Principle 7 Feedback and CPD

Feedback is a way of helping reassure, boost confidence, encourage and motivate your group. Everyone wants to know that they are progressing and what they have achieved. The feedback that you provide should always be constructive and motivational.

Feedback should always be a two-way process, allowing for a discussion to take place to clarify any points. Most people need this as a form of encouragement, to be told when they are doing something well and why. When giving feedback it can really help to clarify what has worked well first, then move on to the improvement area and end this on a positive note. This helps to keep them motivated and is known as the praise sandwich.

When giving feedback this must be well intended and considered before delivery and there is no such thing as good and bad feedback. Feedback is a positive tool used to both recognise something done well and to provide an opportunity to develop. Therefore feedback is referred to as ‘motivational’ and ‘developmental’.

Feedback is a given from one person to another, remember that if a person didn’t want you to improve, they would not take the time to give you feedback in the first place.

When giving feedback you need to be clear in the examples that you give and consistent with the information given. Always begin with something positive and provide tangible examples of good performance. This is to ensure that the learner feels like the feedback isn’t just about raising problems.

When giving development feedback try to give this on something that you have observed, use the word ‘I’ an example would be ‘I feel that….’ Or ‘I have observed you…’
A good tip is to ask the learner, how they feel about the issue that you wish to discuss before you give your feedback.

It’s best to use feeling words such as appreciate, relieved, rather than judgmental words such as good, bad, right and wrong.

You should always request feedback following a session that you have delivered, this will enable you to continually improve your delivery. As the receiver of feedback, you need to appreciate that the feedback is based on the opinion of that person and that something you have done has made them feel that way. Feedback is personal and you have no right to disagree with the feelings and thoughts of another person.

Once you have given this feedback focus on what you want to see going forward and that you want to move on from any previous issues.

Giving feedback is not difficult if you follow the rules of considering your response and how to structure conversations before you attempt to have these discussions.

Continuing professional development or CPD can be anything that you can do to help you improve your practice. There are constant changes in everything so you need to keep current with the rules and regulations of presentation skills.
CPD can be completed in a number of ways such as attending further training seminars, subscribing to websites, completing eLearning packages, reading books and attending meetings.