A reasonable article on how to provide meaningful feedback. Specifically, on how not to be afraid to provide meaningful feedback.

You may already know many of these points, but it won't hurt to re-read them. Also, this is one of the cases where actual practice weights more than theory.

P.S. The original article seems to be behind a paywall, but I was able to read it just fine via Pocket. In any case, here are the tl;dr points provided by the author himself:

Way before giving feedback…

- Build a relationship with the other person - This starts the path of giving feedback to someone like it’s your close friend. Good relationship = easy feedback.
- Share that you are open to receiving feedback - This results in the other person seeing you are growth-minded and often leads to them asking for feedback too.
- Give positive feedback first - This helps build a positive relationship and ensures the other person knows you are on their side and looking out for them.

When you do need to give feedback, follow the feedback process…

- Look inward first. Know your intent - Ensure you are sharing the feedback for the right reason. Not to vent, but to help the other person.
- Get permission - When in doubt, confirm with the other person. This allows them to opt in and prevents backlash.
- Show you care - The most important step. Let them know the reason you are sharing is because you care.
- State your observations - Stick to the facts of the situation. These should hardly be debatable. Call out the common problem.
- Explain the impact - Help the other person understand why it matters. Is it impacting you, others, or the business?
- Get their thoughts - You’re solving a problem together. Get their take on it.
- Align on next steps - Ensure it’s clear what to do moving forward.

#culture #feedback