One change brings on a hundred more. . . . Kazi Shams

Feedback can inspire change.

Feedback is meant to influence or change a person's behavior.

What is the likelihood that feedback will in fact result in behavioral change?

It depends very much on the nature of the feedback.

Let's start with a worst-case example of feedback.

Supervisor to an employee:

I wanted to talk to you today because I am upset about your lack of productivity. You are not meeting my expectations. This needs to change.

Your work habits are poor. I've been told that it takes you much longer than anyone else in the department to complete your work. As a result, everyone's upset with you because they believe you're slacking off and they have to do more work.

This has been going on for a really long time. What do you have to say for yourself?

You have probably been on the receiving end of this kind of feedback, or it may in some form resemble strategies you have used.

By applying the 7 PROVEN FEEDBACK STRATEGIES discussed below you can transform this example of ineffective feedback into one that will increase the likelihood of behavior change.

7 PROVEN FEEDBACK STRATEGIES

1. Clearly define your purpose

It is best to start by clearly defining your concern. Go on to explain what created your concern. Solicit the other person's point of view on the situation, and then let the person know you will work together on a plan to rectify the problem.

Ineffective:	I wanted to talk to you today because I am upset about your lack of productivity.
Effective:	I wanted to meet with you to discuss concerns I have about your not meeting customer contact benchmarks. I will share with you the documentation I have that has raised this concern.   I would like your perspective on what has contributed to these figures and then we can work together to develop a plan to ensure you are able to achieve these departmental benchmarks.

2. Describe behaviors in specific, modifiable terms.

If we are interested in changing someone's behavior we need to clearly define the desired behavior.

Ineffective:	You are not meeting my expectations.
Effective:	Our department expects each Customer Service Representative to have at least 15 customer contacts per day, with an average of approximately 80 per week. Certainly, no less than 75 per week. Your customer service logs indicate that for the past three weeks you have had an average of 60 contacts per week.

3. Use descriptive, not evaluative, language.

Evaluative words like poor, bad, mediocre, or lousy often elicit defensive reactions and generally are heard as being about the person, not the behavior.

Ineffective (Evaluative)	Your work habits are poor.
Effective: (Descriptive)	When I observed your conversation with Mrs. Ruiz, I noticed that you spent 4-5 minutes discussing personal issues.

4. Provide credible documentation for your perceptions, avoiding the suggestion of secondhand feedback.

Show that your concerns originated from your own reactions to events and information. When others are involved, the person receiving secondhand feedback often becomes more interested in who said what to whom, rather than the content of the feedback.  

Ineffective:	I've been told that it takes you much longer than anyone else in the department to complete your work.
Effective:	As you can see by reviewing your client contact forms, you spend nearly twice as long with customers as other Customer Service reps.   For example, yesterday you had 8 customer contacts and spent an average of 18 minutes with each customer. The average for all other reps is 10 minutes per customer.

5. Illustrate the impact of their behavior or actions.

Describing the behavior's impact illustrates why this issue is of such importance to you. It also offers an insight into what lead you to the assumptions you have made and why you are invested in instituting a change.

Ineffective:	Everyone is upset with you because they believe you're slacking off and they have to do more work.
Effective:	In the last three months, customer wait time has increased from 1.5 minutes to 2.5. I have had 6 calls from customers this week alone complaining about the delays. Our department prides itself on being the company model for exemplary customer service. This reputation and our value to our company are now at risk.

6. Give well-timed feedback.

Feedback is most useful given close to the time of the observed behavior. The situation will be fresh in the person's mind, allowing them a better opportunity for meaningful change.

Timing should also be based on the emotional state of the people involved. Strong emotions may distract from the content of the message and affect how it is received.

7. Strike the right tone.

Facilitate constructive feedback in a manner that communicates the importance of the desired behavior change while being respectful and encouraging to the person receiving the feedback.

People react to two parts of a feedback message:

the content - what you say

and

the delivery - how you say it

They are likely to ignore the content if they are put off by the presentation.

For example:

If a Supervisor comes across as hostile or interrogative when giving feedback, the employee may view the feedback as punishment.

If the Supervisor comes across as nonchalant , passive or apologetic, the employee may minimize the importance of the feedback.

If the Supervisor is perceived as being assertive and respectful, the employee is more likely to attend to the content and the importance of the feedback.

To lean more about how to facilitate effective feedback sessions attend a Dances With Opportunity, Constructive Dialogue^® Workshop. Or go to our website, http://danceswithopportunity.com/constructive.htm, and click on the Best Practice link.

CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE WORKSHOP OPEN TO THE PUBLIC September 27th & 28th, Tucson, AZ We are hosting a 2-day Constructive Dialogue Workshop in conjunction with the Arizona Small Business Association. For registration or additional information call (520) 795-3943 or email jdances@aol.com.