Feedback is a powerful way to affect change in the workforce. Research consistently ranks feedback as among the strongest interventions that can be used to bring about change (Hattie & Timperley, 2007; Kluger & DeNisi, 1996). Feedback to team members is designed to enhance their performance and create a positive work place. Productive feedback has three main components. It can be broken into feed up, feed back and feed forward. To fully implement successful feed back all three components need to be used.
Feedback supports individual team members and the Department by:
· Supporting ongoing learning and performance and development
· Supporting team members in their ongoing personal and professional development
· Increasing self awareness
· Encouraging a positive workplace environment
· When giving any feedback, make sure that the conditions are right for both you and the team member receiving the feedback. The golden rules for giving feedback are:
o Find a place that is quiet and private so that distractions can be avoided
o Stick to the facts
o Always check that the team member understands the feedback
o Ensure that your voice, body language and what you say shows that you are supportive of the team member’s developing performance
o Be open to receiving feedback from the team member as a result of giving them feedback
o A successful feedback system allows for conversations that build capacity in a cyclic model.[1]
Feed Up: Clarify the Goal/s
The first component of an effective feedback cycle involves establishing a clear purpose for the observation. When both the team leader and team member understand the goal/s that the feedback will be focusing on, they can focus on that area specifically during the observation. It is important to the building of trust that the person providing feedback only gives feedback on those agreed goals and not other observations that they may have made.
Feed Back: Respond to the work/actions undertaken.
In this phase of the cycle the responses that are given by the team leader must directly relate to the goal agreed upon prior to the observation. The best feedback here provides the team member with information about their progress (lack of progress) towards the goal and suggests actions that they can take to move closer to that agreed goal. Success should also be acknowledged at this stage.
Feed Forward: Forming future direction
Feed forward is the formative aspect of the cycle. The team leader refers to the observations made and provides information or discussion as to how the goal can be achieved or improved upon.
References
· Hattie, J. and Timperly, H. (2007) Review of Educational Research vol. 77 no. 1. Sage online
· Fisher, D. & Frey, N. (2009) Educational Leadership. Nov. Vol.67. N.3
[1] Feed Up, Back, Forward. Fisher, D. & Frey, N.