FEEDBACK TECHNIQUE
So what are some styles of giving feedback, and how effective are they? Managers wanting to give their staff feedback commonly employ the sandwich technique, also known as the ‘commend, recommend, commend’ technique (I personally call it the shiitake mushroom technique). This is a simple technique whereby you state a positive, recommend an area of improvement, then state another positive. I think the prevalence of this technique is a symptom of people-focused managers wanting to be ‘nice’ about feedback, usually because they don’t know how to give it well.
Roger Schwarz, in his book Smart Leaders, Smarter Teams, says that the sandwich technique is not very tasty – and I agree with him. Here are a few reasons why I think the sandwich technique misses the mark when delivering feedback:
Some people are so used to this form of feedback that they know what order the feedback is coming in, and they listen only for the corrective piece in the middle.
Others absorb only the first and last things you say and miss the corrective piece, as it isn’t delivered clearly and purposefully.
Why pad out feedback with positives that aren’t the focus of the message?
By following the SBI/AA paradigm, you can communicate clearly to your direct report. For example:
Situation – ‘Hey Sarah, can I have a talk with you about our project meeting on Monday please?’
Behaviour – ‘I noticed in that meeting you were quite negative about the tasks and the timeframes for completion.’
Impact – ‘This can really affect the less experienced team members, as they take note of what you say, given the length of time you’ve been in this team.’
Alternative Behaviour – ‘Can you have a think about the way you come across in those project meetings, and how the newer members of the team observe you? Also think about how you can contribute to moving the project forward in a positive way and how you can use your experience to tackle the bigger issues.’
Alternative Impact – ‘This will demonstrate the right behaviours to the rest of the project team, and also allow you to show more leadership in your particular area of expertise.’
By giving corrective feedback as in the example above, then noticing how the person applies themselves during the next meeting, you create the opportunity to see real growth from one of your people. But your job is not finished. Your role now is to observe any changes, then follow up with positive feedback using the first part of the model: Situation, Behaviour, Impact.
For example:
Situation – ‘Hey Sarah, I just wanted to check in with you about our discussion on Tuesday.’
Behaviour – ‘I observed you participating fully in the meeting and having a fantastic attitude towards the projects we are working on.’
Impact – ‘This is helping the project team focus on the tasks in front of us, and not get drawn into issues we’ve had in the past. Well done!’
I think the SBI/AA technique is really effective because:
Corrective or improvement feedback can be delivered without the need to ‘sandwich’ it with positives.
The Alternative behaviour part can be used in two ways: you can suggest what might work, or you can ask the person to suggest how they think they could improve.
The person you are delivering the feedback to understands exactly what behaviour needs changing, and understands the impact of this on others.
Lastly, this technique resonates here in NZ because it can be easily remembered using the mnemonic ‘Sonny Bill Is Awesome Aye!’ I’ve never met Sonny Bill Williams, but he certainly has had a phenomenal career, spanning rugby league, rugby union, rugby sevens and boxing.
Some of my more practical workshop participants remember the mnemonic more easily than the technique itself! And that’s fine by me. Anything that helps a manager remember a technique makes it more relevant, more useful, and more likely to be used. It’s amazing to go back and work with people a month later and hear them repeat the feedback technique in a way that shows me they have remembered and used it.
Here’s a link to the feedback tool you can download off my website. Let me know when you’ve had a chance to use it and how it helps you.