Feedback can be such a divisive word.   

Various connotations exist when the word is mentioned.  Our past experiences can impact how we feel about feedback.  A great feedback experience may have you feeling very positive about feedback, whereas a negative experience may have you avoiding most if not all feedback conversations, whether it’s you providing the feedback or receiving it. 

Here’s the thing about giving feedback. 

If we think about our feedback intention, we are likely to be clear, intentional, and more purposeful with our feedback. 

It’s like buying a gift for someone we really care about.  The more thought we put into it, the better the chances of our gift being well received.  Why?  We’ve really considered the needs of the person.  We have thought about their interests, what they like, and what they would use.  With feedback, it’s the same.  What are their preferences, what do they respond best to, and how can we deliver a feedback message that they are more likely to use, rather than banish to the bottom draw.   

Being clear about your intention in relation to feedback will help your message to be really heard.   

What does this look like?  Here are six ideas and questions to help you deliver feedback with more intent.

🚀 Inform 

When we inform, we are sharing information.  Who are you seeking to inform?  Are you delivering feedback on what you know, what you have experienced, both, and neither of these?  What is the purpose of you informing this person about the feedback? 

🚀 Inoculate 

Inoculations can be worthwhile, but they can also hurt and leave a lingering feeling at the inoculation site.  They can protect and mitigate the risk of harm down the track.  Is your intention to protect?  To provide a word of caution?  What are you seeking to protect the person you are giving feedback to from? 

🚀 Influence 

To influence, is to engage and ideally have the person do what you would like them to do.  It’s not to manipulate, but rather have them come around to your way of thinking.  Is your feedback being delivered to influence?  What would you like to influence the person about? 

🚀 Impact 

Impact occurs when something strikes something else and creates a changed state.  What impact are you intending to have through your feedback?  Did you consider that your feedback would have an impact?  Is it the impact you intended?   

🚀 Initiate 

Initiate. To start something.  Are you being brave and initiating feedback so the person can be aware of something that are not currently aware of.  Are you initiating a discussion that has previously been undiscussable?  Are you looking to provoke a change? 

🚀 Irritate  

When something is irritating it can cause some discomfort and even inflammation.  It results in irritation, either invisible or visible.  In any case it creates an impact.  Are you seeking to create or cause irritation?  What are you anticipating about the follow-on actions from the irritation? Whilst to irritate may not be the intention to have, the way we deliver feedback can inadvertently irritate, and reduce the possibility of our message being heard. 

Considering your feedback intention, increases the chance of your feedback being heard and understood.  When we consider our feedback intention, we have a greater opportunity of creating greater levels of trust and connection with the person we are providing feedback to and a greater likelihood of them being willing to hear and understand our feedback next time. 

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