Feedback is an important part of every communication process. There are many types of feedback in communication. It's common in the workplace to receive one or more of these types of feedback. At the same time, they are an excellent beginning point for leaders who want to better understand and apply feedback styles to their teams. Each employee responds differently to different sorts of feedback, so bosses need to be aware of all types of feedback.
1. Positive Feedback:
Positive feedback demonstrates that the leader values the work a worker does. Many people find motivation in receiving positive remarks. For example, thanking someone for meeting an important deadline or going into great detail about the effort they put into a challenging project is a simple form of this kind of feedback. Specifics work best when providing appreciation comments. Generic congratulations are hollow and useless when uttered too frequently. Giving specifics provides the comments a more personal touch and gives the recipient a reason to be proud of what they've received.
2. Advice and Recommendation Feedback:
It's a great opportunity for executives to congratulate their employees and give them advice. Positive reinforcement in the form of this type of feedback can be used to gently correct behavior without coming off as condescending. Suggestions for improvement might be used as feedback in the form of guidance. The recipient has the opportunity to ask questions to get more information. Thus it isn't considered an indirect strategy. Making suggestions a frequent aspect of feedback encourages workers to always look for new ways to improve their performance. Self-motivation can be achieved when people actively seek advice from others. In this way, leaders show their leadership abilities by guiding others in the right direction without imposing their will on them. They demonstrate the distinction between a leader and a boss in this way.
A leader can consider joining a personality development course to learn all the nuances of giving feedback.
3. Motivation Feedback:
Motivation can be increased by providing positive feedback. Like the other forms of feedback, encouragement feedback is a great method to lift someone's spirits, especially if they're struggling. This can also be applied when someone is making their first foray into an unfamiliar area. Newly hired employees, for example, may feel overawed when they first begin their work. The added push they get from positive feedback encourages them to keep going. This feedback is perfect for a quick workplace chat or a fast IM. When it comes to feedback, a little goes a long way.
4. Forward Feedback:
There are times when different sorts of feedback may be most important, such as when a mistake is made. Instead of dwelling on the past, forward feedback focuses on the present. To say that leaders tolerate mistakes is an understatement. However, leaders recognize that dwelling on the past does little to aid one's ability to succeed in the present. They may become more gloomy and lose their confidence due to this. People need context to know what they're working toward, and forward feedback gives them that. Many firm strategies are explained in detail, and each employee's role in those strategies is identified. As a result of positive feedback, a person is more likely to take on new challenges and succeed.
5. Feedback from Coaches:
As a leader providing coaching input, you'll take on the role of a coach, strategizing with your team about how you can best assist their success. Coaching feedback is more formal than the other sorts of feedback mentioned above. It's common for it to include periodical reviews that include both direction and forward-looking input. In the same way that a coach motivates the players on a team, leaders may use this feedback to motivate their employees and dissuade them from doing actions that could jeopardize their success. The skills of the best soft skills coach play a major role in their ability to give constructive feedback.
6. Casual Feedback:
It is possible to further deconstruct any of the aforementioned feedback methods by providing them in an informal setting. Informal feedback provides several advantages, including the fact that it doesn't have to be given at a specific time. It's a more immediate, in-the-moment sort of feedback. It's something that should happen as part of the normal course of business.
7. Formal Feedback:
Whether a company is just getting off the ground or has a long history, leaders should prioritize formal feedback. In more formal contexts, such as a performance review or a job appraisal, this feedback is expected to occur. Formal feedback comprises the utilization of specific information gleaned from an employee's work to provide a complete picture of their performance. It's a good place for leaders to see if they're meeting specified goals and how well they're contributing to the team.
8. Negative Feedback:
Negative criticism draws attention to one's flaws and limitations rather than one's efforts to improve. When confronted with negative feedback, many people feel humiliated and downtrodden. This is because negative feedback is not productive. This may only lead to more issues like resentment, disengagement, and conflict, as some may even view it as a personal attack. A few people thrive on criticism, but the vast majority of us are left feeling bad about ourselves. Negative feedback should be avoided at all costs.
Which type of feedback will you choose?
After understanding the various types of feedback in communication, you must decide which type is suitable based on the given situation. All feedbacks have their time and place. However, one important point to remember is to keep the feedback on the positive spectrum rather than the negative ones.