Feedback Wrap

We all have different experiences and perceptions of situations. What is considered "common sense" to one person may not be obvious to others, and that's okay.

In teamwork, it's essential to create a space where it's safe to express your feelings, especially when something is wrong. After all, expressing gratitude is much easier and more enjoyable than sharing something negative, which, in turn, can hurt people's feelings.

What's the best way to approach handling feedback?"

The answer may lie in using the "Feedback Wrap" tool as a mature way to express your opinion without creating conflict.

Feedback Wrap is one of the tools of Management 3.0. Its essence is to use the following 5 rules:

1. Describe context
2. Share observations
3. Describe feelings
4. Share needs
5. Make a suggestion

Let's look at each step with examples.

Start by describing a context that will help the other person better understand the situation.

Example

"Last month there was a corporate training"

Share your observations - just the facts, no accusations.

Example

"The test results came in today, and unfortunately, not everyone took the test."

Share your feelings, making it clear how the facts have affected you. Again, without blaming.

Example

"This situation has upset me, I was hoping for more commitment from people."

Describe your needs, because the recipient may not know why this is important to you.

Example

"We can't start a new project until we have the necessary level of competence."

Allow fixing the situation to close the gap between needs and facts. Offer a couple of ideas on how to move forward.

Example

"How can we quickly remedy the situation? Is there anything I can do to help?"

Try to resolve conflicts early on, especially when working remotely.

Don't let the conflict manifest itself. If there's a problem on a remote team, it's important to point out the issue in a timely manner, without accusations, so the person knows how you feel.

Don't use text messages to exchange feedback. Call a person with your camera on, and talk through the difficulties you encountered.

Don't use text messages to share feedback.

Context

At the end of each month, we report on time spent on development, and yesterday was the deadline for November.

Observations

This morning, I saw in the report that not all work days are marked.

Feelings

I am concerned that we might have a miscommunication on this issue.

Needs

This is important to me because the whole team will not get paid on time if the report is not completed.

Proposal

Let's think together about what we can improve on the current process so that the data is submitted on time.