By Sangeeta Das
Constructive feedback mechanism is a vital part of employees’ and organizations’ ongoing development. Exchanging feedback openly and working in partnership with others is an indicator of a mature culture and aids in managing performance and development. The constant give and take of opinions and suggestions serve as a crucial gear in the clockwork of an organization’s workplace culture and helps the team to reflect and improve, as well as help build confidence. One of the key ingredients in effective performance management and development is the skill of giving and receiving feedback. This is vital in order to focus people’s energy and efforts toward achieving goals in the most effective way – providing clarity and alignment.
Feedback can either be constructive, i.e. identifying areas for improvement, or appreciative, i.e. recognizing successes or where someone’s contribution has been valued.
Some of the key benefits of effective feedback are as follows:
- Constructive feedback provides the opportunity for ongoing performance improvement. It prevents performance from going off track or becoming misaligned, wasting valuable time, energy, or resources.
- Appreciative feedback and recognition build someone’s sense of being valued. It helps to reinforce positive habits and encourages more of the desired performance.
- Feedback builds self-awareness and helps us become mindful of the impact that our actions have. When shared in the right way, feedback helps strengthen the quality of working relationships with team members.
- It is a key way of maintaining a connection with what is happening in our workplace so we can respond in an appropriate and agile way.
Feedback is most useful “at the moment”, as soon after the event or action as possible. The more we store it up, the more it deteriorates in quality and relevance to the person. Good quality feedback needs to be specific, linked to relevant goals and/ or standards, and have supporting information to help illustrate the point. Using questions to make feedback a two-way conversation and check for understanding helps the team to achieve clarity and alignment.
Feedback can be an incredibly valuable tool for teachers in improving their practice and enhancing student learning outcomes. The best schools in Gurgaon promote a strong feedback process to create a culture of continuous improvement within the school.
Teachers who are open to feedback and committed to improving their practice can serve as role models for their colleagues and contribute to a more collaborative and supportive professional community. Positive feedback can help to boost a teacher’s confidence and motivation, leading to increased job satisfaction and a greater sense of fulfillment in their work.
At Vega Schools‘, the key to success and a happy culture is through the expression of constructive feedback- be kind, be specific, and be honest with the sole intent of continuous product improvement.