How to overcome your own shadow: Effective Feedback Management in 7 Simple Steps

Effective Feedback Management in 7 Easy Steps

Getting feedback right is key as a leader and as a team member. However, it makes a difference whether feedback is based on subjective feelings or supported by objective facts. Effective feedback represents a healthy balance of both: it reflects individual experiences but also draws on concrete examples, data or facts. In this article we present 7 steps to help you receive, process and use feedback to improve.

1. Strive for objectivity, but also understand subjectivity

Feedback can always contain subjective elements, as it is shaped by people’s individual experiences and feelings. However, effective feedback is based on backing up claims with concrete examples and facts.

• Objective: “The project was delivered 2 weeks later than the deadline.”
• Subjective addendum: “This caused a stressful situation for me because I didn’t foresee the delay.”

Tip: When you give or receive feedback, ask for concrete examples to support the opinion you are giving.