Affirmations and corrective feedback are the transformative ingredients in effective leadership. Good management is no magic. It’s the capacity for intuitive encouragement; empowering individuals and maximizing the performance of the group by making the best advice and resources available brings out the best performance in those whom the manager seeks to serve. Through this intent, it ultimately serves the organizational goals, and thus, the cause of the business.
The absence of feedback is the very worst situation for a team of learners, workers, or any two associates. Without an exchange of ideas and comments on the efficacy of an approach, working together is near impossible. Organizational behavior is evidenced in the way corrective feedback is offered – what, when, how, and how often – are all factors which signal the robustness of the feedback channel. Even negative feedback can be offered respectfully.
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Importance of corrective feedback
Of all the things an effective leader can offer, corrective feedback is at the very top of the priority. It gives each delegate a basis on which the transaction of a flourishing business relationship can go on. In other, if extreme, cases, it elucidates to one or both parties that the association is not a profitable one.
The most workable solutions to team management and performance issues are elicited when the channel of corrective feedback is open. The importance of corrective feedback lies in it being clear, actionable, and to the point so that it helps with the goals of each task or project. Good feedback gets down to the context. Whether it is formal or informal feedback, it is relatable. It contains at least two layers – what the receiver got right, and more importantly, what they can improve upon.
The importance of corrective feedback is illustrated in explaining its features as follows:
- Not abrupt, not brusque: Corrective feedback does not contain, or even imply, a personal attack. It critiques the action and the outcome. Then, it goes on to suggest alternatives that would produce better results.
- Not vague: “This doesn’t work” is not corrective feedback. “This doesn’t meet the brief” is better corrective feedback, but it is still incomplete. Constructive feedback should offer hints on missing bits and draw attention to the process by which they can be achieved.
- Contains examples: Examples of good and bad outcomes always set the tone and give the worker a glimpse of what they should aim for.
- Bearing down on the details: The details set the corrective feedback apart from generalized comments. Only a person who is familiar with the brief, as well as the finished piece of work, would be able to critique the approach, methods used, and the way the whole project was presented. They can give exact suggestions that save lots of time in correcting the next iteration.
- Expectations laid out: The most useful feedback is one that can double up as a checklist. Students and professionals working on a project can use it during and at the end of a task to see if they meet all the required criteria.
- Not a one-off event: The types of corrective feedback include formative feedback and summative feedback. The former kind is elicited or offered at various stages in a project. Each round of corrective feedback can help produce a better result, which can then take the cycle forward. Summative feedback is final. It usually appears in the concluding stages, where the chance to correct the outcome immediately is absent.
- Feedback is a flexible loop: Givers of feedback often are required to watch out for reactions to the suggestions they offer. Depending on how well it is received or put into effect, they would alter the types of corrective feedback they offer. Cushioning formative feedback with positive affirmations is one approach that sees a lot of success. Negative feedback should be offered in unambiguous terms, and balanced with examples or some positive takeaways.
Homing in on corrective feedback in the workplace:
Team members look to their leaders and mentors for feedback. Good leaders convey constructive feedback and keep the loop of feedback open and approachable without upsetting the balance of power.
They have to watch out that:
- Negative feedback does not demoralize or demotivate individual contributors
- Formative feedback is delivered consistently to guide workers
- Both types of corrective feedback – formative feedback and summative feedback – are offered appropriately
To carry out these functions appropriately, further analysis of the types of corrective feedback is warranted. Because it involves human interaction, empirical and affective cues play a huge part in the way corrective feedback is delivered and received.
Types of corrective feedback relevant to managers and leaders include:
- Repetition: Often, stating and restating instructions and rules clarifies many questions in the workplace. Demonstrating ways to carry out tasks or using visual and audio cues are all ways of providing a ready reckoning for those involved in group tasks – because each person retains information and instructions differently.
- Clarifying: Re-checking for comprehension maps out clear opportunities to correct, refine, and enhance understanding. Simply asking “Any questions?” or allotting time in a presentation for questions creates a small but effective feedback loop that saves a lot of time in the latter stages of executing a task.
- Rephrasing: Rewording statements, eliciting participation from the group, and allowing ideas to be shared are all effective teaching tools that translate well into a scenario where corrective feedback is to be shared. It also engages the participant more than outright correction.
- Explicit correction: The value of corrective feedback goes down without explicit correction. In this method, right and wrong are clearly stated. This is an essential type of corrective feedback that sets out expectations and brings improvements to the final product.
These are types of corrective feedback that can be used in congruence with one another to produce better results in the workplace.
References:
- Utilizing Confirming and Corrective Feedback | Sam-barrow.com | April 2017
- The Importance of Corrective Feedback | Westcliff University | Professor Sulaiman Jenkins | May 2019
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