There are things that make your life better at work that are easy: bringing in donuts, summer Fridays or laughing with your colleagues about the latest reality TV scandal. There are also things that feel so difficult and a lot of folks struggle with: giving feedback. Massella Dukuly, director of learning and development at LifeLabs Learning, teaches people how to give better feedback.
Before giving feedback, question your biases
You can be a well-meaning, good human being and still be biased
- Be cognizant of your bias and question if you are projecting it onto others
- Only give feedback that is not rooted in ableism, sexism, or racism
It’s worth it, even though it’s hard
When you give high-quality feedback, ultimately both parties will be able to grow and learn from the experience
- It’s OK to feel uncomfortable
- If you have a good life hack, leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at LifeKit@npr.org. Your tip could appear in an upcoming episode.
Feedback should be a dialogue
Start the conversation with what she calls a “micro yes” or consent from the other person so that they feel like they are opting into receiving the feedback
- Consider how power dynamics might affect the conversation
- Make sure that when you give feedback, that the other party has space to respond
Make sure you understand the why
Share an impact statement so that the person you are giving feedback to can understand the impact of what you are trying to say
- Example: If you were late to the meeting, we lost the conference room you had booked and we weren’t able to finish our discussion
