Purpose of Feedback (Nursing)

00:02 Consider the last time that you received great feedback at work.

00:08 What made that feedback excellent? One of the powerful elements of great feedback is knowing the purpose.

00:18 So, you must first identify why you are getting performance feedback in the first place.

00:25 As you better understand your purpose of feedback, you can better frame your feedback structure to achieve optimum results.

00:35 Feedback has several purposes.

00:38 Today, I will share the 3 main purposes of performance feedback.

00:43 So, here are some tools and mindsets to help you identify the purpose of your performance feedback.

00:52 One purpose of performance feedback is to reinforce good behavior.

00:58 This encouraging feedback goes far beyond good job.

01:04 Effective encouraging feedback allows the feedback receiver to understand what was done well and why the behavior or outcome is desired.

01:18 While good job, well done, and keep up the good work all sound nice, the person receiving the feedback will not know what should be repeated in the future to get another good job.

01:33 When giving encouraging feedback, I want you to clearly state what behavior or outcome was desired and why it had a positive impact.

01:46 If John has done a great job providing excellent care to his patients by clearly communicating timelines, expectations, and adding personalized conversation, then you might say "John, great job on clearly communicating timelines, expectations, and adding personalized conversation with your patients.

02:08 The patient satisfaction scores and comments have reflected the excellent patient experience you are providing." Now, John knows that the desired impact is excellent patient service.

02:24 He knows that he is encouraged to continue in his clear communication.

02:29 He also might be encouraged to expand and adjust to other approaches to improve the patient experience.

02:38 The simple model for encouraging feedback is "what, why." This means what is the desired action, behavior, attitude that you want repeated.

02:50 And next, I want you to clarify why. Why was that action, attitude, or behavior desired? What was the positive impact? So, be intentional to give effective encouraging feedback using this what and why model.

03:10 Another purpose of feedback is to correct undesired behavior.

03:16 If John is constantly behind in patient care with subpar effort resulting in unpleasant experiences, you will probably have a conversation to discuss the undesired behavior.

03:31 Start with seeking understanding and intent.

03:35 Truly seek understanding and intent and ask genuine questions.

03:41 Then, move into the corrective feedback.

03:45 Corrective performance feedback is used to discourage undesired behavior.

03:51 In this situation, I want you to address the undesired behavior or outcome and then discuss the impact of the undesired behavior or outcome.

04:04 Essentially, you are communicating the first layer of what and why.

04:10 What was undesired and why was that undesired? In contrast from encouraging feedback, with corrective feedback I want you to do this what-why model twice. Don't stop.

04:26 After you clarify with facts what was undesired and why it was undesired, I want you to work with the individual to identify an alternative, more preferred action or outcome and then discuss the impact of the altered action.

04:45 So, what didn't work? Why did it not work? What is preferred? and Why is that more preferred? Here, the person can walk away from the conversation with a very clear idea of what to do to improve.

05:00 To be unclear is to be unkind and this is an opportunity for you to be very clear in the conversation.

05:09 Clarify the action sets and then follow up from the conversation.

05:15 A final purpose of performance feedback is to coach or improve upon behavior.

05:22 If John had provided quality care to the patients but the family felt like he was unapproachable for questions, then this could lead to a coaching conversation.

05:35 In coaching feedback, use the same framework as corrective feedback with an altered approach.

05:43 First, identify what happened. These are the things that were both effective and ineffective.

05:52 Then clarify why those actions or outcomes were effective or ineffective and their impact.

06:00 After that, I want you to move into the next level of what and why.

06:05 What is an alternative action that John can take in the future to further improve his patient care? Why would the alternative actions be more effective? What would be the impact? Preferably corrective feedback conversations can later be followed up with coaching conversations for continuous improvement.

06:30 The purpose of our feedback dramatically affects the manner in which we deliver our feedback.

06:37 So, here's what I want you to do.

06:40 Look at the feedback that you give in your team and determine the purpose of your feedback.