The Art Form to Giving Exceptional Feedback Richard Shelman, MA, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Empowering the Workforce

Through Respect to Focused Performance

The Art Form to Giving Exceptional Feedback

Richard Shelman, MA, CDP, BCC Employee Assistance Program (EAP) of WSD

Is Exceptional Feedback more an “Art” or a “Form”?

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It’s Both

ART: In the following definition…

“Is a range of human activities and the products of those activities, usually involving imaginative or technical skill.”

Form: In the follow definition…

“Has to do… with certain elements that are involved in [some what] of a structured” approach.”

Goal: The Art Form of Giving Feedback

To give you two structured activities, and three elements to practice the art and skill (form) for giving exceptional feedback.

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Objectives

To learn and practice the art to feedback by including and doing the following 3 elements…

1. What is your Presence (a self assessment)? 2. The Practice of Asking Good Questions (with some structure and direction) 3. The Practice of Good Listening (Will be determined by how well your able to paraphrase back to the person your giving feedback to)

So as to…

• Give accurate feedback
• Be exceptional at feedback
• Have and move in a direction
• Empower, respect and value people:

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The First Element

Your PRESENSE: An awareness of self internally can

determine how engaged I 'am to giving accurate and helpful feedback.

• PRESENCE: What it’s not about…
• How self-aware am I in the midst of others?
• Do I really want to know…?
• Self Assessment: What are my Internal Road Blocks to

listening and engaging with others?

The Second Element

The Practice of ASKING QUESTIONS… In order to…

• find out what kind of feedback to give I need to…
• to give accurate feedback I need to...
• to find out the direction they/we are going I need to…

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The Third Element

The Practice of Good listening…

• Will be determined by how well your able to__________ back to the person your

listening to.

• Good listening also leads to understanding: “Listen in Order to Understand”
• How do you know the person feels understood?

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Practicing the Art form of Feedback

• We’ve assessed our Internal listening blocks and became a

little more self-aware.

• We’ve acknowledged asking good questions leads to accurate

feedback and direction.

• We know good listening is based on paraphrasing back what the

person says. Now were going to practice the art and form (skill) of these three

• elements. So as to: have accurate and exceptional feedback (see

second handout).

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Empowering the Workforce: STEPPS

• Get a partner:

Partner 1: Will start by asking the questions and giving feedback (10 minutes).

• Take notes -Paraphrase back -Give feedback

Partner 2: Will be receiving the feedback.

• When done, give partner one your thoughts on how well they did (5)

Did they have eye contact? How well did they paraphrase and did you feel they listen to you? Did they ask questions or get into road blocks to listening. Did they provide some direction and good feedback?

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Empowering the Workforce: STEPPS

Then Switch:

Partner 2: Will start by asking the questions and giving the feedback (10 minutes).

• Take notes -paraphrase back.

Partner 1: Will be the one receiving the feedback.

• When done give partner one your thoughts on how well they did (5)

 Did they have eye contact? How well did they paraphrase and did

you feel they listen to you? Did they ask questions or get into road blocks to listening. Did they provide some direction and good feedback?

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Other Elements to Feedback

• To quote Eric Allenbaugh…

“We need to be kind to the person but hard on the issue.”

• Sometimes feedback doesn’t feel good.
• It’s about growth… Individual and organizational growth.
• Feedback is a two way street. In order to give feedback you also

have to be willing to receive feedback.

Contact EAP

Olympia: 360-407-9490 Toll-Free: 877-313-4455 Visit EAP on the Web at:

http://www.hr.wa.gov/eap/Pages/default.aspx

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