Starter Question  Think about a time someone gave you helpful feedback. What made it helpful?

Feedback and Advice Advice is recommendations about what might be thought, said or done to manage a problem Feedback is evaluative communication  Evaluation literally means “to find value in” Praise Criticism Levels of Feedback  Task and procedural  Relational  Individual  Group Types of Feedback  Descriptive  Evaluative  Prescriptive

Feedback and Advice Benefits of giving advice:  Helps organization function more effectively  Enhances employee identification with organization  Enhances employee satisfaction & performance (if positive)  Increases awareness of expectations  Allows management to learn things Giving feedback and advice can result in negative consequences:  Make stress worse  Undermine autonomy  Damage the relationship with the advice giver Praise Criticism

Feedback and Advice Advice for giving good advice and feedback:  Determine if advice/feedback is really needed or wanted  Make sure you have expertise in the area you are advising in  Come across as confident and share your similar experiences  Advice/feedback should be appropriate for the relationship you have with the recipient (e.g., the closer you are the better)  Be respectful of the recipient’s autonomy and competence  Be detailed and accurate  Use whole messages  Recommend concrete, feasible behaviors that are useful  Define appropriate consequences for success and failure

Considerations When Giving Feedback Where: In public or in private When: Timeliness –Close in time to when behavior happened –No surprises or ambushing What: Behavior that can be changed Who: Alone or with others How: Partial vs Whole messages

Whole Messages Direct, concrete messages that convey the truth with both kindness and firmness Whole messages combine: +Observations +Thoughts +Feelings +Needs +Consequences Partial messages leave one or more out Partial message: “Why don’t you act a little nicer?” Whole message: “You say very little (observation). It makes me think that you don’t care (thought). I feel angry (feeling), but what I really want is for you to talk to me (need). If you do, I will spend more time with you (consequence)” Advice for giving whole messages:  Emphasize that you are being honest out of respect  Put value on your relationship with the target  Focus on things someone can change

Guidelines for Receiving Feedback  Listen without interrupting  Keep an open mind and avoid defensiveness  Paraphrase to ensure fidelity before responding  Be gracious and assume the person giving feedback has your best interests in mind