Blog, Pitang.

“The manager must be the gardener of an ecosystem that fosters the growth and development of each employee.” Isaac Getz

Arguing that feedback is important is stating the obvious. We could list several reasons here to defend this practice. Such as:

1. Keeps the team evolving;

2. Gives a sense of belonging and purpose;

3. Increases growth and happiness;

4. Unlocks change and innovation;

5. Feedback prevents teams from becoming discouraged.

Therefore, the question remains:

How can we provide constructive feedback to employees? How can we talk about areas for improvement in a respectful manner?

The Sandwich Feedback

Sandwich Feedback is a feedback technique that involves delivering positive feedback, followed by negative feedback, and finally, more positive feedback.

The idea is that negative feedback is "sandwiched" between two layers of positive feedback, so that the person feels motivated to improve after hearing the negative feedback, rather than feeling discouraged or defeated.

We describe the technique in detail:

1. First step - “Bottom Bread”

Start the conversation by emphasizing and appreciating the person's strengths. Remember that the goal is to improve a behavior or performance, and when commenting on something that didn't go well, use positive expressions. This will indicate that this “chat” will have an assertive outcome.

2. Second step - “Filling”

a) Describe what happened: what is the problem? Be clear about what, in the current behavior or performance, needs to be changed and why.

b) Describe the desired behavior: be specific. It is very important to make the expected performance or result clear.

c) Look for solutions together: making the necessary adjustments to execute the task may not be very simple. Help with guidance and suggestions, keeping in mind the expected end goal.

d) Reach an agreement: it is delicate to force the execution of the work in the way the leader deems appropriate or to act to change the employee's behavior. Therefore, it is important to help and encourage in the face of the proposed challenge, but never forget that they are the one who will perform the task.

3. Third step – “Close the sandwich”

Reinforce the positive points again. Demonstrate confidence in the possibility of success, improvement, and growth.

Notice that the filling, the tastiest part of the sandwich, emphasizes what is bad or, in other words, the unwanted behavior that needs to be improved.

Ending with positive points does not soften the other person's causality for the unwanted situation.

A better alternative to Sandwich Feedback: the Feedback Wrap.

Forget the sandwich feedback. It might make you feel good, but it doesn't help your team.

But why not eat “lighter” food?  

The Feedback Wrap is a feedback tool that helps organize and give meaning to your responses. It provides a structured way to answer questions about work, helping the person receiving the feedback provide valuable insights to improve their performance.

Write down the recipe:

Ingredient 1: Describe your context: start by offering context to increase understanding and appreciation of your situation from other people.

Ingredient 2: List your observations: you then offer observations – without pointing fingers – of specific examples and occasions. Having evidence is essential. People connect with real situations and not with vagueness.

Ingredient 3: Express your feelings: you let the recipient know how you feel about the facts, creating awareness of the impact of the facts on you, without blaming anyone in particular.

Ingredient 4: Explain the value: you explain your needs, as the recipient may simply not realize what is important to you.

Ingredient 5: Offer some suggestions: You allow the person to discover what needs to be done to close the gap between needs and facts, and you offer one or two suggestions to take things forward.

Notice that the “recipe” describes an appreciative script that leads the other person to their own conclusions, based on the feelings and values that the environment experiences and appreciates, while also allowing your coworker to decide how to act regarding the feedback.