#PaulaSays: Effective Feedback: 5 Best Practices to Help You Avoid Common Challenges
Everybody needs feedback in order to grow and develop as a professional. However, leaders often aren’t taught how to communicate feedback directly or to consider the other person and the dynamic of the relationship prior to delivering the feedback. Instead, feedback is often not given, given out of frustration, or only done grudgingly during the annual review process. A better approach would be to incorporate it into the relationship between the manager or partner, and the employee or associate who needs to receive the feedback. All feedback is constructive. The term constructive should not only be aligned with negative instances, but oftentimes feedback is thought of only in terms of challenges, and not opportunities. Ideally, feedback should be given when something is going well and when a matter can be improved upon. In response to these challenges, you want to make sure that the feedback is timely. Let’s take a closer look first, at some common problems with feedback and then the best practices that can address them. Common Challenges with Feedback Delivery
The greatest complaint I hear about the feedback process, particularly at some of the law firms I work with, is that feedback is only truly received comprehensively and constructively during the annual performance review process. But, as I mentioned already, it should be done consistently throughout the lifetime of the relationship, or at least
specific to a matter that is being worked upon. Four common challenges with feedback are: 1. It’s given late
2. It’s delivered without any thought or regard to how the person who’s giving the feedback is feeling (busy, tired, stressed, unfocused)
3. There’s no consideration of whether the person who’s about to receive the feedback is prepared and able to receive
it effectively
4. If it’s not incorporated into the normal cadence of the relationship, then often it is given only when there is negative feedback One of the biggest challenges of feedback, however, is
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