Establish a “peer Learning” Approach to Provide Better Feedback
We’ve all heard about the “sandwich” feedback method . While this is effective for small things, it can make serious critical feedback less useful. If this is an important issue to be addressed, use a peer learning approach.
As HBR’s business blog explains, a peer learning approach begins with the person giving feedback (such as a boss) identifies the situation they would like to improve and inviting the people in question to share ideas how to improve it. Most importantly, it also leaves room for the initiator to learn more about why something went wrong:
Here is an approach to providing negative feedback that is transparent and enhances the ability of you and your direct reports to learn from the feedback:
“Alex and Stacy, I want to talk to you because I have some concerns. The presentation you gave to senior management this morning may have confused our strategy. Let me tell you how I would like to approach this meeting and see if it works for you. I want to start by describing what I saw, what caused my concerns, and see if you saw the same. After we agree on what happened, I want to say more about my concerns and see if you share them. Then we can decide what we need to do in the future. I do not rule out the possibility that I am missing something or have contributed to the issues I raise. How does it work for you? “
The key difference with this approach is that it separates the problem from the people who are using it. In the HBR example, the problem is not with Alex and Stacy. The presentation itself did not go as planned. The boss doesn’t need to compliment criticism because Alex and Stacey are not the problem. In fact, they are invited to explain what could have complicated the presentation, even if it was the boss’s fault. By collaborating on a problem, rather than trying to simplify critical ego feedback, a peer learning approach allows you to bypass emotional problems and focus on practical ones.