How to deliver constructive feedback when everyone is working from home

As a small business owner, or even a manager leading a team, there will inevitably be conversations you’d rather not have with your staff. Delivering negative (and positive) feedback is a necessary part of your role as an effective business owner or manager and, when executed well, is valuable to both the employee and the business, writes Sabina Read, SEEK Resident Psychologist.

Small businesses around the country have been forced to close their doors and move to manage their employees remotely, which means that these tough conversations are often taking place virtually. With workers becoming more accustomed to flexible and remote working throughout the last two years, it’s likely that these virtual formats won’t be going anywhere, so it’s essential to develop skills for delivering effective feedback remotely.

How to deliver feedback effectively

Tough conversations can feel uncomfortable due to poor delivery, rather than the issue being discussed. Criticism and constructive feedback don’t have to be difficult, and acknowledging this feedback is necessary to help your employee improve their skills and outcomes, which will better serve both the individual and your organisation.

When it comes to giving feedback, there are three key things to remember:

Focus on specific events, instead of using sweeping statements.
Stick to your own fact-based observations.
Be clear about your needs moving forwards.

Delivering feedback is a skill that needs to be honed and practiced. By giving specific context to the behaviour, as well as clear instructions for what needs to be different, you can have a concise and constructive conversation with your employees.

Try the SBI model

A practical way to give feedback is the SBI Model, which helps by delineating the important components of feedback – situation, behaviour and impact:

Situation refers to where and when the behaviour you’re focusing on took place.
Behaviour means sticking to observable actions without bringing your own interpretations or assumptions to the discussion.
Impact is about explaining the effect it had – whether on their work or results, other staff members, or even clients and stakeholders.

Timing is a powerful component in the delivery process; try avoiding the trap of only providing feedback annually or quarterly, with a formal review process. Feedback is best delivered within hours or days of the undesired behaviour taking place, giving your employees an understanding of the situation and how to make a change. This tactic will allow the employee to be more at ease with giving and receiving feedback when it happens regularly.

Post-feedback follow up

What happens after the conversation? It doesn’t matter how well you deliver the feedback, there will still be times when it isn’t received well, and when staff are working remotely this can be more difficult to monitor. If you sense a person is struggling, check in and ask them how they feel about the feedback process. As everyone processes information differently, ask employees what they need to help them change their behaviour – it may be more time, mentoring, further training, or a template to follow.

Providing constructive feedback can be challenging, but it is also an essential part of being an effective business leader or manager. Think about how you can leverage some of these strategies in the future. When delivered with empathy, sensitivity and confidence, your feedback can help others develop while cultivating more fulfilling careers, which is a win-win for both employer and employee.

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