Feedback is an essential element of effective leadership and a major tool when it comes to developing your team. Knowing when to deliver feedback and what to deliver feedback on will determine whether you use this tool effectively.
Learn to discern when it’s needed and when you should reserve comment. Use the following checklist to decide when to act.
- Is the person’s behavior wrong, or is it just different than you would do it?
- Is the person emotionally ready for feedback? If they’re under a lot of stress, you may want to wait. But remember, delaying feedback could make it less effective.
- What else is the person trying to change? Changing more than 1-2 behaviors at once can be overwhelming.
- Is it serious enough to justify feedback? Behavior that threatens others must be dealt with immediately. But continually picking at minor issues that don’t really matter will eventually suffocate your team.
- Does the person ever perform the behavior correctly? If so, catch them doing it right and give them positive feedback instead.
If you make a habit of giving effective feedback, your team will learn to expect it. Chances are they’ll develop faster, too.
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