In the previous parts of this lesson, we explored the Action, Outcome, Alternative Action (AOA) model that can be used when giving generic feedback.
In this part of the lesson, we will be looking at the things to avoid if you want to provide feedback in a simple, clear and concise manner.
Browse the video to learn more and don’t forget to take the quiz at the end of the lesson.
Providing Feedback: A Few Points to Consider
There are a few points to bear in mind when providing feedback.
Avoid Labelling:
Labelling is attributing someone’s behaviour to an underlying cause or motivation, which may or not be correct. It assumes that you know why they behaved in a particular manner. It could also refer to the action of describing someone or something in a short word or phrase.
In the video, had the executive said something like “Seems like you are too lazy to respond to my email” it would have constituted labelling on his part.
Labelling presupposes that you know why someone is behaving in a particular manner. It is accusatory. And you may possibly be right in your analysis of the motivation behind the person’s behaviour. However, you stating that aloud will mostly result in the recipient of the feedback feeling belittled and will thus retaliate, rather than respond positively to your feedback.
Labelling also makes you appear smug and/ or possessing a ‘holier than thou’ attitude.
Labelling exacerbates rather than defuses a situation.
So, limit your communication to the action or the pattern of behaviour observed.
Avoid Generalizing “You always do this.” “You never do this.” These statements are examples of Generalising in action. Generalising refers to making broad or general statements about something or someone by drawing inferences from a single case or from a small number of cases.
For example, you see someone commit an error once or perhaps a few times, and you make it sound like this is how they always behave. Generalising leads to people feeling attacked or treated unfairly. “What do you mean by ‘always’ / ‘never’? You are only looking at the one time that I failed and are ignoring the many times that I have done things correctly” will be the usual retort. They will go on to defending how they are usually different from how you put it. They will reject your feedback because of the generalisation in your statement.
So, state what you observed and/ or learned, and how many times this has happened. Like in the video, the executive states that Mrs Mehra has failed to respond to his emails twice.
Avoid closed body language Lastly, avoid any closed body language, for example, crossing your arms, sitting at an angle to the person and pointing at them. Rather, maintain an open posture when providing feedback and maintain a respectful tone of voice and demeanour.
In Conclusion
Use the AOA technique, which stands for Action – Outcome – Alternative Action sought, when providing someone with feedback. Avoid labelling, generalisation and closed body language. Using the lessons contained in this video will ensure that people feel less threatened by your feedback, but rather be more accepting of it.
