How to Give Constructive Feedback to Your Peers

One of your most significant responsibilities as a leader or manager is to assist your peers in growing. Leveling up and advancing in an organization is dependent on some experience and abilities that you as a leader must utilize to detect where your team members may be lacking and then assist them in understanding their weaknesses.

The only problem is that discussing problems may be a daunting task, especially when the person on the receiving end may feel discouraged. However, offering the necessary feedback is essential in order to provide effective mentorship.

Hence, this YouTube video from the Harvard Business Review channel offers some suggestions on how to manage such a scenario by providing constructive feedback, which may lighten the environment and turn the attention away from flaws and toward opportunities to improve.

Give constructive feedback to your peers

Christine opens the video by stating that when it comes to giving critique, one must be both empathic and straightforward. Given the likelihood of a disagreement and things leading to a heated fight, it is critical to understand that we frequently believe feedback is about the other person when it is actually about you. It is urged in an explanation that the individual providing feedback be objective rather than judgmental.

The first point in the video emphasizes the importance of orientation for leaders. According to what is mentioned in the video, how you begin the conversation is quite important. As a result, the individual providing constructive feedback must concentrate on creating the tone of the discussion.

Second, it is recommended to discuss what sort of conduct the person displayed that made you realize something needed to be changed.

Third, it is advised to begin with an open-ended inquiry. However, it is regarded desirable to avoid sentences that begin with ‘why,’ as they give the image of accusation. It is also suggested in the video to provide room for the other person to react, receive criticism, and fully comprehend it. It plainly discourages them since, according to them, they must have done a terrific job. You may, however, manage the situation by encouraging them to do better.

Finally, it is advised to practice giving feedback while being empathic. You want them to feel at ease during the talk, but you also want them to advance. Hence, it is imperative to balance empathy and firmness while giving constructive feedback.

One of the things that help people progress in their job is having mentors who provide them with timely constructive feedback. The preceding text proposes a few practical strategies that managers, leaders, and mentors can make use of to share feedback efficiently without discouraging their peers.