{"id":51282,"date":"2021-10-04T15:58:21","date_gmt":"2021-10-04T19:58:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/?p=51282"},"modified":"2023-06-03T05:55:24","modified_gmt":"2023-06-03T09:55:24","slug":"how-to-give-peer-feedback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/how-to-give-peer-feedback\/","title":{"rendered":"Adding Value to Your 2 Cents: How to Give Useful Peer-to-Peer Feedback"},"content":{"rendered":"

The annual performance review is common in many work environments. The omnipresent 360-degree review<\/a>, for one, requires peer-to-peer feedback. Yet many who are asked to give feedback have no training in how<\/em> to provide useful input.<\/p>\n

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Employee feedback<\/a> is ubiquitous. Companies value employee feedback<\/a> as a way to support company culture and employee retention. The thinking is that employees who get effective feedback can improve their performance and engagement and get guidance that helps their career development.<\/p>\n

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Yet, note the wording in the previous paragraph: \u201ceffective feedback.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Peer<\/p>\n

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Effective feedback<\/a> helps someone get better at what they do and makes them aware of any potential issues. It will be honest, relevant, timely, specific, and tailored to the specific employee. It won\u2019t be unclear, blaming, shaming, trivial, or personality-focused.<\/p>\n

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Ineffective feedback can backfire in a big way. Done incorrectly, the feedback can decrease morale and undermine employee motivation. Unhelpful peer-to-peer feedback can also damage team dynamics and make for a more toxic work environment. Here are some ways to make your peer-to-peer feedback useful.<\/p>\n

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Remember, this is not an evaluation<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s one thing to get a performance review from your supervisor. But a performance review is not something you want from the colleague in the next cubicle. Don\u2019t confuse evaluation and feedback.<\/p>\n

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As a peer, you are not in a position to measure whether or not your colleague is meeting their performance goals. Instead, in giving feedback, you are helping others better understand their work and find new ways forward.<\/p>\n

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Imagine an iceberg<\/h2>\n

When you see an iceberg, there\u2019s another big chunk of ice under the surface unseen. How does this relate to feedback? Think of it this way: You might write, \u201cJamie is great at connecting with the client\u201d or \u201cVincente helps keep the team motivated.\u201d This simple \u201cwhat X does well\u201d statement is only the tip of the iceberg.<\/p>\n

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What makes your feedback more valuable is the how\/why that goes below the surface. How do you see Jamie connecting with the client or Vincente motivating others? Be specific. Think also about why this even matters. Offer concrete examples if you can. This will make the feedback more impactful and helps ensure that you and your readers understand what you mean by that first observation.<\/p>\n

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Avoid making it personal<\/h2>\n

Remember in elementary school when someone would insult you by saying you smell like pickles? That was personal, and you might argue you didn\u2019t know any better. In peer-to-peer feedback, though, you want to stay away from picking on perceived personality flaws. Telling people that they are the problem will a) make them defensive and b) leave them with no room to improve.<\/p>\n

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Instead, talk about the work that person does. This makes it easier for the individual to listen and implement change.<\/p>\n

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Jettison the criticism cookie<\/h2>\n

Or maybe you know it as a feedback sandwich<\/a>. Either way, the idea is to soften the negative observation by putting a positive on either side. The problem is that we all know what\u2019s happening when this is done. Transparency is great, but in this case it makes the positives appear insincere. The listener simply waits to hear what \u201cyou really think\u201d and ignores the positives as fluff.<\/p>\n

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Otherwise, the person who truly needs to improve may not realize it. After all, you\u2019re giving them two compliments for every criticism. That ends up sounding overwhelmingly good. So, the individual may not recognize a need for change.<\/p>\n

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Stick to what you know<\/h2>\n

Each employee has their own way of doing things. Draw on your own knowledge to provide feedback. If you\u2019ve never filled out an SEO keywords spreadsheet, you shouldn\u2019t be the one telling someone else how to do it faster or better.<\/p>\n

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\"A<\/p>\n

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Take what you do know and use that to provide effective feedback that offers suggestions rather than stating mistakes<\/a>. Instead of writing, \u201cyour XYZ reports are always late,\u201d you might observe, \u201cI\u2019ve found it helpful to create a template for my XYZ reports so that I\u2019m not recreating them from scratch each month.\u201d<\/p>\n

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You also want to avoid using words like \u201calways\u201d and \u201cnever.\u201d<\/a> Just as they can torpedo a personal conversation, they can get someone\u2019s back up in a professional conversation. They are too categoric; they are unlikely to be true all the time. Plus, they\u2019re sure to make the person feel attacked and misunderstood.<\/p>\n

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Remember your objective<\/h2>\n

Everything you write or say works better when you have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish by writing or saying it. Before you write or give peer-to-peer feedback, prepare. Give yourself some time to think about what you want the individual to take away from your feedback.<\/p>\n

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Your objective is unlikely to be, “I want this person to feel small and quit.” So, outline a few bullet points that clarify what you want them to improve. Maybe think of it like a pro and con list. On the one side, what you want to recognize that person for doing well. On the other, what they might change.<\/p>\n

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Knowing what you want to come from the conversation with your peer will help you to remain focused and make the feedback session that much more productive.<\/p>\n

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Finding ways to access feedback<\/h2>\n

Peer-to-peer feedback<\/a> does have value. Employees have different relationships with one another than they do with a manager, so the perspective is changed. Plus, this kind of feedback can be helpful as it isn\u2019t typically directly tied to compensation. The individual is better able to listen without worrying how what was just said impacts their next paycheck.<\/p>\n

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\"A<\/p>\n

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Fight employee churn and negative employee experience (EX) with powerful tools to gather feedback and measure important elements such as employee motivation, trust, and commitment. SoGoEX<\/a> helps you gather, analyze, and mobilize the employee data you need to transform your workplace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The annual performance review is common in many work environments. The omnipresent 360-degree review, for one, requires peer-to-peer feedback. Yet many who are asked to give feedback have no training in how to provide useful input. Employee feedback is ubiquitous. Companies value employee feedback as a way to support company culture and employee retention. The thinking is that employees who get effective feedback can improve their performance and engagement and get guidance that helps their career development. Yet, note the wording in the previous paragraph: \u201ceffective feedback.\u201d Effective feedback helps someone get better at what they do and makes them aware of any potential issues. It will be honest, relevant, timely, specific, and tailored to the specific employee. It won\u2019t be unclear, blaming, shaming, trivial, or personality-focused. Ineffective feedback can backfire in a big way. Done incorrectly, the feedback can decrease morale and undermine employee motivation. Unhelpful peer-to-peer feedback can also damage team dynamics and make for a more toxic work environment. Here are some ways to make your peer-to-peer feedback useful. Remember, this is not an evaluation It\u2019s one thing to get a performance review from your supervisor. But a performance review is not something you want from the colleague in the next cubicle. Don\u2019t confuse evaluation and feedback. As a peer, you are not in a position to measure whether or not your colleague is meeting their performance goals. Instead, in giving feedback, you are helping others better understand their work and find new ways forward. Imagine an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":49241,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,156],"tags":[164,241,385,25,455,693],"yoast_head":"\nAdding Value to Your 2 Cents: How to Give Useful Peer-to-Peer Feedback - Sogolytics Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Evaluating each other has become commonplace in many business environments. But we\u2019re not trained in peer-to-peer feedback. 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