Giving feedback using the DESC model
Giving feedback effectively will have a real impact on your business
Everybody understands that performance feedback should be constructive, focused and to the point. Effective feedback can resolve conflicts, overcome problems and improve individual and team morale. It doesn’t really need mentioning that ineffective feedback often accomplishes the opposite. Or that if you are skilled at giving effective feedback, your team will be more motivated, which leads to better performance.
While feedback should focus on behavior, performance feedback is still a personal conversation between people about people. Emotions always play a part in interpersonal communication. Effective feedback is as much about bringing the right message(s) across as it is about how your message is interpreted.
No matter how skilled the feedback giver is, if the receiver isn’t interested in hearing or taking the feedback, nothing will get through.http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2014/03/05/douglas-stone-the-importance-of-feedback-in-business-communications/
The more difficult the feedback, the more the giver needs to consider the the emotional impact of the feedback. Giving positive feedback is easy.
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DESC is simple and it works
In our skills-based Leadership training, we use the simple 4-step model DESC for structuring feedback. Participants in our “Practical Toolbox for Managers” seminars often highlight DESC as one of the most valuable tools they are taking away. This model is designed to help you to get your message clear and it can even take the stress out of the feedback conversation for those of us that weren’t born with effective feedback-giving skills.
DESCRIPTION
Give an objective and concrete description of what you have observed using “I” statements.
EFFECT
Explain the effect or impact it had on your business, the team or its members. If the effect was an emotion, name it. Your body language and tone of voice will already be showing your elation or frustration – putting them out in the open can help you move things forward.
SOLUTION
Build the solution through a directive (“What I would like you to do next time is …”) or a participative approach (“What do you think we can do to avoid this next time?”).
CONCLUSION
Build a “contract of commitment”. Check your understanding of what has been agreed, and get commitment for the future.
This is a great model to follow and this order naturally brings participants to a conclusion at the end.
Here are some useful sentences I use for each stage of the model:
Description:
For me, this is about…
I’ve seen / noticed recently that you …
Effect / emotion:
To be honest, this makes me feel …
I’m afraid this made me very …
Solution:
How do you think we can solve this together?
Let’s think of a solution together.
Conclusion:
To summarise, you will X and I will Y.
Just to confirm, we are going to …
And most importantly, never lose your cool!