Giving Feedback Informally, Daily, and Publicly

Giving Feedback Formally, Periodically, and Privately

Constructive Feedback Should Be......

• provided in terms of previously-outlined goals and expectations.

• descriptive rather than judgmental/evaluative, directed toward remediable behavior, and designed to elicit an appropriate remediative response.

• specific rather than general (based on first-hand data, actions, and behavior, not on the person or speculation about his or her intentions) and validated through agreement from other observers when possible.

• presented as a method of improvement rather than as a punitive step and used as a method of building up the learner and strengthening the professional relationship between learner and mentor.

• given at an appropriate time, in an amount the receiver can use, and checked for clarity of communication.

Giving Feedback Informally, Daily, and Publicly

• Give feedback constructively as issues arise, either privately or with colleagues.

• Demonstrate a correct procedure rather than letting students stumble along without guidance.

• Give feedback during a procedure but in a timely fashion and in a tension-decreasing rather than tension-increasing manner.

Giving Feedback Formally, Periodically, and Privately

• Schedule the feedback session at less stressful times, when both parties are least likely to be rushed or called away.

• Begin by asking for the learner’s perspective on strengths, areas needing more work, etc.

• Be descriptive, focusing on behavior and performance, and only rarely on personality traits.

• Be as specific as possible (including examples) and use non-judgmental language.

• Do not overload the learner with feedback; start with one or two high-priority issues.

• Be supportive when giving feedback; sandwich areas for improvement between positives at the beginning and end of the session.

• Be aware of some possible solutions to problems beforehand.

• Rely on personal observations rather than on other students’ complaints; use such complaints to focus your observations.

• Help learners turn negative feedback into constructive challenges.

• Verify student understanding by asking the student for his or her summary of the session and add your own points of emphasis.

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