Professional Documents
Culture Documents
SAQA - 115431 - Learner Guide
SAQA - 115431 - Learner Guide
feedback techniques
Learner’s Guide
Table of contents
Specific Outcome 1 : Provide constructive feedback.
The candidate undertaking this unit standard is best advised to at least spend one hundred hours of study
time on this learning programme. Below is a table which demonstrates how these one hundred hours
could be spread:
TIMEFRAME
Total Notional Hours Contact Time Non contact-
Self-Study/Assessment
Credits (3) x 10 = 30 9HRS 21HRS
1. Learning Programme REFER TO COVER PAGE
Name:
2. SAQA REFER TO COVER PAGE
Qualification/Unit
Standard Title:
3. Qualification/ 4. SAQA ID 5. NQF 5 6. Credits 3
Unit Standard Number Level
7. PURPOSE for offering REFER TO NEXT PAGE
this programme to your
learners:
10. Timeframe for Training: Theory content –Role play, Simulation, Group work, Pair work = 9
(Total hrs.
Hours/Days/Weeks) Non contact session- self-study, assignment, practise guided by
coach or mentor, formative assessment and summative assessment
=21 hrs.
The Learner guide
At the end of this unit standard you will be able to Analyse feedback contexts and apply
constructive feedback techniques
Purpose:
People credited with this unit standard are able to:
To provide fundamental knowledge of the areas covered
For those working in, or entering the workplace in the area of Business and
Organisational Communication
As additional knowledge for those wanting to understand the areas covered
Specific outcome:
Give constructive feedback
Respond constructively to feedback
Equipment needed:
Learning material, Learner workbook, Pen, Ruler.
PLEASE NOTE: THE USE OF PENCILS OR TIPPEX IS NOT ALLOWED.
IF YOU USE A PENCIL THE VALIDITY OF YOUR WORK COULD BE
QUESTIONABLE, AND THIS COULD LEAD TO FRAUD.
Resources (selective resources might be used, depending on the facilitator and venue
circumstances), one or all of the following can be used:
4
Your facilitator/mentor
Learning material
Learner workbook
Visual aids
White board
Flip chart
Equipment
Training venue
Assessments:
The only way to establish whether you are competent and have accomplished the
specific outcomes is through continuous assessments
5
The given exercises can contain one or more of the following:
Information for you to read
Exercises that require you to have a problem-solving approach to communication
Questions for you to answer
Case studies with questions that follow
The facilitator will tell you which exercise you need to complete each day.
You need to hand in your answers to the facilitator who will mark it for correctness.
If you do not know the answer, you will have to go back to that particular section in
you learner guide and go over it again.
Ask the facilitator for help, if you do not understand any of the questions asked.
Always remember to give reasons for your answers
SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1:
ASSESEMENT CRITERIA
The provision is selected in terms of type and channel
The provision ensures that the language, content and tone of feedback fit the situation, the
6
occasion, the subject matter and the audience
The provision describes the behavior or event which is the focus of feedback, in neutral terms,
with the absence of reference to character or personality of the recipient
The provision identifies legal and ethical requirements that impact on the time and place where
feedback is provided
The provision ensures that the content of the message meets the objectives set for providing
feedback
The provision ensures that constructive feedback incorporates listening, open questions,
paraphrasing and responding to receiver reactions
7
Part of being an effective manager or supervisor is knowing what feedback to give. The trick is
learning how to give it constructively so that it has some value. constructive feedback is a tool that is
used to build things up, not break things down. It lets the other person know that you are on their side.
1. If you can't think of a constructive purpose for giving feedback, don't give it at all.
Describing behavior is a way of reporting what has occurred, while judging behavior is an evaluation
of what has occurred in terms of "right or wrong", or "good or bad". By avoiding evaluative language,
you reduce the need for the individual to respond defensively.
For example: "You demonstrate a high degree of confidence when you answer customer questions
about registration procedures, "rather than, "Your communication skills are good."
Observations refer to what you can see or hear about an individual's behavior, while inferences refer
to the assumptions and interpretations you make from what you see or hear. Focus on what the person
did and your reaction.
For example: "When you gave that student the Financial Aid form, you tossed it across the counter,"
rather than describe what you assume to be the person's motivation, "I suppose you give all forms out
that way!"
For example: "You talked considerably during the staff meeting, which prevented me from getting to
some of the main points," rather than "You talk too much."
8
6. Be aware of feedback overload.
Select two or three important points you want to make and offer feedback about those points. If you
overload an individual with feedback, she or he may become confused about what needs to be
improved or changed.
For example: "The number of applicants and the time it takes you to enter them are both within the
expected ranges. The number of keying errors you are currently making is higher than expected."
Giving feedback constructively benefits everyone. You, as the manager or supervisor, use the on-
going exchange of information as a way of getting to know your people and providing them with
valuable guidance in their work. The employee, manager, supervisor, or peer receives data that makes
that makes her or his job go easier. The organization gains in improved productivity of its workforce.
For example: "Yesterday afternoon, when you were speaking with Mrs. Sanchez, I noticed that
you kept raising your voice."
