Crucial Tips To Share Peer Feedback And Foster Great Workplace Experiences
Feedback is more than saying ‘good job!’. It is also more meaningful than an evaluation, although ‘feedback’ and ‘evaluation’ are often used interchangeably. Knowing the difference between the two can be vital to extracting greater levels of commitment from people and imbuing a sincere effort to engage with the organizational workforce across all levels. In short, evaluation is summative and can be more of a judgment, whereas feedback is formative information geared towards performance improvement.
Peer feedback can be invaluable and a powerful motivator among supervisors, co-workers, and direct reports at an enterprise level. However, peer feedback can backfire if not administered effectively.
How to share Peer Feedback effectively
Quality feedback should be synonyms with peer feedback. Leaders across any industry must recognize the value of peer feedback. It teaches employees to give and receive feedback effectively, improves communication, enhances listening skills, and builds empathy.
Here are a few tips on sharing peer feedback:
Be prepared
Words have value and can make an impact on the listener. The feedback giver must be well prepared for the conversation, with a clear goal as to the expected outcome.
Don’t delay feedback
Feedback, when delivered promptly, can help the co-worker fix the issue before too much time goes by. The co-worker must not feel ambushed by the feedback. Therefore, make sure that you set aside the required time. Also, give the co-worker a heads-up on the topic and be prepared to engage in a respectful conversation.
No feedback sandwich
Do not couch criticism in between compliments as this can be misleading. It can also give your peer a false sense of progress and impact team performance in the long term.
Clarity and specificity
Hiding behind ambiguity is not the right approach. State the objective of the conversation and the points you wish to address. Specify areas and expectations of improvement in a clear manner. Also, specific examples to reinforce the changes you would like will make it easier for your peer to meet your expectations.
No judgment
Language is important. Using judgmental language, including negative words or phrases, will defeat the purpose of feedback. Focusing on the problem and not the person will go down better with the co-worker because they understand it is not personal.
Conversation – not a monologue
Have a conversation, ask questions, and listen to the answers. Employees need to feel that they are being heard. That will make them more receptive to suggestions.
Why Is Peer Feedback So Important?
At some time or another, professionals will be required to give or receive feedback. Understanding its importance and incorporating it in an enterprise can lead to a work culture of empathy, support, and collaboration that can elevate the workforce’s performance across the board. As an open channel of communication with co-workers and managers, such feedback can guide individual career growth and, in turn, increase productivity levels.
Peer feedback can be a catalyst for improved relationships with co-workers, even as it adds value to the organizational culture. It helps build a workspace that encourages working collaboratively with peers, managers, and the leadership.
Considering the importance of peer feedback in any organization and across different industries, it is natural that managers adopt the necessary tools and technology into their workspace to drive employee engagement and performance.
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360-Degree Feedback: A New Way Of Listening
People managers adopting a 360-degree feedback system have a clear idea of how it can help the organization foster a work culture that shows consistent and continuous improvement. Recognizing the value in giving or receiving in-the-moment feedback is integral to continuous performance improvement. Therefore, establishing the right feedback process is imperative. For instance:
A different point of view
the same way that others do. Being viewed through the lens of a co-worker can shed light on an employee’s strengths and weaknesses.
Continuous improvement
Waiting for the annual performance review is no longer an option. It is also unproductive if changes are expected within a more immediate context. An ongoing feedback process can ensure that an employee is focused on areas of improvement and feels motivated to grow.
More accountability
Every organization needs a sense of accountability across all levels of the workforce. Peer feedback can ensure that employees take ownership of their tasks and the outcomes making it easier to course-correct where necessary.
Higher adaptability
With continuous feedback, organizations can ensure that employees are better prepared for upcoming changes in either expectations or outcomes. The changes could be to their roles, job duties, or the need for retraining.
With all this and more to offer, the 360-degree feedback tool helps an organization stay focused on growth and development.
To conclude
Peer feedback is essential to foster a work culture of transparency and encouragement. Such a work environment also ensures that employees feel safe even as they gain actionable information to improve their performance. Using a 360-degree feedback system, organizations help employees keep track of their feedback, understand the context, remain engaged consistently. Moreover, shared peer feedback can boost employees’ morale and build a sense of belonging, thereby leading to deeper involvement with organizational goals.
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