Use feedback to improve own performance

1

Level 2 Diploma in
Skills for Business

Work with others in a Business Environment

Assignment 3 lesson 1

Be able to use feedback to improve own
performance within a team.

Objectives

• Describe why it is important to give and receive feedback in a

team.

• Analyse how feedback can be used to develop an individual’s

skills and strengthen the team.

• Evaluate positive and constructive feedback given to

colleagues.

3.1 Outline why it is important to give
and receive feedback within a team

• Feedback enables individuals (and therefore also teams and

organisations) to improve or continue doing something well.

3.1 Outline why it is important to give
and receive feedback within a team

• Feedback is important because:

• It helps to improve performance
• It helps to maintain good performance
• It can motivate people to do as well as they can
• It can improve team relationships.

Feedback

• Giving and receiving feedback within a team helps each

individual to improve their performance and this in turn will
improve the team’s performance.

Feedback

• You may already provide your colleagues with feedback without

realising it

• – for example, you might say ‘You handled that difficult customer really

well’. You are probably less likely to tell them that they handled the
difficult customer badly, but they need to know that too if they are to do
better next time.

• The skill lies in giving both positive and negative feedback

sensitively and clearly.

Feedback

• There are times when you will receive feedback and you should

also develop skills in accepting and working on improving your
performance.

3.2 Provide positive and constructive
feedback to colleagues

• Think of a time when you have received feedback from

someone at work, at home, or about a leisure activity you enjoy,
for example, a football coach.

• What do you remember about it?
• If feedback is constructive, with a positive purpose, you are

more likely to feel motivated to act on it.

• If it is expressed in a critical way that made you feel bad about

yourself, you will feel less motivated to improve.

What are the main elements of
constructive feedback?

• Objective
• Professional, not personal
• Sensitive
• Concentrates on the positives
• Respectful
• Confidential

Objective

• Base your feedback on evidence – things you have actually

noticed or read, rather than what you think you saw, or what
someone else said.

Professional, not personal

• Talk about behaviour or outcomes rather than personal

characteristics.

Sensitive

• Express your feedback as you’d like to hear it.

Concentrates on the positives

• Even if you need to tell someone that they need to improve, you

should be able to express it positively, perhaps by showing
them that improvement will lead to even better results.

Respectful

• Treat people as equals and listen to what they say.

Confidential

• Where possible, find somewhere private to speak to the person,

especially if you are identifying areas for improvement.

• Don’t tell other team members what you have said, other than

your manager, where appropriate.

• It is up to the person receiving the feedback to tell others what

was said.

Here are some benefits of providing
positive and constructive feedback.

• Your team is more likely to meet its objectives because team

members are aware of their strengths and work on areas that
need improving.

• You and the person receiving the feedback will feel positive and

motivated.

• The person receiving the feedback will be more self-aware so

they can recognise how their behaviour contributes to the team.

• Team relationships may be strengthened.