As a facilitator, part of your responsibility involves both giving and receiving feedback. Participants often have strong opinions about the effectiveness of meetings and facilitation, making it essential to offer a service that they find valuable. Being open to feedback allows you to make necessary adjustments to enhance their experience.
Principles of Effective Feedback
The primary aim of seeking and providing feedback is to foster improvement. Therefore, feedback should be constructive and positive, ideally given as soon as possible after the event in question. To ensure your feedback is well-received, consider the following principles:
Request Permission: Before giving feedback, ask if the individual or group is ready to hear your observations. If they’re not prepared, agree on a more suitable time for discussion. Feedback should never feel forced, as it may not be heard effectively.
Maintain Professionalism: Approach feedback with tact and professionalism, focusing on improving behaviours or circumstances.
Focus on Behaviour, Not Individuals: Direct your comments towards specific actions rather than personal attributes. For example, instead of saying, “You seem uninterested,” try, “You’ve returned late from breaks and have checked your phone frequently without contributing today.”
Be Specific: Describe actual behaviours rather than your interpretations. For instance, say, “You were involved in several sidebar conversations this morning,” instead of “You seem distracted.”
Seek Validation: Ask if your feedback feels fair and accurate. This encourages accountability and allows the individual to express their perspective.
Provide Positive Feedback: Recognize and praise positive contributions when appropriate. Everyone benefits from positive reinforcement!
Feedback Methods
Facilitators have various options for collecting feedback, depending on the group size and dynamics. Here are some effective methods:
Surveys: Use paper or electronic surveys to gather feedback, then analyze and discuss the results.
Rating Questions: Post questions in the meeting room and have participants rate their responses. You can create bullet points for them to check off or comment on.
Social Media Feedback: If participants are tech-savvy and have smartphones, create a specific hashtag (#) for the meeting and encourage feedback via social media platforms like Twitter.
Action Plans: List what is working and what isn’t, then collaboratively create an action plan to address areas needing improvement.
