9.1: Fighting For Feedback

Why Fight For Feedback?

So, why should you fight for feedback? Perhaps the biggest benefit is getting a second set of eyes to review your work. Even the best writers and speakers can become so close to their projects that they can’t see where they can be made stronger. They may omit vital information, fail to see a weakness in their argument or just overlook the need for a transition between two main points. Their closeness to the material and pride of authorship can distort or obscure their viewpoint. Smart communicators realize this tendency and seek objective feedback from a fresh set of eyes. If you seek out and listen to feedback, you are much more likely to produce accurate, understandable communication that "answers the mail" and resonates with your audience.

Another reason to fight for feedback is that it often saves time during the coordination process. Whether it’s the staff package you’ve been working hard on for 3 weeks or the briefing you have to present Friday, getting feedback from someone else’s point of view will help smooth things out later as your package makes its way up the chain of command. In some cases having someone review and provide feedback can also be a smart political move-if individuals "buy in" early in the process, they may be a source of support later if it becomes necessary to defend the material.

Where Can I Get Feedback?

Meaningful feedback can come from many different sources. Coworkers or fellow staffers may be a good choice because of their familiarity with the issue and its jargon. They may have also briefed or written for the same people on similar issues; if so, they can give you some tips or lessons learned. You may also choose to go to different people for different aspects of your work. For example, you may find it helpful to solicit suggestions for improving grammar, organization and content from three different "trusted agents" who are strong in those particular areas. You may even want to use a trusted agent who’s totally outside your organization to see if your message makes sense to someone with no clue about the material.

What Kind Of Feedback Should I Ask For?

Once you’ve picked out your feedback sources, you should let them know what kind of feedback you’re looking for. (We’re not suggesting you say, "Tell me how wonderful this is-I’ve worked so hard on it!") Unless you give them clear guidance, reviewers may focus on details like spelling, grammar and margins. Though these are important, make it clear that you want feedback on the big picture, too. Here are some examples of items you should ask them to address:

Is my purpose clear and am I properly targeting my audience?

For starters, you want to give your reviewers a sense of your audience and your purpose. Will the audience positively receive the message you intend to convey? Ask them to tell you the bottom line they walked away with after reviewing your material. Was it what you intended?

Did I address the issue at the right level of detail?

Too many details can obscure your message while too few details can lead to confusion, questions and delays. Ask your reviewers if you’ve addressed the issue(s) without going too far into the weeds. You could also have them ask you questions on the material. Have you anticipated possible questions? If you don’t feel comfortable answering their questions, you may need to go back and do more research. Along the same lines, reviewers may help you pinpoint inconsistencies or unclear material that your final audience might find as well.

Are there other viewpoints I need to consider?

Finally, your reviewer may offer differing viewpoints on the material. If that’s the case, ask for clarification on their viewpoint if necessary, but don’t argue with them. Instead, ask yourself if their ideas may come up again later. If so, you probably need to address them in your material.

The bottom line to getting feedback is having an open mind and being able to accept criticism. Don’t take comments personally, even if they seem like attacks to your project. Accept feedback willingly and use it constructively-it’s part of the process of developing a quality product.

How To Give Feedback

There are certain things to keep in mind when giving feedback. First, effective feedback is consistent, objective and sensitive to the stated purpose. If someone asks you to review a package, make sure you understand what the person wants from your review and stick to it. Second, distinguish between necessary, desirable, and unnecessary changes. A page full of red marks is hard to interpret. Instead, give the author a sense of what really needs to be changed versus the "happy to glad" kinds of suggestions. Next, helpful suggestions pinpoint specific problems, such as awkward sentences, grammar, etc. A general statement like "you need to work on your sentence structure" isn’t as helpful as underlining specific sentences that need help. Finally, you should concentrate on improving the message’s content, not the style or personal preferences of the author (unless the author has asked you specifically to comment on writing style).

Feedback Philosophy

Feedback should describe rather than judge.

Authors are more likely to listen and incorporate feedback if it’s phrased constructively. Avoid judgmental language-it places people on the defensive. Remember, feedback should be directed at a person’s work or behavior, not at the person.

Feedback is both positive and negative.

A balanced description of other people’s work takes both strong and weak points into account. Both types of feedback give useful information to those people who want to change and improve their work.

Feedback should be specific rather than general.

General statements about other people’s work do not indicate the performance elements they may need to change and the elements that may serve as models. Highlight or underline specific items you want to bring to the author’s attention, and make annotations or comments in the margins.

Feedback should consider the needs of both the receiver and the giver of the feedback.

Feedback often reflects the state of mind of the reviewer, not just the quality of the work.If you’re seeking feedback from someone else, try to pick an appropriate time to make the request and be realistic about the time required for the review. Similarly, reviewers should make sure they are in the right frame of mind before analyzing the material and offering feedback.

Feedback should be directed at behavior the receiver can control.

Only frustration results when people are reminded of shortcomings they cannot control. A suggestion to improve the briefing room’s temperature, for example, is probably beyond the individual’s control. However, briefing skills and mannerisms are within the person’s ability to control.

Feedback should be analyzed to ensure clear communication.

Discuss or clarify any feedback you’re not sure of to clear up any misinterpretations. The sender’s intended message is not always what the receiver hears.

Feedback should be solicited rather than imposed (except for the supervisor-subordinate situation).

Feedback is most useful when the receiver asks for it. The receiver is more likely to be receptive to your inputs in that case, as opposed to responding with an attitude of "Who asked you?"

A Word on Supervisor-Subordinate Feedback

As a supervisor, you need to be tactful and patient, especially when approving and disapproving the communications of subordinates. As a supervisor, you are obligated to help your people improve their work. This obligation may mean helping them to revise or rewrite their communication, especially if they are inexperienced. Whatever your role, tact and patience come more easily to people once they understand feedback in its broadest context.