Giving feedback to colleagues or direct reports may have been one of the few things you always did in person. However, we now live in a different world. Because of the pandemic, many leaders and team members must be absent from the office at all times. It used to be simple to organize a regular or pop-up feedback conversation over lunch or an in-office meeting when you could make eye contact and assess body language. You’ll have to rely on a phone call or a video tool now.

In this blog article, we’ll discuss what makes feedback constructive, as well as why it’s crucial in remote teams now more than ever.

Establish a secure environment

Before getting down to business, one of the first stages of delivering feedback is to create a secure environment by engaging as a human being. Make contact with your personnel and inquire about their progress. This will foster a sense of security and trust. As a result, they’ll be more receptive to your suggestions. Regular team-building exercises can also help your staff feel comfortable offering and accepting feedback. This will assist your employees to become accustomed to approaching remote work with the same seriousness as office work.

“Sandwiches” with Feedback

If you’ve never heard of a feedback sandwich, it’s a simple way for providing positive criticism to your employee without discouraging them. Mix positive (compliments) and negative comments to achieve this. This demonstrates to your employee that you aren’t trying to get them, but instead want the best for them. This method can assist in keeping your personnel motivated. It also makes them feel more at ease when you give them criticism.

The Best Policy Is Honesty

One of the most common mistakes managers do when offering critical feedback is sugarcoating it to “soften the blow.” This will only injure you, your employee, and the company, as well as negatively impact employee performance. Always be upfront and honest about what you want to say. It is critical for your employee’s professional development to be honest, even with severely harsh remarks. As a result, ensuring business growth is critical.

Use the video for sensitive information

When delivering feedback, body language is really important. When giving feedback to an employee, here is when things get sticky. Always use video when giving feedback, especially when dealing with sensitive information. There are several video conferencing systems available thanks to technological advancements that allow you to engage with your staff in real-time. It’s also a good idea to store some of your video chats in a reliable video hosting service for future reference and training. Your team members’ video call check-ins should be efficient and productive.

Consistently schedule feedback

Managers who want to develop the habit of giving consistent feedback frequently fall into the trap of giving feedback that is either disruptive, not constructive or both. Unannounced feedback is an example of disruptive feedback. Remember that, despite its many advantages, feedback is still not a process that employees love. As a result, it is preferable to arrange feedback ahead of time. Allow employees to mentally prepare for what is about to happen (even if it is unlikely to be frightening). Otherwise, even if your feedback is constructive and well-received, it will inevitably cause them to lose time.

Conclusion

If you have only one point to remember from this article, you need to do the following: Unless constructive, feedback is often better than no feedback at all. Working from home looks and feels different from traditional office culture. However, with the right tools, good communication, and good planning, you can foster a good remote work feedback-giving culture like the one at Donatix.