Unfortunately, this hypocrisy will soon get most group leaders in trouble. Participants soon learn that their suggestions are being ignored, hence build up even more resentment than if they were never asked for their feedback in the first place. Unless the meeting is being convened on a one-time basis, with people who will never work together again, it is better to be honest about a lack of interest in feedback than to fake it.
In starting a meeting in which ideas are being discussed (rather than one in which information is being conveyed and members are expected to be passive), it is essential that members of the group at least briefly candidly talk about the kind of feedback, if any, that is desired and about the best time for this feedback to be solicited. There are at least five different kinds of feedback that can be given:
- Corrective Feedback: Information suggesting that a specific course of action is not desirable because of a specific undesirable outcome that can be anticipated, for example: “I don’t think you should hire John. This would alienate the entire department.”
- Diagnostic Feedback: Information suggesting why a specific course of action has been or will be successful or unsuccessful, for example: “I think Susan is frustrated with your work because you keep promising things that you can’t deliver!”
- Corroborative Feedback: Information that confirms and at times expands upon a specific suggestion that has been offered, for example: “I think this idea is good for the following three reasons. . . “
- Descriptive Feedback: Information that conveys to another person the nature of their specific behavior in some setting as observed by another person, for example: “You have been less active in this group’s discussion during the past half hour than you were during the first hour.”
- Judgmental Feedback: Information concerning a group member’s own opinion of a suggestion that has been made, including, at times, a rationale for this opinion, for example: “I don’t think this is a good idea for it will prevent us from reaching our affirmative action goal.”
