Assignments on
Feedback
Matching the Columns
1. Sugar coating A. Creates positive communication
climate and better employee relationships
2. Model B. Ability to accept and use feedback
3. Paraphrasing C. Acknowledgements to what other
people have to say
4. Feedback responsiveness D. Makes feedback less acceptable
5. Feedback receptiveness E. Restating another person’s
statement
6. Feedback F. Feedback behavior.
Answers:
1.) D
2.) F
3.) E
4.) C
5.) B
6.) A
1. Using feedback appropriately can lead to _______.
a. Angry discussions with employees
b. Less message distortion but greater information inaccuracy
c. Bonuses and raises
d. Less message
distortion and greater information accuracy
2. Feedback receptiveness is _______.
a. Most often verbal in nature
b. The ability to give feedback to other people’s messages
c. The
ability and willingness to receive incoming feedback from others
d. Not necessary for mangers, only employees.
3. Several effective feedback techniques are ______.
a. Giving advice unsolicited and not worrying about timing
b. Knowing all behavior is changeable and being as blunt as possible
c. Describe,
don’t evaluate and be specific, not general
d. Sugar coating negative comments and focusing on at least two issues.
4. The ability and willingness to give feedback to other peoples’ messages is _______.
a. Called feedback
responsiveness
b. A poor management style
c. A way to undermine employees confidence in you
d. Called feedback receptiveness
5. Examples of good non-verbal feedback cues are _______.
a. a frown, no eye-contact
b. a head nod, a
quizzical look
c. shoulder shrugs, thumbs down
d. shaking your head, looking down
6. _______ and _______ are two primary functions of feedback for a manager.
a. A sign to others
you have attended to their concerns and to learn more about those concerns and needs.
b. A sign to others that you are doing your job well and don’t need help from others
c. A sign to others that you are a good person and to learn whose fault the problem was
d. A sign to others that you know every thing and they need to watch their step.
a. Ask too many questions
b. use non-judgmental language
c. talk about their families
d. use evaluative
language
8. Direct the feedback toward behavior that is _______.
a. offensive to everyone
b. changeable
c. only annoying to you
d. unchangeable but disagreeable
9. Paraphrasing involves _______.
a. More than repetition
b. Understanding
c. Interpretation
d. All of the above
10. Non-talkers are _______.
a. not worth trying to pry information out of
b. just as
important to get feedback from as talkers
c. merely disagreeable people
d. offended by attempts to get them to talk
Summary
Feedback is an
essential component of effective communication. Using feedback appropriately can
lead to less message distortion and greater accuracy in the information that you send and
receive. It can also help to establish a more positive communication climate and
better relationships with your employees.
Feedback consists of the messages we send to a person (or a
group) which gives that person information about how we react to their messages and how
that person affects others. Feedback helps others consider and alter their behavior and
thus better achieve their goals. Additionally, feedback is central to building
understanding and establishing trust, two of the cornerstones of effectively communicating
with employees.
1. _______ Modeling feedback is a good way to encourage feedback from employees.
2. _______ Feedback is an indispensable component of communication.
3. _______ Feedback responsiveness is most useful when it is verbal.
4. _______ When providing feedback, you are sending messages about how you feel about other people.
5. _______ Employees always know when they are doing a job well.
6. _______ Effective feedback techniques helps develop more trusting relationships.
7. _______ Evaluative language reduces the need for employees to respond defensively.
8. _______ General feedback is more useful and less offensive.
9. _______ Sugar coating bad news is part of the Mum effect.
10. ______ Paraphrasing provides a way of checking differences in the message.
Answers:
1.) T
2.) T
3.) T
4.) T
5.) F – they need to hear it
6.) T
7.) F – increases defensiveness
8.) F – specific allows individual to know exactly what behavior is to be considered
9.) T
10.) T
Bracey, Hiller; Rosenblum, Jack; Sanford, Aubrey (1993). Managing From the Heart, DTP.
Collins, Michelle Leduff, (2000). The Thin Book of 360 Feedback: A
Manager’s
Guide, Thin Book Publishing.
Jerome, Paul J., (1999). Coaching Through Effective Feedback: A Practical
Guide
to Successful Communication, John Wiley & Sons.
Lepsinger,
Richard; Lucia, Antoinette D., (1997). Art and Science of 360-
Degree Feedback, Jossey-Bass.
Stone, Douglas; Patton, Bruce, (2000). Difficult Conversations: How to
Discuss What Matters Most, Penguin Paper.
Mum effect: the tendency of people to dislike hearing or giving bad news.
Sugar coating: making negative information less negative or adding positive information into the message so that it doesn’t seem quite so bad. This tends to create mixed messages and the receiver often discounts or disbelieves the positive information.
Cornerstone: the indispensable and fundamental basis for something.
1. Paraphrasing seems like it is just a reiteration of things that have
already been said. Why say them again?
Use of paraphrasing provides the speaker with a good indication of how you interpret what he or she is saying. Paraphrasing involves more than just repetition. You are trying to check your understanding and interpretation of what another person actually had to say against what they actually meant.
2. Why is it important to get non-talkers to talk? Wouldn’t they just
prefer to remain silent?
Some people are not comfortable expressing ideas and feelings or it may be culturally unacceptable to do so. Yet you need to know if what you have said has been understood, especially instructions for completing a task. Also employees feel more valuable if their thoughts and concerns are taken into consideration and will be more motivated to do their best.
3. How will effective feedback techniques help my management style?
These techniques will help you develop more effective and trusting relationships with your team members. While everyone will not always like the feedback you provide, providing considerate, direct and honest feedback will help create a more productive working climate.