Feedback is a necessary input to keep the motivation momentum stable and upward trending. Feedback helps people understand how their actions and behaviors impact their work and relationships. By understanding their strengths and weaknesses through feedback received, people can focus on acquiring knowledge and abilities that will help them grow personally and professionally. It encourages dialogue, clarifies expectations, and helps people work together more effectively towards common goals. When given a candid feedback, it generates a signal of trust and appreciation. How candid are the feedback though?
“What you see in others is a reflection of yourself”
Seems like, neither you nor no one is a reliable rater of anyone. There is even a name for it in psychology: Idiosyncratic Rater Effect (IRE). According to IRE, the feedback about given by the rater about the ratee has a lot to do about the biases of the rater.
Despite your best intentions to be objective, the feedback you give as well is impacted heavily based on your unique perspective, shaped by their own experiences, biases, and expectations is influencing your judgments. Your judgment or perception of others reveal something about your own personality, values, experiences.
To ensure that feedback is effective and mitigates the influence of the idiosyncratic rater effect, it’s important to:
- Use specific examples to support the feedback
- Focus on behaviors, actions and deliveries rather than personal characteristics
- Seek multiple perspectives from multiple hierarchical roles to gain a more comprehensive view
- Encourage open dialogue and active listening
- Provide a balance of positive feedback and constructive criticism
- Create a psychologically safe environment where feedback is welcomed and valued
By embracing the importance of feedback while being mindful of the idiosyncratic rater effect, individuals and organizations can foster a culture of continuous learning, growth, and improvement. Effective feedback, delivered with care and objectivity, has the power to transform individuals, strengthen relationships, and drive positive change.
By being aware of the idiosyncratic rater effect and despite that embracing the importance of feedback, organizations and individuals can foster a culture of learning, growth and, improvement.