Feedback from Groups to Facilitators Dr Guy Robertshaw ( with the kind help of Dr Hilary Diack)

“Goal Free Feedback” IS simple…A BLANK PIECE OF PAPER! Theory is: “If you ask questions you only get answers to those questions” Remember… what participants take from a a course / session may be outcomes “unplanned for” by those delivering it. HELPFUL BECAUSE: The feedback often has an emotional component.. Stops the facilitator from pre-judging.

PARTICIPATORY FEEDBACK: Facilitator leaves the room. Group decides on the feedback to be given. Needs “setting up”: someone needs to lead the group and provide the feedback. Feedback MUST be a consensus view and NOT represent the individual’s view. It “models” the importance of feedback in the educational process. Response of the facilitator on receiving the feedback is useful “modelling”…not adopting a defensive position! DRAWBACKS: consensus view may be hard to achieve; individual’s voices may be lost ; extreme views may / may not predominate; trainees can feel inhibited; it is time consuming!

“HOT SEAT“ FEEDBACK: Is for group members to give positive feedback to each other (say at the end of a residential course). ONE person invited into the hot seat: others invited to give POSITIVE ONLY feedback on the contributions from that individual. The “hot seat” person has to sit and listen! No response is encouraged so they can hear the feedback. Limit it to no more than 3 comments per person: so no inequality in feedback. Those with higher levels of emotional intelligence inevitably step in to give positive feedback even to the most disruptive group member.