Why should you give feedback to your peers?

1 The purpose of feedback

Feedback is a way of communicating how someone's performance or behavior affects you, the task, or the team. It can be positive, negative, or neutral, depending on the situation and the intention. The purpose of feedback is not to criticize, judge, or praise, but to help the person improve, correct, or reinforce their actions. Feedback can also help you clarify expectations, align goals, and resolve conflicts.

2 The benefits of feedback

Giving feedback to your peers can benefit you in several ways. First, it can help you develop your own skills and knowledge by reflecting on what works and what doesn't, and by learning from others' perspectives and experiences. Second, it can help you build trust and rapport with your peers by showing that you care about their success and growth, and by creating a culture of mutual support and collaboration. Third, it can help you enhance your communication and interpersonal skills by practicing how to deliver feedback effectively and respectfully, and by receiving feedback from others.

3 The challenges of feedback

Giving feedback to your peers can also pose some challenges. You may feel uncomfortable, nervous, or reluctant to give feedback, especially if it is negative or if you are not confident in your own abilities. You may also face some resistance, defensiveness, or hostility from the person receiving the feedback, especially if they are not open to it or if they perceive it as an attack or a threat. You may also have difficulty finding the right time, place, and tone to give feedback, or balancing honesty and kindness.

5 The methods of feedback

When giving feedback to your peers, there are various methods to consider, depending on the context and the objective. You can use formal or informal methods, verbal or written methods, direct or indirect methods, or individual or group methods. For example, formal feedback can include performance reviews, assessments, evaluations, and surveys. Informal feedback may involve conversations, chats, emails, and messages. Verbal feedback can be done face-to-face, over the phone, through video call, or with a voice message. Written feedback can be given through text, documents, slides, diagrams, and code. Direct feedback involves stating your opinion explicitly and directly using "I" statements and "you" statements. Indirect feedback implies your opinion subtly and indirectly with questions, suggestions, and examples. Individual feedback focuses on one person's specific strengths and weaknesses. Group feedback addresses a group of people's common goals and challenges.

6 The feedback loop

The feedback loop is a process of giving and receiving feedback continuously and iteratively in order to improve performance and behavior over time. It involves four steps: planning what feedback to give, delivering it clearly and respectfully, observing and measuring the results, and adjusting or modifying your feedback based on the response. This cycle repeats until desired outcomes are achieved. Following the feedback loop ensures that your feedback is relevant, useful, and effective.

7 Here’s what else to consider

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