How feedback is given in coaching and psychological intervention

From the perspective of coaching, it is feedback and not criticism if when giving an opinion about another person we follow certain guidelines. It is feedback if the exchange is direct and interpersonal and It is done with the intention of helping you learn and grow.. Therefore, commenting on how we perceive a person's performance and impact to improve their development is not criticizing, it is giving feedback.

In addition, to go from criticism to feedback, the comment must be argued, clear, constructive, timely, and must look to the future. For example, it would not be feedback to say: "Let's see if your team gets their act together, that the job doesn't come out like this". And it would be feedback to say: "Let's talk about what may be happening in your team...".

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Feedback, development tool

Feedback helps boost strengths and identify and improve our weaknesses, allowing development. When it's positive, it has a powerful impact on engagement. "The opinion of another on how we act pushes us, since it has a positive impact on our future actions, always helping us to improve", explain the EEC coaches who teach this tool in their coaching training and in their interventions in company.

Moreover, in the opinion of experts, negative feedback does not exist. "Feedback is always positive because it always pushes forward."

In this sense, sharing what we think about the performance of others is a responsibility. From EEC, they understand "the action of giving feedback as an obligation, since it is the only way we have to develop ourselves and give something to the other person that helps them grow".

It is bidirectional

The feedback phenomenon goes in two directions. Do not lose sight that it is in your hand know how your own performance is perceived and the impact that you are generating. If you don't do this, you will be the last person to know about your mistakes. "Feedback is asking others to lend us their eyes to see things that we are not seeing," they clarify in EEC.

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4 keys to not screw up

The experts at the European School of Coaching define four aspects to be loved in order to give and receive feedback appropriately. The key is to understand feedback as a gift.

1. Feedback is always an opinion about a fact.

To give and receive feedback it is necessary to differentiate opinions and facts.

2. No need to keep valuable information

If we do not give feedback, we are left with something that can be worth to another person to grow.

3. Need to ask for feedback

If we don't ask for feedback, we miss something that can help us grow.

4. You have to appreciate the opportunity to get that information

Feedback is a privilege at our disposal as a tool to grow and make others grow.

haters gonna hate

Finally, remember that criticism is used to criticize and feedback is used to improve. It is not the same to say you are doing a foolish thing than to say, "you are foolish".

"Feedback is not what the other person is, or even what the other person does, it is what I feel happens to me with what the other person has done", conclude the trainers of the European School of Coaching. "Talking about feedback is putting the person first and it is talking about vulnerability, connection, cooperation and the need not to insist on being right."