Giving and receiving feedback: open communication in your organization

Strengthen your skills in giving and receiving feedback

Give feedback in a constructive manner

Communicate in a clear and factual manner

Gain insight into the structure of a productive feedback conversation

87%

Of the participants feel confident to raise difficult topics after the training.

Satisfied customers
4.5
/5
Laura Krause
Laura Krause
trainer - supervisor

Free intake interview





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Customized learning pathway
Live, digital or hybrid
Choose your own start date
Available in NL, FR and ENG
Price on request
On location or at Obelisk

Theme

A colleague keeps making the same mistake and you want to call this person on it, but you are afraid of a negative reaction. Or your supervisor asks you to give feedback on a project, but you don't know how to do this constructively without hurting anyone. Recognizable? 

In this training your employees will learn how to give feedback without being too direct, too offensive or too soft. This allows them to take concrete actions faster. They also learn how to receive feedback, even when it is not given in the most constructive way, without feeling personally attacked. 

After this training, your employees will succeed in giving and receiving feedback effectively, contributing to a positive and constructive work environment. In doing so, they create a culture of open communication where everyone feels valued and respected.


Who is this learning track for?

For employees and/or managers.

After this learning track:

  • Learn to determine what the real purpose of your feedback is: do you want to encourage the other person to think about the behavior? Do you want to motivate the other person to make their own choices?
  • Take a first step toward openness to make things discussable.
  • Avoid being too direct, too firm or too confrontational so that the other person recognizes and can act on the feedback.
  • Prevent yourself from getting defensive.
  • Teach you to engage in dialogue instead of falling into discussion.
  •  Learn how to be clear and factual in order to get to the point.
  • Develop your understanding of how to build a feedback conversation so that it is constructive and effective.
  • Develop appropriate skills to give both positive and negative feedback in an appropriate manner.
  • Have a strong foundation for dealing with resistance to feedback.
  • Can you avoid being too direct, too adamant or too confrontational so that the other person recognizes and can act on the feedback.

Our trainers take your organizational context into account and incorporate concrete and realistic situations into the program. Evidence-based, practice-oriented, motivating and highly customized, that typifies a learning program in soft skills by Obelisk. 

2 examples of our learning paths with clients

Sample track 1: understanding feedback, the growth mindset and empathy

Day 1: How to handle feedback.

  • Feedback, criticism or advice: just what is the difference? 
  • Feedback and the brain: why do we avoid or approach feedback? 
  • Developing a growth mindset: seeing feedback as a learning opportunity

Day 2: Giving feedback: two main forms of feedback 

  • Feedforward: this is how to face the future positively (explanation)
  • Feedback with DESC: this is how you name what bothers you (explanation)

Part 3: Receiving and asking for feedback

  • Receiving feedback: how do you respond appropriately?
  • Getting clear feedback: asking the right questions
  • Which has the greatest impact: A feedback question or advice question?
  • Feedask: The ground rules for formulating a request for feedback or advice 
  • Understanding pitfalls and checklist for receiving feedback

Day 4: From monologue to dialogue 

  • Understanding your own reaction patterns and those of others
  • Active and empathetic listening
  • Improve your listening and empathy skills
  • Techniques for dealing with counter-reactions; the annoying "yes,buts" or "no,buts"

Day 5: Intervision

  • Learning from each other, sharing successes and continuing to support each other
  • Getting started with the "HOW CAN I..." question
  • Case study 

Sample trajectory 2: facts, IC messages and resistance

Day 1: The basics of feedback & feedforward

  • Feedback, criticism or advice: just what is the difference?
  • Feedforward focused on development and growth
  • Structure of a conversation
  • Properly give both positive or negative feedback according to the DESC model!
  • Naming facts, using I messages and applying positive language in feedback

Day 2: From monologue to dialogue

  • Dealing with counter-reactions: the annoying "yes, buts" or "no, buts"
  • Receiving feedback: How do you respond appropriately?
  • Tensions during an interview: how to deal with them?

Big theoretical blocks? Not so. At Obelisk, practice and experience take center stage, while theory stays in the background. Our hands-on approach lets participants apply theory directly for maximum transfer. 

Based on these theoretical foundations, our trainers develop a learning path focused on giving and receiving feedback. 

  1. DESC+ Model - Bower & Bower
  2. Feedforward - Goldsmith
  3. Growth Mindset - Dweck
  4. 5 Listening Levels - Covey
  5. Intervision - Kessels & Keursten
  6. Psychological Security - Edmondson
  7. Contracting and the 5Vs - Schwarz
  8. 4G methodology of feedback

Open communication about behavior with integrity, case Police Zone Antwerp

Police Zone Antwerp continues to hold integrity in high regard. Integrity is linked to the vision, mission and values of the police force. Integrity violations do not comply with the internal code of conduct of Police Zone Antwerp, nor with the deontological code of the integrated police. Not only can they damage the good name and reputation of Police Zone Antwerp, they are also detrimental to the customer and the employees. For optimal service, it is therefore of great importance that all 2,650 employees of Police Zone Antwerp act with integrity.

‍Newemployees in the force are immediately brought into this culture with the slogan "We never look aside." This includes a one-day workshop. The theoretical session in the morning focuses mainly on sensitizing the employees. In the afternoon, Obelisk sharpens communication skills. That way, employees feel skilled enough to also address others about undesirable, non-integrity behavior.

Read the full case

Live

Resilient Coping with Change training can take place at various locations, tailored to the needs of the participants. Our primary location is our headquarters in Leuven, located at Grauwmeer 1. In addition, we offer the possibility to deliver the training on site at the client's own premises, or in other suitable workshop or training spaces nearby.

During the intake meeting, we will discuss the most appropriate location for your team. This can range from a quiet, green setting where participants can walk around during a break, to a more formal setting appropriate for a professional meeting.

Discover five inspiring training locations recommended by our trainers here.

Online or hybrid

Obelisk believes in the power of hybrid solutions; the combination of offline and online. Our hybrid trainings are not a "copy-paste" of classroom training. They are adapted to the new reality and our coaches retrained. The result is a full hybrid package with the best of both worlds, online and offline.

During an introductory meeting, we identify your questions, expectations and the unique context of your organization. This is how we ensure that our offer perfectly matches your needs. 

Based on this first meeting we will work out a tailor-made offer, which we will send you by email or come and explain in person. After your approval, we start designing the learning trajectory and planning the next steps, always in close consultation with you in order to optimally align the trajectory with your wishes and goals.

Ask here request your quote

"This learning journey has totally changed my approach in conversations. I am now able to give difficult feedback in a constructive way and manage resistance effectively."

Daan, senior consultant

Supervisors

Goele Vanhelmont
Goele Vanhelmont
trainer - supervisor
Joke Droeshout
Joke Droeshout
trainer - supervisor
Laura Krause
Laura Krause
trainer - supervisor
Liesbeth Vanhelmont
Liesbeth Vanhelmont
team leader
Heidi Peeters
Heidi Peeters
trainer - supervisor

Contact us

With our years of experience, we can help you and your organization with a lot of questions. Contact us and we'll find a tailor-made solution.

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