Four Ways to Give Effective Corrective Feedback

I recently spoke to a group of high school seniors on how to create their first resume. We went through a sample resume and as we discussed each section, they had opportunity to write down information about themselves and their education, skills, experience, characteristics and interests. At the end of the worksheet was a final statement about their goals after graduation—where they would go to college and their major, or what career or job they would pursue. One young man said that he was going into the Marine Corps after he graduated from the Naval Academy. He pronounced “Corps” like “corpse,” a common mistake. Wanting to be sure he understood the correct pronunciation was “core,” I first applauded him on his energetic goal, and then pointed out the correct pronunciation. He then told me I was wrong, and attempted to correct me again. He was adamant that it was pronounced “corpse.” Not wanting to turn this into an argument, I let it go.

Giving feedback is an important skill in communications. The purpose should always be to improve the condition of the other person. My intention for pointing out the mispronunciation was to help the young man avoid embarrassment in an interview, learn the correct pronunciation and improve his communications skills. He was more intent on being “right” than listening to what I had to say and learning something that could benefit him.

People often get defensive, upset, embarrassed or just angry when corrected. To give feedback well, you should always consider the following:

1. Give feedback in private if possible. Correction is hard to take for some, and doing it in public is even more embarrassing. Pull the person away from the group, or wait until a later time and meet with the person in private.
2. Always begin with positive. Point out a something that the individual did correctly or exceptionally well. Then ask, “If I could tell you some way you could do that even better would you be interested?” The answer to that question is always, “Yes.” Now you have been given permission to give some feedback.
3. Explain how the feedback will benefit the receiver. Show that you have their best interest at heart. WIIFM—What’s In It For Me?
4. Explain the consequences of disregarding the feedback. Pronouncing common words incorrectly can mean the difference between getting a job and getting passed over. The same goes for spelling mistakes, grammar errors or run-on sentences.

The kindest thing you can do for another person is to gently let them know when they are doing something that is detrimental to their personal or professional image. Many people are uncomfortable because they don’t want to hurt another person’s feelings by pointing our flaws or mistakes. Unless we know what we need to improve, we will continue along the same path. Remaining silent can do more damage in the long run.

Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a freelance writer, blogger, and consultant. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in "Training" magazine, "Training & Development" magazine, "Supervision," "Pulse" and "The Savannah Morning News." You can read her blogs at www.skirt.com/savannahchick, www.workingsmartworks.blogspot.com/ and on the web at www.mjnhconsulting.com.