Developmental Feedback
Developmental feedback is information about a person's work and behavior given to help that person learn and improve, rather than to judge or rate past performance. Effective developmental feedback is specific, describes observable behavior and its impact, arrives soon after the event and is discussed as a two-way conversation.
Quick facts
- Type
- Interpersonal practice (people development)
- Origin
- Feedback research in psychology and education; the term as used by Jing Zhou (2003); key reviews by Kluger & DeNisi (1996) and Hattie & Timperley (2007)
- Used when
- People are learning new ways of working and need to know how they are doing
- Related models
- Conscious competence model; GROW coaching model; active listening
- Exam relevance
- APMG CM Practitioner, People & Change (PC0213); not in the Foundation syllabus
What is developmental feedback?
Developmental feedback looks forward. In Jing Zhou's (2003) research, developmental feedback means supervisors giving employees helpful information that lets them learn, develop and improve on the job.
It differs from evaluative feedback, which rates past performance, for example in an annual appraisal. Evaluative feedback answers "How well did you do?"; developmental feedback answers "What can you do differently next time?".
In a change, people are learning new processes, systems or behaviors and are often less competent for a while than they were before. Timely developmental feedback shortens that dip, because people do not have to guess whether they are doing the new thing right.
Developmental feedback is therefore a learning tool, not a performance rating.
What makes developmental feedback effective?
Research and practice point to a small set of principles:
- Specific: one concrete example, not a general verdict such as "good job" or "too slow".
- Behavioral: about what the person did and its observable effect, not about their personality.
- Timely: close to the event, while both people remember it.
- Two-way: the person can explain their view, ask questions and agree what to try next.
- Forward-looking: it ends with a next step. Hattie and Timperley (2007) frame good feedback around three questions: where am I going, how am I going, and where to next?
Kluger and DeNisi's (1996) meta-analysis found that feedback interventions improved performance on average, but lowered it in roughly a third of cases. Feedback that drew attention to the person's self-image, rather than to the task, tended to work less well.
The principles of developmental feedback all keep attention on the task and on the next attempt.
How do you give developmental feedback step by step?
At Larchfield Logistics, a team leader notices that a dispatcher still re-keys routes from the old spreadsheet into the new planning system.
- Prepare: pick one behavior you observed yourself.
- Describe the situation and behavior: "In this morning's planning, you typed the routes in from the spreadsheet."
- Describe the impact: "That took about forty minutes, and two stops were entered twice."
- Ask for their view: "What made the spreadsheet feel safer?" Then listen.
- Agree a next step: try the import function together tomorrow.
- Follow up: check how it went and recognize the progress.
Steps 2 and 3 follow the situation–behavior–impact pattern associated with the Center for Creative Leadership.
Developmental feedback given this way turns an observation into a shared next step.
How does developmental feedback support a change?
Adoption depends on many small corrections and reinforcements in daily work. Line managers are best placed to give them, because they see the work.
A change manager can help by briefing managers on what good looks like in the new way of working, so that their feedback is consistent, and by giving them simple prompts for feedback conversations.
London and Smither (2002) describe a feedback culture, in which feedback is frequent, expected and used. Building one takes time, but a change is often the moment when people most need feedback and most notice whether it is given.
Feedback also flows upward: what people say about the change is feedback for the change team.
Developmental feedback is therefore one of the main mechanisms that turns training into sustained practice.
What are common mistakes with developmental feedback?
- Waiting for the formal review: by then, the moment and the learning have passed.
- Judging the person: "you're resistant" invites defensiveness; "you used the old form twice this week" invites a conversation.
- Too much at once: a list of ten points means none is acted on.
- Vague praise: "great work" feels good but teaches little. Positive feedback is developmental when it names what to keep doing.
- One-way delivery: without the person's view, the cause of the behavior stays hidden.
Developmental feedback fails most often when it is late, personal or one-sided.
Developmental feedback vs. coaching with the GROW model: what is the difference?
| Developmental feedback | GROW coaching | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | Something the giver observed | A goal the coachee wants to reach |
| Who holds the insight | Mainly the giver, then shared in dialogue | Mainly the coachee, drawn out by questions |
| Main tool | Specific description of behavior and impact | Open questions through Goal, Reality, Options, Will |
| Typical form | A short exchange, close to the event | A planned conversation set aside for the purpose |
| Best when | The person needs information they do not have | The person has the knowledge but needs clarity and commitment |
Developmental feedback gives people information about their behavior; GROW coaching helps them find their own way forward. Many good conversations use both.
Exam focus
Developmental feedback (PC0213) is assessed at Practitioner level, by application to a case study rather than by recall. Expect to judge which feedback in a scenario is specific, behavioral, timely and two-way, and to recommend how managers should give it during a change. A common trap confuses developmental feedback with a performance rating, or treats general praise as feedback.
FAQ
What is the difference between developmental and evaluative feedback?
Evaluative feedback judges past performance, often with a rating, for example in an appraisal. Developmental feedback gives information that helps a person learn and do better next time. Both have a place, but in a change people mostly need the developmental kind, given often and close to the work.
What are the principles of good developmental feedback?
Good developmental feedback is specific, describes observable behavior and its impact rather than personality, comes soon after the event and is a two-way conversation. It ends with an agreed next step, so the person knows what to try differently.
Can feedback make performance worse?
Yes. Kluger and DeNisi's 1996 meta-analysis found that feedback interventions improved performance on average but lowered it in a substantial share of cases. Feedback that focuses on the person rather than the task is more likely to backfire.
Who should give developmental feedback during a change?
Mostly line managers and team leaders, because they see the daily work and can respond quickly. Change agents and peers can also give it. The change manager's role is to make sure managers know what good looks like and feel able to give feedback.
Is positive feedback developmental?
It can be. Positive feedback is developmental when it names the specific behavior that worked and why, so the person knows what to keep doing. General praise such as "great job" is pleasant but gives little to learn from.
Sources
- Zhou, J. (2003). When the presence of creative coworkers is related to creativity: Role of supervisor close monitoring, developmental feedback, and creative personality. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(3), 413–422.
- Kluger, A. N. & DeNisi, A. (1996). The effects of feedback interventions on performance: A historical review, a meta-analysis, and a preliminary feedback intervention theory. Psychological Bulletin, 119(2), 254–284.
- Hattie, J. & Timperley, H. (2007). The Power of Feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81–112.
- London, M. & Smither, J. W. (2002). Feedback orientation, feedback culture, and the longitudinal performance management process. Human Resource Management Review, 12(1), 81–100.
- Last reviewed