How to give feedback so people will listen
When you share your ideas it helps your whole team perform better. But, it doesn’t really matter how good your ideas are if you can’t get other people to listen to them.
At Asana we want all teams to work together effortlessly, and so we think about the best ways to give feedback a lot. Here are some things we’ve learned.
Give the feedback that you’re uniquely qualified to give. Maybe hold back on the rest.
Think about your reason for why you want to give feedback, why you’re the right person to give that feedback, and then make sure that your reason and credibility are clear. That will help the receiver understand the full context and not get overwhelmed with too many cooks in the kitchen.
For example, if I’m sitting in design crit, I don’t need to repeat feedback that someone else has already shared. Other times, it’s my responsibility to represent a voice who’s not in the room and I need to make sure it’s clear who I’m representing.
Sometimes I’m the right person because I’ve worked on the problem before — but the other person doesn’t know that. It’s important that I explain my context so other people understand why my feedback is credible. I’ll let people know I’ve done this before so they realize it’s more than just a blind opinion.
Frame your feedback for your audience
It’s tempting to tell people the solutions you would have chosen, but it’s usually not the most effective approach. People sometimes brush off solutions too quickly because of tiny details, and they miss the overall point of your feedback. Instead, can you give feedback in terms of frameworks or principals rather than specific solutions?
Also, remember to draw your feedback back to their goals. This helps in 2 ways:
