Page 40 - Sponsor Booklet

Giving and Receiving Feedback

Skills of Giving Constructive Feedback

Constructive Feedback in blue skies. Feedback is an important
component of blue skies and a mutually beneficial process. It is a way
of helping BPs and Sponsors to learn more about themselves, the way
they impact on others and their effectiveness.

Feedback must be a constructive experience. To be constructive, it
should offer options for development. Whether the feedback is
positive or negative, it needs to be given skillfully. If feedback is not
skillfully given it can be destructive and leave receivers feeling

threatened, perhaps lowering their self-esteem or even making them
defensive and resentful.

Feedback in blue skies

● Sponsors delivering the blue skies should always be looking for
opportunities to reinforce excellence through feedback based on the
development needs of BPs. Feedback may be given in a wide range of
formal and informal situations during the blue skies process, but above
all, it is central to the Learning Square procedure.
● There are guidelines which can assist in giving skilful and constructive
feedback, but the key lies in the accurate collection and recording of
evidence about the receiver and the impact of their actions on others.
The guidelines below should be applied with common sense and
sensitivity to take account of the different situations of each individual
involved. However, this does not mean that difficult issues should be
avoided. As an Sponsor once said: “It’s too easy to give the positive
and opt out of giving the negative.”

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