Feedback That Works for Nonprofit Organizations by Clark Shera;

Author:Clark, Shera;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Center for Creative Leadership
Published: 2017-04-14T16:00:00+00:00

Key: Items 2, 3, 6, 8, and 9 are behaviors. Items 1, 4, 5, and 7 are not.

Although Alice never spoke, she sent loud and clear messages through her body language. Jim can give Alice effective feedback by saying something like the following:

“Alice, during our meeting yesterday in my cubicle, I noticed that you looked at your phone several times during a 15-minute period. You responded to your e-mail and shifted from side to side in your seat. You also nodded your head at people as they passed by my cubicle while I was speaking.”

Jim has communicated the situation and many clear instances of behavior to Alice. His approach will help Alice understand the negative impact of her behavior (the final step of giving effective feedback).

Tone of voice and speaking manner. Included here are the pitch of a person’s voice, the speed and volume at which the person speaks, and the pauses used when speaking. Broadcasters, especially sportscasters and news anchors, are masters of this. Voice mannerisms can be hard to notice and describe for the purpose of giving effective feedback, but are useful behavioral cues. For example:

Jason was introducing a new program idea to a group of his peers. During his presentation he paused on at least six different occasions, halting in midsentence. After these pauses, his voice slowed down considerably. He spoke in a low monotone. When people asked him questions, he suddenly spoke very fast. He ended his talk saying “Thank you! Thank you very much!” in a tone that was louder than he had used throughout the whole speech.

Some of the impressions you have of Jason may include uncertainty, nervousness, hesitancy, and lack of presentation skills. But to say just that to him doesn’t help him develop. Effective feedback would include a description of Jason’s speaking manner. You would talk about how he presented the material—the pauses and the speed and volume of his speech:

“Jason, during your presentation yesterday you stopped several times and spoke so low that it was difficult for me to hear you. Then, toward the end of your presentation, when people asked questions, you spoke faster and your voice got louder. I wondered if you were prepared for the presentation, and when you spoke faster at the end, I felt rushed.”

Word choice. This is often the least important component of behavior. Nevertheless, capturing the specific language a person uses during a situation can help you give effective feedback.

During a video conferencing team meeting, Bob lost his temper when he learned that Fred would miss a deadline for a proposal. Bob called Fred lazy in front of the entire group. When the meeting ended, the team members quickly logged off without speaking to one another.

If the content of a person’s message has an impact on you and you want to give effective feedback, write down the speaker’s words so you can remember exactly what was said:

“Bob, during the team meeting this morning you called Fred lazy in front of the whole group. I was really uncomfortable that you singled out one person and used that kind of language.

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