Giving Effective Feedback

As human beings, we often hunger for feedback. However, many people will tell you that when they do get feedback, it’s often because of something they have done wrong. This two-day course is designed to help workplace leaders learn how to provide feedback any time that the message is due. Whether feedback is formal or informal, and whether it is provided to employees, peers, or someone else, there are ways that it can be structured to be effective and lasting.

This course will help participants learn why the way we deliver is feedback is important, how to deliver a message so that people accept it and make changes that may be needed, and how to accept feedback that we are offered.

• Explain why feedback is essential
• Apply a framework for providing formal or informal feedback
• Use descriptive language in delivering feedback
• Describe six characteristics of effective feedback
• Provide feedback in real situations

We will spend the first part of the day getting to know other participants and discussing what will take place during the workshop. Students will also have an opportunity to identify their personal learning objectives.

To start, participants will learn some key terms about feedback. They will also explore some situations where different kinds of feedback would be needed.

When providing feedback, you want to make sure that people are hearing what it is that you are saying. This session will help participants make sure that the language that they use is descriptive and clear. Techniques on staying neutral will also be discussed.

This session will help participants improve communication skills that are essential to giving good feedback, including questioning techniques, probing tools, and ways to manage their non-verbal messages.

Next, participants will learn about the six characteristics of effective feedback. We will also share a framework for formal and informal feedback discussions. Participants will then apply their new skills to a case study and to examples from their own lives.

Sometimes giving feedback is easier than receiving it! This session will give participants some ways to receive feedback in a gracious manner.

The final session of this course will give participants some hands-on practice with giving and receiving feedback.

At the end of the day, students will have an opportunity to ask questions and fill out an action plan.