The best tips for giving formal feedback

Giving feedback to your employees is good for a number of reasons:

• It allows people to hone their work in a quick and efficient manner;
• It opens up the opportunity for them to learn from a more experienced worker;
• It motivates them to go to work and finish tasks.

However, invigorating a healthy culture of providing feedback is a task in itself. It can feel intimidating and a lot like criticism but if done correctly, it allows a comfortable environment that is open for discussion.

DO:

• Schedule the meetings early, midway, and at the end of every project to provide in-depth feedback.
• Don't be shy to bring in experts from other teams.
• Set an official facilitator and set ground rules for the conversation.

DON'T:

• Don't overcrowd the meeting. Less than seven is advised.
• Don't set up a meeting for a finished project, unless there are revisions needed to be done.
• Don't let the conversation get flooded by too many ideas, only list down those that are important.

DO:

• Establish a set schedule for everyone in the team to participate for quick updates and feedback.
• Ask the important questions like: What did you do yesterday? What will you do today? Is anything in your way?

DON'T:

• Don't prolong the check ins. It isn't the time to discuss what would be discussed for a meeting.
• Don't keep seated. Stand up, get on your feet and keep your body moving to get energy flowing.

DO:

• Include everyone who participated in the project.
• Try to consider using a survey to get everyone's perspective.
• Use this as an opportunity to have everyone integrate what they have learned from the project.

DON'T:

• Forget to reflect on the humps that happened during the project and discuss what could've been done better.

Here is how to give feedback to poorly-made projects:
DO:

• Have a moderator that is impartial for the discussion that can set ground rules for a better flowing conversation.
• Focus on the timeline of events and facts.

DON'T:

• Finger point. Instead, send an e-mail containing the summary of the postmortem in a professional manner.
• Finish the session without clarifying lessons learned and next step actions.