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feedback is the information that tells us how our others are experiencing us in terms of performance and behavior $($Kinicki$,2021).$ Feedback information can come from a variety of sources including co$-$workers, managers, results from a task, and even from ourselves. Feedback is crucial for two reasons. First, we learn from feedback because it validates what we are doing right and what we are doing that could be improved or be corrected. Second, feedback inspires us to keep going when the information recognizes successes and accomplishments $($Kinicki$,2021).$

I have received an abundance of both positive and negative feedback professionally and personally $($most$,$ not all, I have appreciated$).$ An example of positive feedback that I received recently was a telephone call from a previous client. He called to say thank you for the work that we did together relating to his leadership development and skills to have difficult conversations. Being more effective in this area has helped his team to improve their performance.

I received negative feedback after doing a presentation to a group of new supervisors a few years ago. It turns out that even after several planning and design meetings with the client beforehand, the results of the presentation did not meet their expectations. And while I was disappointed to hear about their assessment, the information helped me to better understand how to support the client in the future. In a nutshell, for me$,$ positive feedback says $$keep going and do more$$; negative feedback says $$it could be better; change it up$.$

There are a few important aspects to remember to ensure that feedback is delivered in an effective manner. First, feedback should be delivered in a timely fashion, which means that the information is shared as close to the time of the event as possible $($Kinicki$,2021).$ Second, feedback should focus on the behavior itself and how it makes a difference to goals or expectations. Third, feedback should not be $$fuzzy$$meaning$,$ feedback should be specific and not general in nature so that the one receiving the feedback has a clear understanding about how their behavior matters. Last, and my favorite point to remember, is that feedback should be honest $($Kinicki$,2021).$ It is not unusual for a manager to find it difficult to share constructive feedback when one of their direct reports is not meeting expectations. However, not being completely honest with feedback is doing more of a disservice to the individual and the organization, from my experience.

It is also important to remember a few key tips when on the receiving end of feedback information. Many times, the moment of receiving feedback is unexpected, and our first reaction after hearing the feedback is to defend our behavior or to explain the event itself $($Kinicki$,2021).$ The best approach, however, is to pause, listen, and take time to process the information $($Kinicki$,2021).$ Another valuable tip is to make plans to follow$-$up at a later date with the person who provided the feedback $($Pimeast US$,2016).$ The intent of this follow$-$up conversation would be to check in about improvements or changes that the recipient of the feedback is trying to make and to assess progress $($Primeast US$,2016).$