FEEDBACK IS AN INTEGRAL element of personal development and as a senior PA you are likely to be giving and receiving constructive criticism as part of your role. Taking crit- icism is never very easy but nor is giving it. Although every- one working in a professional environment knows that they need to take feedback on board and address the elements that have been identified as development areas, it hurts when you are crit- icised. A natural, human reaction to criticism is to get angry, then defensive and then to go quiet and stop listening. As the person giving the feedback, these reactions can be difficult to manage to ensure that review sessions remain positive and do actually help the employee to improve their performance.
GIVING CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM Scenario:You have to tell a junior member of staff that their three- month probationary period is going to be extended due to several development areas that have been identified. Now obviously they must be doing some parts of the job well or you would just be terminating their employment, so it’s important that you highlight these areas, as stand-alone praise for their perform- ance, at the start of the meeting. When moving on to discuss the development areas you
should be direct and straightforward about what the issues are by saying, for example: ‘I have noticed…’ or ‘I have received feed- back from...’ This helps to keep the discussion issues focused and to get right to the heart of the matter. Make sure you don’t give mixed messages by combining praise and criticism in one sen- tence. For example saying: ‘You did a good job with that travel project but...’ is not constructive as the ‘but’ completely negates the start of the sentence. Instead say: ‘I identified a couple of ele- ments in the travel project that weren’t completed correctly.’ This way everyone is clear about what problems need addressing. Once you have identified the development areas that have led to the decision to extend the probationary period make sure that you then move on to discuss what can be done to address them. The member of staff must feel that they are being sup- ported in their personal development efforts if their perform- ance is to improve.
RECEIVING CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM Scenario:You have been turned down for the promotion you applied for due to your performance at the interview. After the initial gut- wrenching disappointment has passed use what you learn about your performance to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. Don’t take it personally, you must be qualified for the job and
a real contender for it or you wouldn’t have got to the interview stage, instead listen to what the other person has to say about your performance, don’t argue with them and stay open-minded. Automatically assuming that they are wrong will mean that you don’t listen and, consequently, won’t learn from the experience, so you will make the same mistakes at interview the next time you apply for that promotion. Listen to everything they have to say and even if you don’t agree with it, take it on board and go away and think about it. Don’t try to convince them that they were wrong as the decision has been made, instead use the feed- back to improve your interview skills for next time around. Make sure you thank them for the feedback, even though
you probably won’t feel thankful at the time. It won’t have been easy for them to deliver the bad news about the promotion, or the reasons why your performance wasn’t good enough at interview, so thanking them will ensure that you seem like a calm and reasonable person who can receive feedback in a professional manner.
TOP TIPS CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
REMEMBER RELATIONSHIPS MATTER: if you are doing a per- formance review then there are going to be goals and objectives in place to discuss, and feedback given will be based on them. This often removes the potential for any sensitivity around constructive criticism but if you are giving feedback to a colleague at the same level as you, based on an area for improvement you have identified in your day-to-day work, remember that it is important that you keep a positive working relationship with them going forward.
DON’T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS: think carefully about what you’re going to say to ensure that you are not making assumptions about the person, your relationship with them or their role in a project. For example, if you are going to criticise someone by say- ing that they ‘don’t listen to instructions’ then you could be assum- ing that they have been communicated properly and that you both understood them in the same way. Identifying potential assump- tions can ensure that feedback sessions and ongoing relationships remain positive and helpful.
BE RESPECTFUL: ensure that you remain polite and considerate at all times when giving and receiving feedback. If you are giving feedback don’t lose your temper, don’t scold the person and always give them a chance to respond. If you are receiving it then don’t become over-sensitive and defensive, instead consider what has been said and respond calmly, even if you disagree with the criticism that is being levelled at you. Rational and considered feedback and responses will stand you in much better stead than angry, aggressive ones.
CLARIFY EXPECTATIONS: at the start of the meeting ensure that both of you know what the purpose of the meeting is and what aspect of the person’s performance is being reviewed. For example, after sharing your intentions for the discussion, you could then go on to say: “My understanding was that you were going to compile and analyse the survey results and deliver the report to me on Friday.” This way, you are both certain of where you stand, what is being reviewed and what the constructive criticism is hop- ing to help improve.
LEARN TO LOVE FEEDBACK Everyone dreads giving and receiving feedback, and there is no doubt that the process can be unnerving and scary, but if you want to develop and improve your performance at work in order to progress then feedback is some of the most important com- munication you can engage in with your manager and other members of your team. When done in the right way and with the right intentions, con-
structive criticism can be the pathway to performance greatness. Everyone needs to know what they are doing well and not so well. For them to really hear your thoughts and suggestions on ways to improve, though, feedback has to be delivered carefully and frequently. Giving and receiving feedback effectively is a skill and, like all skills, it takes practice to build your confidence and improve. Don’t store it all up for annual performance reviews though; make constructive feedback an everyday part of your busi- ness to get the most out of everyone you work with. E
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