101: Giving feedback
Employee feedback is called feedback because it's more than a tool to make team members feel good. It's to help their performance and build a stronger team, ultimately coming back to you, the manager, as an investment that pays off in talent, performance and results. It is, of course, also a way of expressing appreciation, which breeds loyalty and camaraderie in the workplace. Here are three things to keep in mind when it's time to give feedback (which should be a constant practice, not just an annual review).
Do some of their work for them.
It seems counterintuitive. But Karl Moore at Forbes.com credits Gary Chapman and Paul White's “The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace” as bringing light to this concept. Moore says that if he sees his assistant is overloaded, he'll help her. “Physically taking on a task … shows you recognize the amount of work they do and that you value them,” he writes.
Set up a safety zone.
Studies have shown that if the person receiving the feedback feels uncomfortable, he or she is much less likely to put the feedback to use, rendering the feedback ineffective, says Scott Halford at Entrepreneur.com. This doesn't mean you necessarily have to be buddies with a subordinate. But you must establish and maintain safety and civility. “Your feedback usually won't be productive if it's focused on making the other person feel bad or make them look foolish in front of peers,” Halford writes.
Timing matters.
Productive feedback is timely, frequent and specific, according to Susan M. Heathfield at HumanResource.About.com. “Effective feedback is well timed so that the employee can easily connect the feedback with his actions,” she writes. So, not getting around to delivering feedback — positive or constructive — too long after an event diminishes its effectiveness.
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