What kind of feedback do you give?

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Quiz Questions

1.
How would you describe your go-to feedback style?
- A.
  The compliment sandwich. Sure, you’ll give feedback. But you think it’s easier to deliver and receive when it’s padded by plenty of praise.
- B.
  The seagull. You’re a big fan of constructive criticism, and you’ll drop it on people anytime and anywhere — whether they asked for it or not.
- C.
  The matter-of-fact master. You know there’s great value in giving feedback, but you also know there’s such a thing as the right time, place, and delivery. You try your best to be honest, without being unnecessarily harsh.
- D.
  The misleader. Whether it’s ill-intentioned or not, you typically find yourself skipping out on giving hard-to-hear feedback — even if you know your silence could come back to bite the other person.
2.
Your colleague is preparing for a big presentation and does a run-through with you. You respond with…
- A.
  A laundry list of things that she should change and improve upon (even if they don’t deal directly with the presentation). You know it’s hard for her to hear, but you’d hate for her to embarrass herself.
- B.
  Tons of compliments and plenty of reassurance that the presentation is flawless as-is, despite the fact you noticed a couple of places that need improvement.
- C.
  A few pieces of constructive feedback smooshed in between plenty of compliments and adoration. You know how hard she worked on that presentation, and you don’t want her to feel bad about it.
- D.
  Some direct and honest feedback about some areas that you think still need some work, and why you think those additions will make her presentation even better.
3.
You’ve noticed that one of your colleagues isn’t pulling his weight on a team project, and you’ve even overheard other team members gossiping about how much he’s slacking. What do you do next?
- A.
  Join in on the gossipy conversations about his lack of participation, without ever addressing your colleague directly. After all, it’s not your job to manage his performance and this is a chance to bond with your other team members.
- B.
  Approach your colleague in a private setting to check in on how he’s doing and directly call attention to some of the issues you and other team members have had.
- C.
  Cover for that non-contributing team member by taking over his tasks for the project. It’s obvious that he wasn’t going to get them done, and you wanted to be helpful.
- D.
  Call out your colleague in a team meeting and give everybody a chance to air out their complaints about his lack of contributions.
4.
In your mind, great feedback is feedback that’s…
- A.
  Timely and honest. You think feedback is most impactful when it’s delivered immediately, rather than stewing on it for days, weeks, or months. You also believe in being direct, but never brutal.
- B.
  Positive and praise-filled. You believe that not enough emphasis gets placed on the things that people are doing right at work, and you like to call attention to the positives.
- C.
  Prevalent and blunt. The more feedback the better, as far as you’re concerned. You’re never shy about pointing out flaws and shortcomings, regardless of if the topic at hand impacts you or not.
- D.
  Subtle and self-preserving. A little white lie never hurt anybody, right? Feedback is tough to deliver, and you have the tendency to paste on a smile and act like everything is peachy — but you might complain about it later.
5.
What’s one question you like to ask yourself before offering feedback?
- A.
  How will this feedback impact how other people perceive me?
- B.
  What other feedback have I been meaning to offer this person?
- C.
  How is this feedback helpful to the other person?
- D.
  How will this feedback impact my relationship with this person?

Quiz Outcomes

1.
You've mastered the art of radical candor.
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When it comes to giving feedback, you’re doing all the right things. You strike the delicate balance between caring personally and challenging directly. Your feedback is helpful and humble, and your team members place a lot of trust in your two cents as a result.Read on to learn about other feedback styles you may encounter at work.
2.
You're falling victim to ruinous empathy.
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Delivering feedback is tough, especially when you fear that it might negatively impact your relationship with somebody you like and respect. Unfortunately, your desire to avoid rocking the boat often prevents you from giving important (yet not-so-fun to hear) feedback to people who really need it. Read on to learn about how to improve your feedback approach.
3.
You tiptoe into obnoxious aggression.
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Feedback should be honest, but not necessarily harsh. That’s a balance that you haven’t mastered quite yet. You tend to ground your feedback in facts. And, while that’s a good thing, it means you don’t always think about the more personal side of the equation — like how your criticism will be received, or if it’s even the right time, place, or audience.Read on to learn about how to improve your feedback approach.
4.
You avoid conflict with manipulative insincerity.
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In the heat of the moment, you struggle to deliver feedback. Whether it’s unintentional or blatant deceitfulness, you keep your lips zipped — even when you know you have some constructive criticism that could really help that other person. This helps you avoid awkward scenarios in the short-term, but only damages your work relationships and trust in the long-run.Read on to learn about how to improve your feedback approach.