You're reviewing a colleague's operational planning skills. How can you provide feedback that's helpful?

1 Prepare in advance

Before you give feedback, make sure you have a clear understanding of the purpose, scope, and criteria of the operational plan you are reviewing. Review the plan thoroughly and identify the strengths and weaknesses, as well as the areas for improvement. Also, prepare some specific examples and suggestions to support your feedback. Avoid vague or general comments that may not be useful or actionable.

2 Use the SBI model

A common and effective framework for giving feedback is the SBI model, which stands for Situation, Behavior, and Impact. This model helps you structure your feedback in a clear and objective way, focusing on the facts and the consequences. For example, you can say: "In the last quarter, you planned to increase sales by 10% (situation), but you did not allocate enough budget for marketing and training (behavior), which resulted in lower customer satisfaction and retention (impact)." This way, you can avoid personal or emotional judgments and explain the rationale behind your feedback.

4 Be specific and actionable

One of the main goals of giving feedback is to help your colleague improve their operational planning skills and performance. Therefore, you should not only tell them what they did well or poorly, but also how they can do better in the future. Provide specific and actionable suggestions that are aligned with the objectives and expectations of the operational plan. For example, you can say: "To improve your budget allocation, you can use this tool to analyze the return on investment of each activity and prioritize the ones that have the most impact." Avoid giving vague or unrealistic advice that may not be feasible or relevant.

6 Follow up and monitor progress

Giving feedback is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process. After you provide feedback, you should follow up and monitor your colleague's progress and performance in implementing the operational plan and the action plans. Provide recognition and encouragement when they achieve their goals or show improvement. Also, provide additional feedback and guidance when they face difficulties or encounter new challenges. By following up and monitoring progress, you can show your colleague that you care about their success and that you are available and willing to support them along the way.