Make your useful feedback that can have the impact it deserves by the manner and approach you use to give performance feedback. Your feedback can make a difference to individuals if you can neglect provoking a defensive response. These guidelines will help you to develop performance.
How You Can Best Give Useful Feedback:
- Effective employee useful feedback is specific, not general. For instance, say, “The report that you turned in yesterday was well-written, understandable, and made your points about the budget very effectively.” Do not say, “Good report.” One of the purposes of effective, constructive feedback is to let the individual know the particular behavior that you would like to see more of from him. General feedback like a pat on the back makes the employee feel good momentarily but does not do a great job of reinforcing the behavior.
- Useful feedback always concentrates on a specific behavior, not on a person or their intentions. (When you engaged in competing conversations during the staff meeting, while Mary had the floor, you distracted the other people in attendance. As an outcome, point of Mary was partially missed.)
- The best feedback is sincerely and honestly given to help. Trust me, individuals will know if they are getting it for any other reason. Most people have internal radar that can easily detect insincerity. Keep this in mind when you provide feedback.
- Victorious feedback explains actions or behavior that the individual can do something about. If you can, give any tools, training, time, or support that the person requires to successfully perform as you need her to perform.
- Whenever possible, feedback that is requested is more powerful. Inquire permission to give feedback. Say, “I’d like to give you some feedback about the presentation, is that okay with you?” This gives the recipient certain control over the situation which is desirable.
- When you share information and particular observations, you are offering feedbackthat an employee might use. It doesn’t include advice unless you have permission or advice was requested. Inquire the employee what he or she might do differently as a result of hearing the feedback. You are more likely to help the employee change his approach than if you tell the worker what to do or how to change.
- Whether the feedback is positive or constructive, give the information as closely tied to the event as possible. Effective feedback is well timed so that the worker can easily connect the feedback with his actions.
- Effective feedback includes what or how something was done, not why. Inquiring why is asking people about their motivation and that provokes defensiveness. Ask, What happened? How did that happen? How can you stop that outcome in the future? How can I’ve done a better job of helping you? What do you require from me in the future?
- Check to make certain the other person understood what you communicated by using a feedback loop, like asking a query or observing changed behavior. Set a time to get back together to discuss whether the feedback changed performance and whether any extra actions are needed.
- Victorious feedback is as consistent as possible. If the actions are great today, they are great tomorrow. If the policy violation merits disciplinary action, it should always merit disciplinary action.
How to Provide Effective Feedback
- Useful feedback is communicated to a person or a team of people regarding the effect their attitude is having on another person, the agency, the customer, or the team.
- Positive feedback includes telling someone about good performance. Make this feedback timely, specific, and frequent.
- Constructive feedback alerts an individual to an area in which his performance could make better. Constructive feedback is not criticism. It’s descriptive and should always be instructed to the action, not the person.
- The main intention of constructive feedback is to assist people understand where they stand in relation to expected and/or productive job behavior.
- Recognition for effective performance is a strong motivator. Most people need to gain more recognition, so recognition fosters more of the acknowledged actions.