Improved Performance
How do students know that they are improving at school?
Feedback!
If we simply asked kids to complete tasks and then didn’t let them know the what, how or why of what they did correctly or where they missed the mark, how would they learn or improve? They wouldn’t. It’s the same with your employees; letting them know where they went wrong or how the excelled can help provide understanding and direction as to where they can further develop.
The how and when of feedback
Key to navigating feedback is ensuring it is constructive and timely. Walking into Fred’s office a week after a presentation and telling him you thought it was crap is neither helpful nor well-timed. Setting aside space to sit and talk with Fred immediately after his presentation and going through the elements that were solid and where he fell down and how he could improve has a far greater chance of allowing Fred to process your feedback and understand the opportunity for growth.
Feedback doesn’t have to be given in a formal setting. Catching a moment to guide an employee when you see a mistake unfolding, or even a piece of brilliance, is made more powerful as the action and the feedback are occurring simultaneously. And on that note, while we certainly don’t wish for any leader to be perceived as a ‘nag’ due to always catching faults – it’s important to understand that ‘what you walk past, you accept’. If you don’t catch the error when you see it unfolding, it’s impacts can be far reaching and it’s all the harder to address down the track…
If you do need to be critical, don’t do it in front of others where there is the potential to humiliate – take the employee aside and be clear as to what they were doing wrong and how to make improvements. We can all understand that when we are having our shortcomings highlighted, it’s difficult not to take it personally so be clear that the discussion is about the behaviour and not the person.
Feedback should always be specific. Saying ‘Hey Fred, awesome presentation’ is nowhere near as helpful as saying something like ‘Hey Fred, I thought you did an excellent job on the presentation today. You provided really clear examples and the case studies were on point. I could see the clients were fully engaged in the information you were providing. I’m really proud of you…. Or conversely…
Hi Fred, let's talk a little about your presentation today. I don’t think you were clear enough with the examples you provided and that meant the clients weren’t really understanding the points you were trying to make. As a result, I don’t think we got the buy -in that we were seeking. Let’s spend some time tomorrow working through where you could make some improvements for next time……..”
The golden rule is that feedback should be specific, direct and timely.
Don’t make it a sandwich
Feedback regarding poor performance can be difficult to give and we often make the mistake of sandwiching it between two pieces of positive feedback. The problem with softening the blow, so to speak, is that often the recipient will miss the important information relating to the critical feedback as they may prefer to focus on the positive only. The key with giving difficult feedback is to keep it direct and clear if you really want to provide your employee with the opportunity to change behaviour and succeed.
Two Way Street
Feedback is not all downstream. In fact, it is just as important for management and leaders to receive feedback on their performance and that of the overall company from their employees if they are genuinely committed to ongoing improvement for all. Now feedback on the boss should not be seen as a free for all whereby employees simply air their personal grievances. As is the case with any feedback, it needs to be given in a constructive and appropriate manner and the way a business establishes how that feedback will occur will help support a useful and productive process.
One such option is the STAR Workplace Program that we at HR Staff n’ Stuff recommend. STAR Workplace allows for an anonymous employee survey that is designed to help business leaders uncover issues that need addressing while also identifying what is working well. Importantly, The STAR Workplace program delivers an independent benchmark report of your workplace along with an action plan and priorities for the future for your business.
Not everyone feels confident with delivering feedback so if you require support or training in this area, or if you are interested in learning more about the STAR Workplace Program, contact us now and we can look at a solution that works for you and your business.
