In this episode of Monster in My Closet, Anil Saxena and Morgan discuss the importance of feedback in employee development and performance. They explore the pitfalls of ineffective feedback and the power of constructive criticism. The conversation covers the role of feedback in organizations, best practices for giving feedback, and the impact of feedback on employee engagement and retention. These show notes include:
Takeaways
Feedback's Role: Effective feedback is crucial for employee development and performance. Constructive criticism helps transform underperformers into productive team members.
Pitfalls of Silence: Lack of feedback leads to employee self-doubt and wasted time. Unclear or unactionable feedback can be more harmful than no feedback at all.
Consistent Framework: Consistency and a common language in giving feedback are essential. Preparation and thoughtfulness are key to effective feedback delivery.
Forward-Looking Feedback: Focus on future improvements rather than past mistakes. Use feedback to guide future actions instead of dwelling on past errors.
Timely Feedback: Give feedback as close to the event as possible. Immediate feedback ensures relevance and clarity.
Customize Feedback: Tailor feedback to individual preferences. Understanding how each employee best receives feedback enhances its effectiveness.
Benefit of the Doubt: Investigate situations before giving feedback. Understand the context and avoid jumping to conclusions based on hearsay.
Practice Makes Perfect: Both giving and receiving feedback are skills that require practice. Use trusted colleagues to refine these skills.
Two-Way Communication: Encourage a culture where feedback is a two-way street. Managers should also seek feedback from employees to improve their leadership.
Engagement and Retention: Regular feedback, even if negative, improves employee engagement and retention. Employees desire frequent and constructive feedback.
How to give good feedback
Here’s a detailed guide on how to give good feedback, incorporating actionable advice and example phrases:
Start with a Positive Note: Purpose: Beginning with a positive note sets a constructive tone for the discussion. It helps in reducing the employee's anxiety and makes them more receptive to feedback. Example: "I really appreciate your dedication to delivering the project on time. Your effort in coordinating with the team was outstanding."
Be Specific and Objective: Specific feedback eliminates ambiguity and helps the employee understand exactly what actions or behaviors are being addressed. Example: Instead of saying "Your work has been great," say "Your thoroughness in the QA phase helped us identify critical bugs early, which was instrumental in enhancing the software's quality."
Focus on Behavior, Not Personality: Feedback should be about actions or behavior that can be changed, not about personal characteristics. Example: Rather than saying "You're so disorganized," you could say "I noticed that project deadlines are often missed. Let’s explore some project management tools to help keep things on track."
Provide Solutions or Suggestions: Offering solutions or suggestions can help the employee improve and grow. It shows that you are supportive of their development. Example: "To improve the documentation’s clarity, consider using more structured headings and bullet points. This approach could make the information more accessible to the users."
Use the 'Sandwich' Method (If Appropriate): The sandwich method involves starting with positive feedback, followed by constructive criticism, and ending with positive feedback again. It's a way to soften the impact of critical feedback. Example: Begin with "Your ability to engage customers is impressive," then "I think you could close more sales by focusing on the benefits of our premium plan," and conclude with "Your enthusiasm for our products really shines through to our customers."
Encourage Dialogue: Encouraging dialogue makes the feedback session a two-way conversation. It allows employees to express their views and understand the feedback in depth. Example: "How do you feel about this approach?" or "Do you need any support to implement these changes?"
Set Clear Expectations: Clear expectations help the employee understand what is required and by when. Example: "By the end of Q2, we should see an improvement in customer satisfaction scores by at least 10%. Let’s discuss what steps we can take to achieve this goal."
Follow Up: Following up shows that you are invested in the employee’s progress and are available for ongoing support. Example: "Let's schedule a follow-up meeting in a month to review your progress on implementing the project management tools."
different Feedback Methods
1. SBI Model (Situation-Behavior-Impact) This method involves describing the Situation where the observed behavior occurred, specifying the Behavior itself, and explaining the Impact of that behavior.
Advantage: It’s clear and focuses on specific incidents, which makes the feedback less personal and more actionable.
Example: "In yesterday’s team meeting (Situation), when you interrupted colleagues (Behavior), it created a tense atmosphere and some felt they couldn’t express their ideas (Impact)."
2. BI Model (Behavior-Impact) A streamlined version of the SBI model, focusing only on the Behavior and its Impact, omitting the specific situation.
