The following contains excerpts from the resource How to Provide Feedback (Carnegie Training Institute).
At our music school in Odessa, Texas, we value relationships with our students and their families. Providing honest assessment is foundational for the student’s future artistic growth. Doing so, with positive reinforcement for a positive outlook for their future, we help the student by giving feedback on their progress in a supportive way.
This is a short resource, explaining concisely how to handle corrective situations in a positive way with those you lead.
“In a recent Dale Carnegie Training Employee Engagement Study, employees stated that their engagement and emotions at the workplace are driven by the immediate supervisor and his or her behavior and attitude. If managers don’t want disengaged workers, they need to learn how to provide feedback and constructive criticism in a positive way, without insulting the employee. An effective manager achieves this primarily by providing encouraging feedback. The ultimate objective of feedback is not only to provide employees with supportive and corrective insights that relate to organizational objectives, but also to make the employees feel supported, motivated, and engaged. However, sometimes corrective actions are necessary. Handling mistakes or conflicts is often a difficult process for managers.”
Following is a list that summarizes how to provide constructive feedback that does not insult but motivates the employee:
- Define Job Goals Clearly- In today’s business world, employees are much more empowered than in the past. However, the decision-making process or other changes can sometimes lead to mistakes. Initially, managers need to prepare and communicate the desirable outcomes, coach in time of change, and react fast when mistakes come up. Constructive feedback is the tool to handle employees’ mistakes without insulting them, and it serves as employees’ motivation for improving decision making and results.
In our music school in Odessa, Texas, we give our students clear direction, as concisely as possible.
- Prepare- Research the facts and gather all information available. Make sure you know the person and all facts before you meet. Try to look behind the facts to better understand the other person’s point of view and motivation. Empathetically show the employee that you fully understand the situation from all angles.
In our music school in Odessa, Texas we endeavor to be empathetic in all of our relationships, not just to achieve an end result, but rather to have continually growing relationships.
- Begin with Empathy and Understanding- Starting with understanding shows good will and mutual trust accumulated over time. Put the employee at ease by showing honest appreciation supported by evidence. Show an example of great work done by the employee. Make a transition to constructive feedback using “and” rather than “but.”
The teachers in our music school are performers, as well, able to demonstrate successful musicianship to students by way of example.
- Refer to the Mistake- Address any situation as soon as it comes up. Focus on the problem, not on the person. Adopt the attitude and action you want the other person to exhibit. Speak quietly and calmly, and then it is likely the other person will do so in return. Communicate that the action was wrong, not the person who did it. Give the employee the chance to explain what happened. Listen to understand if the person is accepting responsibility.
At our music school in Odessa, Texas, we make a point to separate the process of instruction and correction from the student themselves, reinforcing to each student the value we place in them personally, as they continue to grow and develop into the artists and musicians they are capable of becoming.
- Restore Performance- The purpose is to remedy the problem and to reduce the chances of the problem happening again. The employee can be involved in problem analysis and the decision-making process. When an employee accepts responsibility, effective questioning, listening, and coaching for corrective actions encourages them to suggest ways to correct the situation.
We understand the phrase, “Practice makes perfect” in a different way, at our music school in Odessa, Texas. We like to say, “Practice makes permanent.” Helping the student to create disciplined habits that routinely shape their progress in a healthy and productive way is our goal.
- Provide Constructive Feedback- Focus on the person. When acting inappropriately or making bad decisions, people lose confidence. Managers need to help the employee see the situation in different context and reassure the employee of his or her value to the organization. Maintain motivation, engagement, and empowerment to avoid discouragement. Assure the employee of his or her importance to the team and the organization. Keep your professional relationship warm and open.
It is always our hope that each student has a positive and growing experience by helping them successfully prepare for their presentations. When these positive experiences stack up, over time, they help the student gain confidence in their abilities.
- Retain the Employee- The employee knows now that the manager is committed to the employee’s success and growth. When a manger retains the employee, he or she wins the commitment and boosts the morale of the whole team. This builds trust and increases the level of communication and work ethic.
We want each student to know how much we value them as individuals and, regardless of how successful they feel at the time, that they matter to us on a personal level first and foremost. The growth process for all of us can feel awkward, intimidating, and challenging. Sometimes we face roadblocks that feel impossible to overcome. But, with a loving and wholesome relationship from a teacher and coaching environment, the student can overcome fears and gain the necessary confidence to achieve amazing things that even surprise themselves.
Over time, when the above principles are applied by the student and teacher, surprising results are possible. The student realizes that they are capable of far more than they originally thought possible. Having the courage and humility to admit that they can learn and develop, trusting someone else’s years of experience, can be a life-altering growth trajectory that produces a positive future filled with possibilities.