For example: "The staff member looked embarrassed and I felt uncomfortable about seeing the
episode." "Shouting at our students is not acceptable behavior in this department."
Remain silent and meet the other persons eye, indicating that you are waiting for answer. If the person
hesitates to respond, ask an open ended question.
"What is your view of this situation?" "What are your reaction to this?"
If your feedback was offered supportively or neutrally, in the "for your information" mode, or
depending on the situation's circumstances, suggestions may not be appropriate. Use your common
sense and offer an idea if you think the other person will find it useful. Don't drum up a suggestion for
improvement just for the sake of it.
For example: "Jennifer, I sometimes write myself notes or put up signs to remind myself to do
something."
"Jill, rather than telling Ed that you're not interested in all the details, you might try
asking him specific questions about the information you are most interested in."
For example: "As I said, the way the group has figured out how to cover phone calls has really
lessened the number of phone messages to be returned. You've really followed through on a tough
problem. Please keep taking the initiate on problems like that.
By summarizing, you can avoid misunderstandings and check to make sure that your communication
is clean. This summary is an opportunity to show your support for the other person—a way to
conclude even an negative feedback situation on a positive note.
For example: "At least we understand each other better since we've talked. I'll do what I can to
make sure your priorities are factored into the schedule, and I'll expect you to come straight to me if
the schedule is a problem.
For supervisors to improve and make appropriate decisions concerning their behavior and
management practices, they need accurate information about how their employees currently see
them functioning. As in guided missile systems, feedback allows people to check how "on target"
their actions and behavior are and thus enables them to modify or correct their actions.
Feedback is communication from others that presents data to a person about what the others are
experiencing and how this is impacting upon them.
Given this feedback, a new awareness is created within the receiver. It is up to the receiver to decide
what he or she learns from the feedback and what he or she chooses to do with that knowledge.
When giving or receiving feedback, it’s essential to remember that that what people are experiencing
does not necessarily make it true that it happened that way. Perceptions are very important data –
but not necessarily reality.
11
My notes
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2 :
12
Analyse feedback contexts and/ or situations.
ASSESEMENT CRITERIA
The analysis identifies issues related to providing feedback in terms of context/ situation
The analysis identifies the purpose and/ or outcomes for specific feedback contexts/ situations
The analysis identifies consequences and/ or anticipated reactions for specific feedback
contexts/ situations
The analysis ensures that the content and tone of feedback fit the situation, the occasion, the
subject matter and the audience
The analysis identifies the legal and organisational requirements that impact on the type and
manner of feedback provided
Imagine that you recently gave some feedback to a member of your team. You told him that his
meeting agendas looked great, but he needed to improve his presentation skills.
You follow up a few weeks later to find out why he hasn't made any changes. You discover that he
didn't understand what he could do to improve – your feedback simply prompted more questions.
He was left thinking "What's good about my agendas that I can transfer to other documents?" and
"What's wrong with my presentation skills?"
The Situation – Behavior – Impact (SBI) Feedback tool helps you deliver more effective feedback. It
focuses your comments on specific situations and behaviors, and then outlines the impact that these
behaviors have on others
Developed by The Center for Creative Leadership, the SBI Feedback Tool outlines a simple structure
that you can use to give feedback (SB1)
1. Situation.
2. Behavior.
3. Impact.
13
When you structure feedback in this way, your people will understand precisely what you are
commenting on, and why. And when you outline the impact of their behavior on others, you're giving
them the chance to reflect on their actions, and think about what they need to change.
The tool also helps you avoid making assumptions that could upset the other person and damage your
relationship with them.
Let's look at each part of the SBI Feedback tool, and discuss how to use it to structure feedback.
1. Situation
When you're giving feedback, first define the where and when of the situation you're referring to. This
puts the feedback into context, and gives the other person a specific setting as a reference.
For example:
"During yesterday morning's team meeting, when you gave your presentation..."
2. Behavior
Your next step is to describe the specific behaviors that you want to address. This is the most
challenging part of the process, because you must communicate only the behaviors that you observed
directly.
You must not make assumptions or subjective judgments about those behaviors. These could be
wrong, and this will undermine your feedback.
For example, if you observed that a colleague made mistakes in a presentation, you should not assume
that they hadn't prepared thoroughly. You should simply comment that your colleague made mistakes
– and, ideally, you should note what the mistakes were.
Don't rely on hearsay, as this may contain others' subjective judgments. Again, this could undermine
your feedback and jeopardize your relationship.
"During yesterday morning's team meeting, when you gave your presentation, you were
uncertain about two of the slides, and your sales calculations were incorrect."
14
"At the client meeting on Monday afternoon, you ensured that the meeting started on time and
that everyone had handouts in advance. All of your research was correct, and each of the
client's questions was answered."
Tip:
Aim to use measurable information in your description of the behavior. This helps to ensure that your
comments are objective.
3. Impact
The last step is to use "I" statements to describe how the other person's action has affected you or
others.
