COMMUNICATION SKILLS-Giving Constructive Feedback

COMMUNICATION SKILLS-Giving Constructive Feedback

 Some of the most difficult
communication issues practice Managing people face; - providing
constructive, effective and assertive feedback to others.

This may be for example, through informal or formal
supervision, or through performance appraisal processes.
We will also highlight insights that we have gained in
previous sections to understand the rationale behind
feedback strategies.

Why it can be difficult to provide honest feedback
It is normally not difficult to give positive feedback to people
doing well or in general, to give information that people want
to hear. Most of us can do this fairly well. However, giving
negative or critical feedback, or information that people do
not want to hear, can be much more problematic.
Nevertheless, it is critical that feedback be honest.

Why are practice educators – and others, so reluctant to
provide feedback? The reasons are many:

• Fear of the other person's reaction. People can
become defensive and emotional when confronted
with critical feedback, as their basic needs to feel
competent and accurate are threatened. Some
practice educators are fearful of the reaction.

• The practice educator may feel that they do not
have enough concrete, objective evidence to back
up their feedback, should the student refuse to
accept it.

• Fear of causing tension in the work environment.

• Many practice educators would prefer to take on
the role of a supportive coach rather than a judge.
However, giving feedback often forces a change in
this role.