Feedback is one of the most powerful tools that you can use as a frontline supervisor to improve your performance and the performance of your team. Feedback can help you and your team members learn from your successes and failures, identify your strengths and areas for improvement, and achieve your goals and expectations.
But feedback can also be one of the most challenging and sensitive aspects of your role. Feedback can be hard to give and hard to receive, especially when it is critical or negative. Feedback can trigger emotional reactions, such as defensiveness, anger, or resentment. Feedback can also be misunderstood, misinterpreted, or ignored.
That’s why you need to master the art and science of giving and receiving feedback as a CareFull Supervisor. A CareFull Supervisor is a supervisor who cares for their employees as people, not just as workers. A CareFull Supervisor is a supervisor who leads and manages with compassion, communication, and collaboration.
In my new forthcoming book (January 2024), The CareFull Supervisor: The Tools to Succeed and Be the Supervisor Employees Want to Have, I share with you the concept and principles of CareFull Supervision, and I provide you with practical tips and strategies that you can use daily as a supervisor.
Giving and receiving feedback.
Here are some of the main points that you need to remember:
- Feedback should be meaningful, constructive, timely, and regular.
- Feedback should be based on facts and evidence, not on opinions and assumptions.
- Feedback should be specific and actionable, not vague and general.
- Feedback should be given as soon as possible, not delayed or postponed.
- Feedback should be given frequently and consistently, not sporadically or randomly.
- Feedback should be balanced, respectful, and supportive.
- Feedback should include both positive and negative aspects, not only negative aspects.
- Feedback should acknowledge the achievements and efforts of the feedback receiver, not only their shortcomings and mistakes.
- Feedback should be delivered with respect and courtesy, not with sarcasm and rudeness.
- Feedback should be aimed at helping the feedback receiver improve and grow, not at blaming or criticizing them.
- Feedback should be a two-way process, not a one-way process.
- Feedback should involve both the feedback giver and the feedback receiver, not only the feedback giver.
- Feedback should be based on mutual understanding and agreement, not on unilateral imposition and coercion.
- Feedback should be followed by dialogue and discussion, not by silence and avoidance.
- Feedback should be accompanied by action and follow-up, not by inaction and neglect.
How can you apply better feedback?
Here are some tips and examples that you can use:
When giving feedback to your team members, use the CARE model: Clarify, Appreciate, Recommend, and Encourage.
- Clarify the purpose and expectations of the feedback.
- Appreciate the positive aspects of their performance.
- Recommend specific and realistic actions for improvement.
- Encourage them to continue their learning and growth.
When receiving feedback from your team members, use the LISTEN model: Listen, Inquire, Summarize, Thank, Evaluate, and Next steps.
- Listen actively and attentively to their feedback.
- Inquire for more information and clarification if needed.
- Summarize their feedback to check your understanding.
- Thank them for their feedback and acknowledge their perspective.
- Evaluate their feedback and decide what to do with it.
- Next steps: communicate your action plan and follow up on it.
Giving and receiving feedback is a vital skill that you need to master as a CareFull Supervisor. By following these tips and examples, you can make feedback a positive and productive experience for you and your team.
You can also create a culture of feedback in your workplace, where feedback is seen as a valuable opportunity for learning and improvement, not as a threat or a punishment.
If you want to learn more about how to give and receive feedback as a CareFull Supervisor, and how to develop and apply the other skills of CareFull Supervision, I invite you to check out my book (coming in January 2024), The CareFull Supervisor: The Tools to Succeed and Be the Supervisor Employees Want to Have. It will be available through Amazon, Google Books, iTunes Books, Barnes & Noble, Indigo/Chapters, independent booksellers, and on the FreisenPress Bookstore (Publisher).
