In every organization, feedback is an integral part of improving processes, developing people, and exploring workplace issues. The two-way interaction between those providing feedback and the individuals or teams receiving the feedback is complicated, sometimes difficult, but necessary. In intercultural situations, issues can be compounded by the differing cultural preferences and communication styles of both the providers and receivers.

What are some things to consider when preparing for feedback?

Feedback providers:

  • setting and timing
  • the purpose of the feedback
  • the delivery of the message*
  • the intention behind the message
  • the perception of, and working relationship with the receiver(s)
  • biases, assumptions
  • possible responses, reactions

Feedback receivers:

  • expectations of feedback (positive, negative)
  • potential verbal, nonverbal, and emotional responses to the feedback
  • the perception of, and working relationship with the provider
  • biases, assumptions
  • possible impacts, consequences, or next steps

*When giving feedback, the delivery of the message is arguably the most important element to consider. By sticking to one approach or treating feedback as a task rather than a chance for receivers to improve, you risk a reactive rather than a proactive result.

The following are three different ways to think about and provide feedback, each emphasizing a different approach that considers the receivers’ styles, preferences, and possible responses.

Appreciation recognizes and appreciates people and actions. It encourages people to keep doing good work, and builds commitment, trust, and motivation toward continuous (self) improvement.

  • “The team really appreciates the work you did on the project.”
  • “I’d like to acknowledge the work you did on the report.”

Coaching helps increase knowledge, skills, and development. It helps people discover better ways to do their work. This can be done through guided explanations, open-ended questions, or by encouraging self-reflection.

  • “I’d like to suggest some possible training programs so you can build your technical skills.”
  • “Where do you think you are at now with your understanding of the new process?”

Evaluation lets people know where they stand compared with some sort of standard. It aligns expectations, clarifies potential impacts and consequences.

  • “You’ve met your targets and the senior team believes you are on track for a promotion.”
  • “Your reports aren’t meeting the set criteria, and this is impacting our office’s ability to submit on time.”

Adapted from Stone, D., & Heen, S. (2014). Thanks for the feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well. Portfolio Penguin.

With these three feedback types in mind, let’s look at approaches we can take as feedback providers when taking into consideration different cultural value orientations.

Receiver orientation As the feedback provider, I should…
Individualist
  • Focus on their achievements.
  • Let them know where they may need to improve (evaluation).
  • Show appreciation for their individual contributions.
  • Give them an opportunity to provide input throughout the feedback session.
Collectivist
  • Focus on how they contribute to the group/organization.
  • Use a coaching style if delivering negative feedback.
  • Expect less input from their side, but encourage two-way (‘we’) communication.
High-power distance
  • Let them know where they stand in terms of expectations (evaluation).
  • Use formal language.
  • Use a coaching/mentor style to guide them.
Low-power distance
  • Set things up physically in the feedback space to give a sense of equality.
  • Show appreciation for their work.
  • Check in on their concerns, comments, questions.
  • Be direct but more informal.
Direct/low-context communicator
  • Speak frankly about their work.
  • Tell them where things are now and what needs to be done next (evaluation).
  • Check to see if they need clarification on anything (especially if you are more of an indirect communicator).
Indirect/high-context communicator
  • Try to use softer language (especially if delivering bad news).
  • Build context through nonverbal as well as verbal cues.
  • Ask coaching questions that are less direct, and offer them a chance to provide input.
Universalist
  • Avoid small talk and jump in quickly with feedback.
  • Use an evaluation approach (standing, alignment with expectations).
  • Prepare a well-organized session with structured feedback.
Particularist
  • Set up the space to make it feel comfortable for the receiver.
  • Use small talk and provide context to build rapport.
  • Show appreciation for their work (even if this has to be followed up with negative feedback).
  • Offer to coach them if they need additional support.

The following are a few additional suggestions for feedback receivers:

  • Feedback providers have their own cultural preferences and styles of communication, so keep an open mind when approaching your sessions.
  • Remember, the feedback provider can be apprehensive about the session, especially if there is negative feedback - keep this in mind.
  • Watch for verbal and nonverbal signs of discomfort or frustration and adapt your style to add support.
  • Take the feedback as an opportunity to improve. Being defensive or rationalizing your position can break down communication in several cultural settings.
  • Try to shift your perspectives if you feel an emotional response. This will help you interpret information more objectively, and help suspend judgement.

Scenarios: pair practice
Before going through the following scenario, you and a partner will each create a different cultural value orientation profile for each other (e.g., direct communicator, universalistic, individualistic, and monochronic).

You will then share the profiles with each other and run through the following scenario twice (you decide on roles), with the objective of adapting your approaches and communication styles.

Scenario:
Two people are in a performance review, a manager, and an employee. The manager is quite happy with the employee’s commitment to projects and motivation to take on more work.

There is one problem though – the reports that the employee produces often contain small mistakes, and the manager must clean things up before they are submission ready. This is time-consuming and needs to be addressed.

End of Module (Group Assignment): meeting simulation

Read the following situation and process, go through the meeting simulation, and then have a group debrief using the questions as a guideline for discussion.

Situation:
The HR Department was given approval to have an employee trip. Your budget is set at $1000/person and the trip will be two to three days.

Process:

  • Your group will choose a host for the meeting.
  • Start the meeting, and move into a brainstorming session about where you think the employees should go.
  • Finally, after considering the pros and cons of various options, select a specific location.

During the meeting, each participant should:

  • Give at least one opinion.
  • State at least one agreement or disagreement.

In addition, the host should

  • Provide feedback to the group on how the meeting went.
  • Observe the group process and try and identify different interaction preferences, communication styles, and behaviors.

Debrief:

  • Overall, how did the meeting go?
  • How did different cultural value orientations present themselves?
  • How effectively were things communicated?
  • How was the final decision made? Which cultural value orientations were reflected in the decision making?

End of Module Summary

  • Input during meetings/conference calls, negotiations, discussions with your colleagues, or performance reviews, is essential and complicated, but even more so when there are cultural differences.
  • Opinions are important, as they provide a means to build on processes, improve workflows, and allow teams to understand where individuals stand on issues. Within different cultural settings, opinions are offered and asked for in several ways.
  • Agreeing may seem simple, but miscommunication does happen because:
    • Being too emphatic or descriptive when agreeing can cause discomfort for a person who isn’t comfortable with overly emotional responses.
    • Being too direct with an agreement can come across as overly confident, or too individualistic.
    • Getting a “yes” from a person who is from an indirect/high-context culture can mean a full or partial “yes”, “maybe”, or even a “no”.
  • In many cultural settings, disagreeing can be very difficult due to dynamics associated with views on power, communication, self, and obligation. It’s important to be able to figure out the right tone and level of directness in order to disagree effectively.
  • Feedback is an integral part of organizational processes, so it is important to consider several factors, including cultural differences, when providing and receiving feedback.
  • Three possible approaches to feedback include: appreciation, coaching, and evaluation.

References and further reading on concepts in this module:

Check out the following links and references.

Stone, D., & Heen, S. (2014). Thanks for the feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well. Portfolio Penguin.

- feedback

hbr.org

- cross-cultural meetings

knowledge.insead.edu

- disagreeing across cultures

projectabroad.eu

- disagreeing

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