Why is feedback important?
The word feedback comes from:
- Feed
- Back.
It's a way of giving someone relevant information about their work, with the aim of improving it. Feedback is one of the fundamentals of communication!
Each of us needs them to move forward and progress. It develops soft skills and enhances learning by making you a player in your training.
With peer feedback, the feedback comes from someone with the same status as you. You're placed in the same line, without fear of judgment, hierarchy or authority. Let's discover the 3 best practices for giving constructive and effective feedback.
1. Be factual
Try to present your feedback with concrete facts
You need to differentiate between a judgment that is subjective and a fact that is objective. Your feedback should be as objective as possible.
We often tend to make subjective judgments because we want to describe a fact. Try asking yourself "What makes me say this?"
For example, if you write "Martin is clumsy", you're in a judgmental posture, whereas if you write "Martin dropped his coffee cup", you're in a posture of objective feedback based on fact.
2. Be honest and caring
You have to show respect for the work that has been produced.
The cornerstone of effective and productive feedback is kindness.
Any judgment of the individual who turned in the work must be avoided, otherwise the whole process will be ruined, and the effect will be devastating.
3. Be constructive
Constructive feedback is feedback that goes beyond "very good answer" or "bad presentation".
This kind of feedback doesn't help, and is seen as a way of getting rid of the subject.
To provide good feedback, you need to go into detail and give concrete, applicable areas for improvement to enable the recipient to progress. Now it's up to you.
