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FEEDBACK

One of the most valuable items a leader can give to employees is feedback. Providing open and honest evaluations of employee performance may have a positive effect on workplace productivity. This blog entry will address the art of effectively communicating and delivering feedback to employees.

Positive Feedback

Delivering positive feedback can be a pleasant experience for both the manager and the subordinate. Managers take great pleasure in giving good performance reviews, or informing an employee on a regular basis that they are doing a good job. In addition, employees feel a sense of accomplishment when they are told they are doing a good job. In today’s business environment of corporate downsizing and job terminations, a “vote of confidence” from the organization’s leadership may also offer a sense of security for employees.

However, no employee is perfect. Every employee has an area which can be improved. A manager who has observed an employee’s strengths and weaknesses should be able to clearly communicate those observations in a constructive manner. Any manager who cannot communicate on employee’s strengths and weaknesses is doing a disservice to the employee as well as the organization. An opportunity for enhanced productivity and effectiveness may be missed.

Negative Feedback

Conversely, delivering negative feedback can be stressful and discouraging. If a manager has clearly defined employee expectations, and those expectations are not met, negative feedback should NOT come as a surprise. If the manager has not clearly defined employee expectations, the employee may or may not know there is a need for improvement. Moreover, the manager has adversely impacted organization effectiveness and productivity by not addressing the issue in a timely manner.

As a result, the manager’s timing in providing negative feedback is critical. Waiting for an annual employee performance review to provide negative feedback will not serve the purpose. Allowing an underperforming employee to continue underperforming until the performance review exacerbates the issue. And of course, ignoring poor performance has no positive value. If other employees notice poor performance is being ignored instead of corrected, employee morale and respect for the manager will also suffer.


Techniques for Delivering Negative Feedback

Another consideration in delivering negative feedback is how. Chastising an employee in front of their peers or clients will not produce the expected result. In fact, there is potential for an employee to take a defensive, retaliation-type stance. Research has shown a common practice for delivering negative feedback is a one-on-one discussion with the employee to state what was wrong; what can/should be done to improve; and how improvement will be identified.

A prevalent feedback technique is known as the “sandwich” approach. With this method, the manager first states what the employee has done correctly. It is followed with what the employee has done incorrectly (and what must be changed). Then the feedback is completed with positive comments about the employee’s performance. This technique demonstrates the manager’s ability to observe employee performance. However, it may be ineffective in driving the desired changes if the employee focuses more on the positive comments than on the areas which need to be improved.

Leadership/Management Accountability in Delivering Feedback

Whatever method is used for delivering feedback, it is critical the manager’s message is understood by the intended audience – the employee. The manager/leader must ensure the employee understands what is expected. Further, it is the manager’s/leader’s responsibility to remove barriers that prevent employees from being successful. If an employee needs additional training to perform their job, the manager must help to remove obstacles that would prevent the employee from getting the required training. Finally, the manager must monitor and communicate employee progress in meeting expectations. The result of following this technique at a minimum will be enhanced communication between manager and employee. To a greater degree, it will improve overall organizational effectiveness.

More information on delivering feedback can be reviewed in Corporate Leadership Selection: Impact on American Business, Employees, and Society (Authorhouse Publishing).

Feedback to the bi-monthly blog entry is always welcome.