Feedback: A Technique for Developing Project Teams?

Feedback: A Tool in Developing Project Teams?

By Samuel Lartey, Project Manager.

It is always my delight to inspire my project teams. In all my hard work I had come to realization that one important means of inspiring teams is through giving feedback and be receptive in receiving of feedback from your team. It is about giving and taking.

Let me commence by saying that feedback can be looked at in diverse behaviors. It can be a criticism, or an advise. It may well also be a pointer, an opinion or a view. Again it possibly will be a reaction, comment or it an impression of an action. Hope you will agree with me that success and failure are all feedback of a choosy action. In the same way is telling a colleague or team member the effect, results and consequences of his actions on you. In all instances, feedback should be given and received in a matured, receptive and professional manner.

Every single project has a number of stakeholders- people whose interest will be affected- in the discharge of the project. It is for this reason that various opinions, actions, views and criticisms crop up in the discharge of the endeavor; usually in the quest to meet the exact customer specifications and expectations. In reality, however most team members tend to take offence by the actions of their colleagues, superiors and subordinates whose demands and actions may contravene theirs.

In managing such situations, it is recommended that stakeholders, givers, takers and teams become aware of the skills required in delivering and receiving the feedback. Whether giving or receiving, it must be timely and must be suitable. The giver must choose the moments, setting and package to suit the occasion. I remember when I had to wrap a birthday card to a female friend-a friend who is lost the relationship some year’s past-; unconscious of the effects of my actions I did so with a Happy Wedding Celebration wrapper. Regrettably my action sparked up great disgruntlement in this friend. I have since sworn and promised the world I will never repeat such an action. I gained my feedback.

In giving feedback ask yourself the following questions. Is it a Motivational Feedback or a Developmental Feedback? Motivational feedbacks are meant to encourage, give confidence, cheer, applaud, inspire, and motivate the receiver. It tells the receiver the good and excellent impact his actions had sparked up.

It is developmental when on the other hand this actions or reactions are negative, unenthusiastic, unconstructive, depressing, off putting and unhelpful.

Whatever the case may be, giving feedback must be a simple practice. Be able to tell the receiver the exact actions, events, performances and examples that you see as motivational or developmental. If it is encouraging tell him you have a motivational feedback to share and if it is developmental just say so. Tell the effect of the action on you; how the actions affected you and make a recommendation. Recommend whether that action needs to be continued, improved or changed.