I’m sure you may be familiar with the phrase ‘Feedback is a Gift’. This is a metaphor for something that is given to you which you want to receive. Like most gifts it can be wanted or unwanted. Expected or unexpected and it can of course be wrapped well or awful.
Most of us at some stage of our working careers have been given feedback and we will remember the feedback that had the biggest impact on us for both the right and the wrong reasons.
One of the many feedback models used fairly frequently by both experienced and inexperienced leaders was the ‘feedback sandwich’ where you started by giving the individual a positive piece of feedback, you then sandwiched a negative piece followed by another positive feedback. Sadly, as some of you may have experienced the danger of giving feedback this way is that the negative / change piece of feedback got lost when being sandwiched between 2 positive pieces of bread!
The best feedback model I have come across to date is the E2C2 model of giving feedback (it’s pronounced E squared / C squared) and it has a big impact when giving feedback in a way that helps the person receiving it to grow.
E2 C2
Example / Effect
When giving feedback you must always give an example but what’s really powerful in this model is that you then tell the person the effect it had on you.
For example; Claire, you managed that meeting really well and answered some tough questions from the audience. I believe the effect it had on the audience was really powerful and enhanced your credibility as a Project Manager within the business.
For example; Peter, You were very abrupt and short in our team meeting. The impact this had on your team was very demotivating and the energy levels in the room dropped significantly as the meeting progressed.
Change / Continue
After giving the person the Example and Effect (either positive or negative) you then need to complete the feedback conversation by asking them to continue to do what they were doing well and psychologically reinforcing to the person what you would like them to do more of or asking them to make a change.
For example; Claire, you managed that meeting really well and answered some tough questions from the audience. I believe the effect it had on the audience was really powerful and enhanced your credibility as a Project Manager within the business. Please can you continue to work hard on this project and keep growing both your business and product knowledge as this is working well in all aspects of your work, and not just in meetings.
For example; Peter, You were very abrupt and short in our team meeting. The impact this had on your team was very demotivating and the energy levels in the room dropped significantly as the meeting progressed. Please can you think about how you can change your mindset if you are feeling low before a team meeting so that when you chair the next team meeting you engage the team and they feel good about contributing new ideas.
So, next time you have to give feedback try the E2C2 model and hopefully see the positive impact this model can have on both the receiver and you as the present giver!