Advantage: It’s useful for ongoing behaviors that have been observed multiple times and emphasizes the effects of these behaviors.
Example: "When you deliver your reports ahead of deadlines (Behavior), it greatly assists in our planning and sets a positive pace for the team (Impact)."
3. Stop-Start-Continue Model This method involves discussing behaviors or actions the employee should stop, which they should start, and which they should continue doing.
Advantage: It covers a comprehensive range of feedback, from negative to positive, in a structured manner.
Example: "Stop postponing the weekly check-ins, start organizing your task list at the beginning of the week for better productivity, and continue with your detailed project updates."
4. Feedforward Instead of focusing on past behaviors, feedforward looks to future development. You suggest actions the employee can take going forward to improve.
Advantage: It’s particularly positive and forward-looking, focusing on future potential rather than past mistakes.
Example: "For the next project, consider involving the marketing team earlier in the planning stage to leverage their insights for better outcomes."
5. 360-Degree Feedback This approach involves collecting feedback from an employee’s supervisors, peers, subordinates, and sometimes clients.
Advantage: It provides a comprehensive view of an employee's performance from multiple perspectives.
Example: In this method, feedback is compiled from various sources and usually presented in a summarized form to the employee.
6. Direct Feedback Direct feedback is straightforward and focuses on specific behaviors without the framing techniques used in other methods.
Advantage: It’s clear, time-efficient, and leaves little room for misunderstanding.
Example: "Your report on the client feedback was comprehensive and provided valuable insights. In future reports, please include actionable recommendations as well."
7. Motivational Interviewing This method involves asking open-ended questions, affirming the employee’s strengths, listening reflectively, and summarizing the conversation to guide the employee to self-reflect and find their motivation to change.
Advantage: It empowers employees to take ownership of their improvement and solutions.
Example: "What changes do you think could make the most impact on your productivity? How can we leverage your strengths to meet this challenge?"
Statistics on feedback in the workplace
Feedback and Engagement: According to Gallup's "State of the American Workplace" report, employees who receive daily feedback from their manager are three times more likely to be engaged than those who receive feedback once a year or less.
Positive vs. Negative Feedback: A study from the Zenger/Folkman database found that 92% of respondents agreed with the assertion, "Negative (redirecting) feedback, if delivered appropriately, is effective at improving performance."
Frequency of Feedback: A survey by Officevibe revealed that 65% of employees desired more feedback, indicating a significant gap in feedback frequency within organizations.
Feedback and Performance Reviews: The same Officevibe survey also reported that 58% of employees say they would trust their company more if their managers provided more frequent feedback, underscoring the role of feedback in building trust within the workplace.
360-Degree Feedback: Research published in Personnel Psychology found that 360-degree feedback processes, when used for developmental purposes, can lead to performance improvements, particularly when feedback comes from multiple sources and is focused on behaviors rather than personal characteristics.
Feedback Seeking and Job Satisfaction: A study from the "Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology" reported that feedback-seeking behavior is positively related to job satisfaction and performance, suggesting that encouraging an environment where employees feel comfortable seeking feedback can have beneficial outcomes.
Real-time Feedback: According to a Deloitte Insights report, organizations are moving towards real-time feedback systems; companies that have incorporated real-time feedback have seen an 8% increase in profitability.
Suggested Reading
"Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity" by Kim Scott. Discusses how to provide feedback that is both caring and direct.
"Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High" by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler. Offers strategies for effective communication during difficult conversations.
"Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well" by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen. Focuses on how to receive feedback constructively.
"The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth" by Amy C. Edmondson. Explores the importance of a safe environment for giving and receiving feedback.
"Feedback (and Other Dirty Words): Why We Fear It, How to Fix It" by M. Tamra Chandler and Laura Dowling Grealish. Addresses common fears about feedback and offers practical solutions.
Wrap up
In conclusion, feedback is not just a necessary tool for employee development and organizational performance—it's a powerful catalyst for transformation. By embracing a consistent and empathetic approach, leaders can create a culture where feedback is not feared but welcomed. Tailoring feedback to individual preferences and focusing on forward-looking improvements ensures that it is both constructive and actionable. Remember, the timeliness and clarity of your feedback can significantly impact employee engagement and retention. Practicing these skills and fostering an environment of open communication will not only enhance your leadership but also empower your team to achieve greater results.
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