Top Tips for Giving Constructive Feedback

By Donna Holdcroft, BMUS Professional Officer

1. Choose your environment to ensure there is an opportunity for conversation. Make time for the meeting so it is not rushed, and confidentiality can be maintained.
2. Be approachable and compassionate, if necessary, particularly if the performance of a high achiever unexpectedly changes. There may be a personal reason causing this meaning; if you are not approachable, they will not feel comfortable reaching out to you. Keep your tone supportive as the goal is improvement, not isolation.
3. When giving positive feedback, always be specific about the action you are praising and include the reason eg, ‘That was a really difficult examination, you managed to obtain good images despite the challenges. Avoid just saying well done.
4. When giving negative feedback, be direct, honest, but not brutal, always suggesting reasonable actions which can achieve improvement. Do not be afraid to address underachievement remembering, ‘courage’ is one of our 6 ‘Cs’. Use SMART objectives to maintain time frames for actions to be completed.
5. Always arrange follow-up to monitor progress, offer support and praise improvement. This is essential for reinforcing strengths, motivating and reinforcing team relationships.