Outline the importance of giving feedback.

As a manager or leader, part of the role is to give feedback to their team. Feedback is incredibly important to individuals and teams. We can say that feedback is a gift. We have to take a good advantage of it.

Why we need feedback?
Feedback allows the system to improve. In the absence of feedback, we assume the system is producing the desired results. It is similar when dealing with people. In the absence of feedback from your supervisor or peers, we assume I must be doing OK and continue along. However, since most of the processes we deal with have an imperfect component, there will be a need for constant adjustment in most solutions.

The feedback highlights the areas in need of improvement and the manager can make the necessary adjustments allowing the process to produce better result . When dealing with human being, this very simple act carries with it a strong emotional and psychological component that cannot be overlooked.

Positive feedback

• Positive feedback amplifies the signal and negative feedback will dampen the signal
• It reinforces our self-image as being close to reality. The closer that image , the smoother our interactions with other people. The more self-aware we are, the better we are able to judge on other people
• It helps employees know when they have done well. In so doing, you need to be specific, i.e what has been done well, and why it was useful
• Providing effective feedback is not an easy task. If not handled properly an employee could feel that they have been personally attacked and their feelings have have been hurt.

Negative feedback

We prefer positive feedback and we don’t like negative feedback. But there are more useful data in negative feedback rather than there is in positive feedback. Thus, it’s time to change about how we feel about negative feedback.

We must always remember that:
NEGATIVE FEEDBACK= IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Feedback guides us on the track of improvement in order to achieve our targeted goals. There are many ways to respond to feedback. Some ways simply don’t work. For example:

1. Giving in and quitting
2. Getting mad at the source of the feedback
3. Ignoring the feedback

These three examples given above just don’t work. We all know people who tune out everyone’s point of view but their own. They don’t want to hear anything anyone else has to say. Sad thing is feedback could significantly transform their lives. We must always keep in mind that feedback is simply information, you don’t have to take it personally. Just welcome it and use it. When asking for feedback, most people will not voluntarily give you feedback. They are as uncomfortable with possible confrontation as we are.

Feedback for improvement
Providing feedback for improvement can provide guidance and support when people are not performing, as they should. People need to know that was not done well and why. But most importantly, they need to know that they can do to improve their performance.

Reasons why feedback is important

• Without feedback mistakes go uncorrected, good performance is not reinforced and clinical competence is not achieved.
• Employees want and value feedback, both on that they are doing well and on what needs to be improved.
• Effective feedback can help to identify learning needs, accelerate learning and offer options for future performance.
• Encourages employees to be actively engaged and take responsibility for their own performance.
• Help employees to be able to recognise, evaluate and discard or include new ideas in practice.
• Provide information about current performance that can help learners correct misconceptions, improve performance in future tasks, and continue positive behaviours
  Models for employees that ongoing feedback and continual learning are part of the content, process, values and motivation.

Feedbacks need to be balanced. It is always a good idea to start a feedback session by starting with positive performance of the employee. Feedback should be aimed at creating actual change and helping employees how to continuously evaluate their own performance.