I have been a dancer since I could practically walk, but when I first auditioned for a ballet dance company (a form of dance I was a beginner in) and did not make it, I never wanted to dance again. However, that changed when my dance teacher came to me with constructive criticism. It encouraged me to celebrate my strengths, and think optimistically about my weaknesses.
Constructive criticism is given through a method deemed the "Feedback Sandwich Method." Essentially, this sandwich is layered in the following way: strength-weakness-strength. Don't focus only on the areas that can be improved, but let them know you notice the great things they do and want them to excel at their job. You can find all the nitty gritty of the Feedback Sandwich Method in this fantastic Linkedin article.
Here are some other helpful tips and attachments given by one of our awesome UPbook Specialists:
- After giving the first compliment, listen to one of their call recordings one-on-one (specifically one that can be improved) and ask what they may have done differently - this gives them the opportunity to think about how they can improve through their own knowledge versus just telling them.
- Write down action items that they can start doing to improve on their weak points. You can make this as specific as needed, even including dates to accomplish certain goals by.
- End on a positive note. You can reiterate the strength(s) already stated or you can summarize with additional strengths.
I encourage you to visit the UPbook Help Center for some great motivational techniques and team incentives. This idea of holding the meetings one-on-one and then perhaps showing how as a team they may help each other could also prove to be helpful.
Let us know if you have any special ways you like to improve as a team or would like to brainstorm more ideas with us!
