Feedback in everyday leadership: 12 practical tips for constructive criticism

Feedback and Guide

“The best way to do this is to ask how the employees are doing and take note of the answer graciously and without results. And if you want or need to tell your people something, just call it feedback. Since they must not look up! Because they have learned that they have to accept feedback. The seminars are worth it! ”

Like any definition of such a complex subject, we also focus on the definitions that we prefer. This view is very result-oriented, and a leader must always ask himself what would be different if she did not take her role.

What brings leadership?

What is the benefit created by their leadership? Why and what is the performance of employees by the boss better? If employees express a sigh of relief that they can simply be allowed to work in peace, then it could be exciting to find this benefit.

Tip: Text as PDF (please read the instructions!) Download or for a little more Book on the topic with discount or eCourse book. Actions or news via Newsletter!

If employees with enthusiasm and perseverance perform significantly better with one boss than with another boss (on comparable terms), then it is likely to have such a benefit.

In the event of a conflict, you should always ask yourself what you absolutely have to tell whom and what you can simply leave behind. Because an essential part of this performance-promoting culture is the feedback culture that enables, maintains and promotes a manager. But does this culture really make sense?

Resonance Feedback

The leader follows Daniel Goleman's well-known quote:

“We see intellect and the ability to think clearly as essential requirements for a leadership position. But intellect alone doesn't make a good leader. Executives realize a vision by motivating, directing, inspiring, listening to, and convincing their employees - and above all by generating resonance. ” Resonance feedback is one of the means to generate and use this resonance, and thus a central management instrument.

Separate feedback and rating?

The naive conclusion is: "Then we simply separate feedback and evaluation!". However, this is an idea whose implementation is simply impossible. Of course, when you give feedback, you talk about perceptions you have and not about the personality of the other person. However, the separation in the head of the feedback recipient is often not so easy.

Tip: Text as PDF (please read the instructions!) Download or for a little more Book on the topic with discount or eCourse book. Actions or news via Newsletter!

We assume that you refrain from any interpretation of the personality ("You are so!") And only represent your perception. However, this can become blurred in the feedback recipient's head. You cannot avoid responsibility for the feedback you give.

Attention, greatness!

The greatest dangers here, of course, lie in the megalomania of the feedback giver, who may be overestimating himself, in receipts and all statements ("They are always like this ...").

Ultimately, care is needed here - completely unromantic and unsatisfactory for the pragmatist. The Socratic sieves, which will be discussed in more detail in the following section, are a good heuristic for everyday life.

12 Tips for your feedback during the day of leadership

For the professional context in leadership as well as in training, we would like to offer you a set of questions that can be answered before any particularly responsible feedback. The answers to this are subject to your personal assessment.

1. Is the situation appropriate for this feedback? Do I have enough time and am I the right person for it?
2. Is there someone who could possibly better place this feedback? Does the relationship between me and the feedback taker fit the content of the feedback?
3. Why does it urge me to get rid of the feedback? (Is it perhaps more the pressure of the Senftube than the expected resonance?)
4. Will the feedback recipient want to know the content of the feedback? Would you like to know the content of the feedback in its place?
5. Will the feedback recipient be able to do anything with the feedback? Can you help him with this? Can you properly identify that this is your perception and not the truth?
6. What consequences might this feedback have? Also on your relationship with the feedback?
7. What is the appropriate dose?
8. What if you DO NOT give the feedback?
9. Is the feedback recipient likely to be hurt? How to deal with this?
10. Can the feedback recipient decide in advance whether he would like to talk about this feedback, or do they have to betray it? In this case, do you suppose that he / she would like to know or rather not?
11. What impact will the feedback have on your relationship with the feedback provider?
12. To what extent does hierarchical gravity speed up feedback? Can you reduce this?

Please, no psychogeschwafel!

The right feedback at the right time can make an enormous difference. It can also be very harmful. The only solution is care: With great power comes great responsibility.

Tip: Text as PDF (please read the instructions!) Download or for a little more Book on the topic with discount or eCourse book. Actions or news via Newsletter!

Salutary feedback from the relevant psycho-book (preferred at the station kiosk) with unnatural expressions can sound hollow and they are thereby deprived of their effectiveness.

Whenever your employees suspect that you are saying something in a certain way because you were at the seminar, you will devalue the feedback and possibly the seminar (in case it was a good seminar).