COIN

Model to give feedback effectively:

• context: the situation, event or issue that you want to discuss
• observation: specific, factual descriptions of what has happened and exploration and alignment on the why with the team member
• impact: how the situation affects others in the team or in the organization (in a positive or negative way)
• next steps: a clear agreement on the changes or improvements in behavior or performance that you expect going forward (in the event of a constructive feedback)

Tip

Feedback should be:

• Specific: based on facts, creative, unique
• Structured: to maximize the effectiveness of the feedback’s impact on the receiver
• Given with courage and respect, with the intention to help the receiver grow
• Accurate: given to right person, for a situation that actually happened and was observed first-hand
• Timely: given in a reasonable amount of time after the situation is observed
• Actionable: suggests an action plan

AAA model to receive feedback

• Active listening: avoid interrupting, stay silent until the person is done making their point.
• Appreciation: thank the person who had the courage to give the feedback.
• Acknowledgement: you don’t need to agree or to accept the position of the giver. Acknowledging does not mean agreeing. Focus on the reception by:
  • taking the point,
  • if needed, rephrasing, asking questions to specify, saying how it makes you feel.