Feedback is an essential part of every successful communication. Feedback helps us to complete two-way communication and ensure that the successful delivery of a message.
Meaning & Importance of Feedback
All type of communication has the following elements-
(1). A Sender or messenger
Sender or messenger initiates the communication.
(2). Message/Information being sent
Information/message being conveyed/transferred.
(3). Encoding
This represents message format like as spoken words, pictures, text.
(4). Communication Channel
Medium of communication. (e.g., air for oral communication, internet for electronic communication and paper for written/printed communication).
(5). Decoding
(Understanding the meaning from the message received through a certain medium).
(6). Feedback
Intimation about successful delivery of message.
These are 6 important elements of every communication. Feedback is very essential part of communication. it ensures that the
Characteristics of Feedback
Role of feedback is to make the communication effective and successful. An effective feedback has following characteristics –
(i)- Intention
The intention of feedback ensures your message has been successfully delivered to the receiver.
(ii) – Specific
Feedback should not be unclear, it should be more clear.
(iii) – Fair and non-judgmental
Feedback does not work upon a judgment of any messages, it only expresses the message is received in the right form.
(iv)- Timeliness
Effective feedback is the one that intimated the sender about the message in time.
(v)- Usefulness
Effective feedback is the one that aims to improve the overall communication.
(vi)- Clarity
The feedback must be clear in its form and should be in an understandable format.
Types of Feedback
Types of feedback may be different from each other for every type of communication. Let’s go to define the various types of feedback in the communication.
(i) – Formal and Informal Feedback
Formal Feedback
Formal feedback contains some predefined feedback format or structure which is made before sending the feedback through the receiver. Formal feedback consists of an organic message for the service provider. It takes enough time to construct and hence, is not instant.
Example-: “Congratulations on scoring A+ in your final test performance. You are promoted to your next class”.
Informal Feedback
Informal feedback does not contains any type of predefined message for service provider. This type of feedback consists instant message, no more time to construct the feedback.
Example -: “Sorry”.
(ii) – Descriptive and non-descriptive feedback
Descriptive Feedback
Sometimes we need to express our feelings with a full explanation that makes the cause of descriptive feedback. In other words, descriptive feedback is necessary for those places where we want to provide meaningful information in a detailed or expressive manner.
Example-: My ordered item has been delivered timely but have some issues such as item’s color is different and the item is broken at one place. So my humble request to the server is that my delivered item to get replaced as soon as possible.
Non-Descriptive Feedback
Sometimes we need to describe our feelings with shortly or briefly. In other words, Non-descriptive feedback are necessary for those places where we want to use short words.
Example-: My ordered item has been delivered but it have some issues.
(iii)- Specific and non-specific feedback
Specific Feedback
Specific feedback talks about a thing or a point particularly without talking about a general overview.
Example -: I like your story. It’s good.
Non-specific Feedback
Non-specific feedback talks about the entire thing while giving a general overview. it does not particularly pinpoint a specific thing/feature.
Example-: I like the way you described your grandpa’s character. It makes me feel like I know him too.
