7 Principles of highly effective managerial feedback: Theory and practice in managerial development interventions

Feedback is generally regarded as a crucial and powerful instructional technique to improve knowledge and skills within managerial development interventions – both in educational and in executive coaching situations. Within the substantial body of feedback intervention research, results on the efficacy of feedback vary dramatically, ranging from negative to neutral to positive. This paper addresses scholars' call for improved conceptual models and develops a conceptual framework which takes into account feedback's multifaceted role as well as the complex nature and structure of feedback within the contexts of both managerial development in the classroom and within organizations. This paper analyses the prior literature and evidence from a wide range of disciplines. A framework of five constructs and seven principles for constructive feedback interventions is then proposed. Finally the analysis concludes with the identification of guidelines for educationalists, managers and executive coaches on the application of the model.