely’s free constructive feedback self-assessment.  Risely’s constructive feedback self-assessment uncovers the nuances of your feedback. It helps you identify areas that need work to provide quality feedback to your team, including targeted insights and impactful suggestions. Through this assessment, you can understand the best ways to use your communication skills in one-on-one sessions with your team to bring your vision to reality.  You should also check Risely’s free constructive feedback toolkit, which contains loads of helpful resources. Apart from clarifying the basics of constructive feedback, it comes with sample statements you can use while providing feedback to your team members. Using these two tools in conjunction will set you on the path to rapid growth in no time!  In the beginning, constructive feedback might be tricky and involve some errors. The key is to remember your goals and communicate them effectively. An empathetic approach to dealing with your team and guiding them in the right direction is needed. Repeatedly assessing your progress and getting feedback from colleagues will help you improve.  While we are at it, how good is your assertive communication going? Revisit last week’s newsletter to check out!