For example:
"During yesterday morning's team meeting, when you gave your presentation, you were uncertain
about two of the slides and your sales calculations were incorrect. I felt embarrassed because the
entire board was there. I'm worried that this has affected the reputation of our team."
"At the client meeting on Monday afternoon, you ensured that the meeting started on time and
that everyone had handouts in advance. All of your research was correct, and each of the client's
questions was answered. I'm proud that you did such an excellent job and put the organization in a
good light. I feel confident that we'll get the account, thanks to your hard work."
For feedback to be most useful, it must be presented in such a way that the receiver does not feel
threatened or attacked by the information. Listed below are some guidelines for giving constructive
feedback:
Direct feedback toward behavior one can do something about, not the person.
Information about what a person does helps that person make choices about that behavior.
On other hand, assessments about a person’s "personality traits" or "personal qualities" usually
increase their defensiveness. (E.g., “You arrived ten minutes late” vs. “You’re irresponsible.”)
15
Focus the feedback on the value and usefulness it may provide to the receiver rather than the
"release" it provides the giver, i.e., you.
Make use of “I” Statements to let the receiver know how you perceive, experience or feel about
the behavior. Avoid “we” or “most people” statements. By saying, “I get upset when you…,”
you help promote a productive dialogue. No one can dispute that that’s how you feel! Whereas
saying “You make me upset” is more likely to lead to an argument and less communication.
Focus on what was said and done (actions) rather than why it was said or done (motives).
Feedback that relates to what, how, when, and where is based on observable events; while
opinions or judgments about the other's motive or intent relates to interpretations and conclusions
drawn from what was observed.
16
Request what you’d like them to do differently.
Your request let’s them know exactly what you are asking them to do. They are free to accept,
decline, or counter-propose. You can’t change them, but by asking you help them see what you think
they could do to help the organization
My notes
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3:
17
Respond constructively to feedback.
ASSESEMENT CRITERIA
The response ensures that the medium, language, content and tone fits the situation, the
occasion, the matter and the audience
The response clarifies feedback received, in terms of the objectives and issues raised
The response evaluates feedback received, in terms of its applicability to the objectives and
issues raised
The response incorporates identifying options and/ or strategies for further action
The response evaluated the outcome of feedback to determine if the objectives are met, or
require further action
o Tell the feedback giver(s) that you’d like to discuss their feedback with them. Set a
time and place, and follow through.
18
o Demonstrate your openness by sharing your feedback results with your workgroup as
well as your interpretation of what the data means to you. This will help open the lines of
communication between you and your workgroup.
o Show them that you are interested in listening to whatever they want to say. Below are
four responses to feedback that demonstrate you are listening:
Paraphrase: After listening carefully to a person, paraphrase or summarize their
ideas in your own words.
Summarize: Restate in a succinct fashion the information you gathered. This is
used to confirm a shared understanding of what has been said or decided. It gives
a feeling of closure to a conversation.
Ask Open-ended Questions: Open-ended questions usually begin with words like:
What, Who, Where, When, and How and are difficult to answer with a simple
“yes” or “no” response. E.g., “What do you think about that?” Open-ended
questions indicate your interest in learning more about the issues, ideas, and
reasoning that are important to the feedback giver(s). Avoid asking “why” type
questions that can put a person on the spot, e.g., “Why do you think that way?”
Use Silence: Wait for the other person to respond and finish talking. Then pause
rather than respond right away. These pauses are not intended to be
embarrassing. By not filling the vacuum, you let the other person know you are
listening and are interested in what he/she is saying and that you are making
space for more.
o Listen for understanding and information, without thinking about your response. Avoid
countering, judging or evaluating what is being said. “Seek first to understand, then to be
understood” (Stephen R. Covey).
o Don’t try to read minds. A lot of our anxiety comes from what we read into things and
not from what people actually say. Your goal is to remain unaffected by the criticism
directed at you so that you can discover what needs to be done to improve the situation.
o Admit ignorance or confusion when you do not understand what is being said or are
somewhat confused. Nothing is gained if you don’t understand what is being said and do
nothing about it. You gain people’s respect by being “big enough” to admit that you are
not quite on top of the conversation.
o Avoid getting defensive. If others attack or criticize you or your actions, calmly
acknowledge the possibility that there may be some truth in the criticism or their point of
view. This allows you to receive any criticism without becoming anxious or defensive.
Yet, it still allows you to be the final judge of what you are going to do next.
19
If You Believe You Were In Error, Admit It.
If a problem was caused by you or by something you said or did, admit it and move on. Don’t get
defensive over something that you did or something that did not work out as you expected. By stating
your errors you will be able to recognize and accept your errors as errors, and once you accept the
error, you can move forward, rather than becoming bogged down in self-criticism. At the same time,
don’t be overly apologetic. Treat it as another learning experience.
Find Out What Changes On Your Part Would Most Help The Feedback Giver(s) Be More
Effective In Their Work.
Be sure to get clear from the givers exactly what they are asking you to do differently. If there are
several things, ask them which are the most important.
My notes
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
20
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
21