Wie passen Sie das Feedback an verschiedene Kontexte an?

Consider the relationship: The nature of my relationship with the individual influences the tone and directness of my feedback. For close colleagues, I may be more informal and direct, while with new acquaintances, I might be more cautious and supportive. Assess the situation: The urgency and severity of the issue also impact my feedback style. For urgent matters, I prioritize immediate communication, while for less pressing concerns, I might take a more deliberate approach. Cultural sensitivity: I am mindful of cultural differences and adjust my feedback style accordingly.

Consider the cultural background and communication style of the recipient. Different cultures may have varying norms around giving and receiving feedback, so it's important to be mindful of these differences. For example, some cultures may value direct and explicit feedback, while others may prefer a more indirect and implicit approach.

In cross-cultural contexts, understanding and appreciating diverse cultures and individual personalities are crucial when providing feedback. Each team member is likely to interpret the same feedback differently, emphasizing the need for carefully crafted communication. It's vital to blend respect and a positive outlook, even when delivering critical feedback. Emphasizing that every challenge is a step toward growth can ensure that feedback is both constructive and encouraging. This approach helps ensure that feedback fosters development and positive change, supporting a future where all team members feel valued and understood.

Preparing the physical context of feedback is one important step to consider in the planning stage of giving feedback. Questions I often ask myself, where do I feel comfortable when giving/receiving feedback in the office. For giving feedback online the timing is highly important factor. Some short feedback can be done in the later afternoon, for a complex social topic the morning might be better.

Consider why you personally value feedback, what is the key expectation you have from this process. Ask yourself whether your vis-a-vis has the same idea? What if you believe that feedback is a tool to help you find areas for improvement, but the person in front of you thinks that the key purpose of feedback is to help you understand your strengths and build on it? Don't read people minds... Ask them... In the beginning of your conversation agree on the objectives and the structure of your meeting. And make sure that you have a dialogue: give the other person time to talk.

Always consider cultural aspects during preparation to feedback conversation. Many of us know about cultures where people value direct feedback and the cultures where this type of feedback could be considered as rudeness. Also think about power distance: in the countries with high power distance subordinates are not "allowed" to talk during feedback and they are shy if asked to give a feedback to their managers. When providing a positive feedback consider individualistic and collectivist countries. Does your vis-a-vis consider personal achievements as important as team success? Is it OK to talk about individual input into team results? And, there are reserved and expressive cultures to manage emotional background during the conversation.

During my 30+ Years working as Head of HR in Top 500 Companies, I found that the cultural context is key to understand people's behavior. One word in Spanish may have a total different meaning in each country. So yo have to be very careful and, before reacting to a situation, try to understand the cultural background to secure you put everything in perspective before reacting. People in Mexico, Argentina, Chile or Colombia may all speak Spanish but, certainly, their cultural background is completely different. I used to say in my teams: "We all speak Spanish, but sometimes we don't understand ourselves." So don't over react, understand, put into cultural perspective and then take action!

This is a very popular approach but may be risky. I saw many people get lost in this approach and ended up erasing people rather than giving tough feedback. I honestly prefer to go straight to the issue that is bothering you, being respectful and empathetic with your people. Be clear on the behaviours or actions that are bothering you, give space to the other person to ask questions and clarify the situation, and then agree on next steps to avoid them. Being straight, respectful and empathetic secures that the message is clear to the other person and you can then agree on ways to improve it. The sandwich method may lead you to undesired results. be careful with it.

I agree that the conversation needs to start positively or even casually. People need to feel save before receiving feedback. Only within a save space we are receptive without feeling attacked or put on the spot. Therefore, preparing the scene is very important. Some people appreciate an elaborate communication before the feedback already. Giving a short agenda or topic that will be discussed during the feedback conversation can be quite helpful.

I completely agree with this part. Worst thing that may happen is that both parties leave the room believing that they reach an agreement and...they don't. So making questions to confirm the understanding and securing the common ground on the topic are key to make a feedback sessions successful.

Do not fall into the trap of believing that the perspective and practices of the country/culture/context you are coming from are the indisputable best in the new place and situation. Sounds simple, but is quite natural to stay on that high horse and believe that what we know is best, and to attempt to transfer and inject wherever we go. Sometimes what is unfamiliar works well in its place for reasons that will reveal themselves with time as one gains cultural understanding.

I believe that a gender perspective is a quite important factor for feedback too. LGBTQIA+ communities are often underrepresented or not considered carefully enough when preparing feedback. Giving feedback in a wrong way can trigger and affect the well being of individuals struggling with marginalization and underrepresentation. Here also the mental health of the receiver should be considered carefully. A colleague struggling with their mental health must be approached accordingly, potentially with guidance from an expert consultant or a close colleague.

Adjusting feedback to cultural contexts requires a nuanced understanding. For high-context cultures, where indirect communication is valued, feedback should be delivered subtly, perhaps embedded within positive affirmations or stories. For low-context cultures, where directness is appreciated, feedback should be straightforward and explicit. Moreover, language proficiency matters; ensure clarity and avoid jargon if the receiver isn't fluent in the language used. Adapting your feedback style to suit cultural and linguistic contexts promotes a better understanding and respectful communication and enhances interpersonal relationships in diverse settings.