Top 10 Traits of Effective Feedback for Physician Business Owners

What’s it like to have a boss, a colleague or a spouse bark some snide or unflattering comment at you, in response to something you have done? I bet it puts you in a bad mood for a while!

We are all in a position to provide, and accept, feedback multiple times a day. This is part of the normal give-and-take of interpersonal communication. As a physician business owner and entrepreneur, you are a leader. One of your key responsibilities is the development of your support team to its highest level of performance. To accomplish this, you will need an intimate understanding of your business’s operations, clear interpersonal communication about roles and responsibilities, and lots of productive feedback. You will also need to interact with vendors, colleagues and even customers with the same clarity.

Imagine being able to shape the results you want by reacting to others in ways that enlighten them, leave their self-esteem intact, and permit you to tell courageous truths!

Providing constructive feedback can be done effectively by following a few guidelines. Here are the top 10 traits of effective feedback:

1. It is timely. Don’t separate the feedback too far from the event, otherwise it loses its impact.

2. It is consistent. Give feedback, both positive and negative, at regular rather than sporadic intervals. A meaningful annual performance review will then contain no surprises — you will have kept your staff apprised of their performance throughout the entire year, and the annual review will be a mere human resources formality.

3. It is specific. Don’t point out all of the person’s deficiencies when you are providing feedback about a specific situation. Stay focused on the issue at hand. This is no time for “you always say/do ...”

4. It is descriptive, not evaluative. Describe your observations and leave out your interpretations and judgments. Say: “I notice that you have missed the last three meetings, what’s that all about?” rather than “You don’t seem to care about the project because... ”

5. It avoids emotional “digs.” When you are angry, it is tempting to use biting sarcasm or nasty comments. Don’t!

6. It is directed at the behaviors or results, not at the person. It is not: “You are lazy/top notch/an idiot.” Instead, say: “That work was not up to our standards/that exceeded our expectations because you tackled it so speedily.”

7. It shows empathy. Try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes and understand his/her feelings. Ask powerful questions such as, “I imagine hearing this might be tough for you. How’s this making you feel?”

8. It is candid without being brutal. You can be very candid if you share observations, direct your feedback at the behaviors you have noted, and demonstrate empathy.

9. It is appropriate. Make the feedback appropriate to the situation and avoid exaggeration or generalization.

10. It is meaningful. Make your feedback useful to the person receiving it. Clarify your expectations and requests to avoid any misunderstandings. Let your listener know exactly what is expected next time. Don’t make the other person read your mind!

As you can guess, these guidelines work not only for employees, but for all the people in our lives — except perhaps in cases of severe adolescence. Practice giving effective feedback at home, and then put your new skill to work in the business. Your staff will thank you for it!

Philippa Kennealy, MD, MPH, CPCC, PCC, is a certified physician business coach and president of The Entrepreneurial MD. She helps physician entrepreneurs thrive, and can be reached at www.entrepreneurialMD.com or philippa@entrepreneurialMD.com.

Attend The Entrepreneurial MD’s free monthly Business Development teleclasses. Register at www.entrepreneurialMD.com/classes/.

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