Of all the ways we communicate at work, feedback is an essential one. Show
Providing feedback is key to letting your employees know how they’re performing and what’s expected of them, and it’s part of supporting your team’s learning and development. It’s important that this feedback happens on a regular, ongoing basis – not just when performance reviews come around. So, as a manager or team leader, how can you best approach the kind of constructive feedback that deals with issues or shortcomings staff need to improve on? We asked David Jones, Senior Managing Director at Robert Half for his insights – here are seven principles for giving valuable constructive feedback.
Ultimately, the best kind of constructive feedback focuses on behaviour or situations, not people and personalities. It’s given in a tone and setting that conveys support and respect. Great constructive feedback helps employees recognise and avoid their mistakes and inspires them to achieve their potential. Finally, keep in mind that we all thrive on positive reinforcement, so don’t assume that employees will always know when they’re performing well – come out and tell them. Be it positive or negative, providing staff with ongoing feedback is one of the most important and powerful employee development tools at your disposal. Read more:One of the best ways to motivate a team and produce phenomenal results in the workplace is by using positive reinforcement. When positive reinforcement is used, you focus less on what people are doing wrong and more on what they’re doing right. By rewarding and praising your team every time they do a good job, you’ll be able to condition them into doing well all the time. Reinforcement in PracticeIn 2006, a branch manager of a Sears Department Store in Pennsylvania was having a difficult time getting his staff to prompt customers to apply for Sears credit cards. Customers had continually said “No,” whenever asked, and this negative reinforcement had resulted in the employees no longer trying. The branch manager decided to try a different approach using reinforcement methods to motivate employees. He offered his employees a bonus on their paycheck for every credit card application processed. Every 90 days, the employee with the most submitted applications would be recognized at work and receive a gift card. In addition to the positive reinforcement, he also made it clear any employee who did not submit at least five applications a month would be required to complete training to improve their productivity. While his employees were motivated by the positive reinforcements, the training worked to ensure no employee was allowed to slack off. As a result, the Sears store became the number one store for credit card applications in the state. Using Positive ReinforcementThe manager in this case study created an entire rewards system for his employees. While this is a great thing to do, positive reinforcement doesn’t always have to be on such a large scale. A simple pat on the back or thank-you note serves as an everyday form of positive reinforcement. When you use positive reinforcement, be specific about what exactly the individual did to please you. Avoid general statements like, “You’re such a hard worker,” and focus on the specifics like, “Thank you for doing a great job on that assignment and getting it in on time.” Remember, every time you need to address a problem, positive reinforcement can still be used. For example, “Sue, you always do an excellent job on your assignments, and I commend you for going to school at night for your dental assistant degree. But in the future, please try to turn your work in on time.” Notes to Keep in MindWhile using positive reinforcement, remember to avoid favoritism. If one team member seems to be getting constant attention, the others will feel discouraged and their morale and productivity will suffer. Try to focus on rewarding your team as equally as possible. Also, try not to over-do the positives. While people love to be appreciated, if you walk around saying “Great job!” all day long, it will lose all meaning. Positive reinforcement is not a replacement for proper disciplinary actions in the workplace. It’s important to focus on your team’s positive accomplishments, but that doesn’t mean ignoring inappropriate behavior. A great balance of positive reinforcement with leadership is what will create an exemplary workplace.
Written by: Officevibe | Edited by: Rachel Steben Feedback is an essential tool to help employees understand their role and overall performance. Managers can use feedback to identify areas of improvement by using constructive employee feedback to correct mistakes or reward exceptional performance using positive feedback. Both constructive and positive employee feedback are necessary for a healthy working environment. Understanding how to provide positive feedback is the first step in empowering employees to put their best foot forward and feel accomplished every day. The benefits of positive employee feedbackPositive feedback helps reinforce behaviors and actions that have a beneficial impact on the employee, team, and organization. It’s vital to building an encouraging, thoughtful work culture and a determinant of the overall level of happiness in the workplace. Positive feedback helps motivate employees and shows them that they and that that do are valued. The list of benefits of positive employee feedback is ample, including improving productivity, upping employee engagement, and fortifying workplace relationships. Promotes engagementNo matter how well-intentioned, negative feedback — or feedback perceived as negative — can sting. While it’s a vital tool for correcting problematic behavior, it can also result in employees avoiding managers who appear too critical. Positive reinforcement makes people feel good and can create a stronger connection between employees and management. And employees are looking to make that connection,
Employees who feel they can engage with management are often more likely to raise potential workplace concerns or problem areas within the business. Supports a high standard of workHaving clear standards aligned with your organization’s core values allows employees to engage with the type of behavior and work quality they expect from the company. Positive feedback lets employees know that they’re on the right path and will encourage them to put in the extra effort to generate high-quality work. Is cost-effectiveA high turnover rate can be devastating for a business. It results in decreased productivity and reduced morale, but it also costs significantly more to hire a new employee than to retain an existing one. Providing positive feedback improves employee performance, saving teams the additional cost of hiring new workers. It can help reduce costs and raise profits, and even a small change in employee engagement can lead to huge gains for the company.
Reduces attritionIf a particular workplace gains a reputation as being a negative and highly critical place, it’s less likely to attract the best talent or retain the talent it has. Positive feedback is important because it creates a trusting, open environment that is a pleasure to work in, making employee retention easier. Encourages desired behaviorsPraise makes people feel good and want to repeat the behavior that prompted the praise. A combination of positive and negative feedback can effectively shape employee participation and promote specific behaviors. If you want to encourage your team to work harder, rewarding the extra efforts of a few team members can promote harder work in the entire team. Positive feedback examples for employeesGiving feedback requires good communication skills to work. However, framing positive feedback as sincere, meaningful, and appreciative can pose a challenge, so planning ahead is vital. Having a few positive employee feedback examples on hand can ensure that managers deliver high-quality employee feedback that motivates employees and gives them the recognition they deserve. LeadershipSome employees show strong leadership skills, rising to the occasion when their team needs them the most. Encouraging these skills can even prompt these individuals to consider a leadership role in the future.
Positive feedback examples for leadership include:
PerformanceThe secret of effective feedback is to reward employees whenever you see them doing a good job. It can be highly motivating to hear genuine admiration for their work without waiting for a performance review.
Here are some positive feedback examples when it comes to performance:
TeamworkFocusing on an employee’s good qualities in teamwork will produce more consistent results and improved productivity.
Here are some examples to show these individuals that you notice their skills:
Noticeable effortIt’s easy to coast along and meet expectations. Some employees are willing to go the extra mile, and encouraging this behavior with positive feedback shows others that you notice and reward hard work.
Here are some ways to provide feedback that recognizes strong efforts:
CommunicationGood communication can bring teams together and help them exceed expectations.
Foster an attitude of camaraderie and open communication with positive employee feedback examples:
Taking the initiativeTaking the initiative is a positive behavior that can be tricky to encourage. Most employees are reluctant to take risks due to potential negative consequences, and regular feedback can help strengthen employees’ confidence.
Some feedback examples of how to inspire your employees to take more initiatives are:
Managing conflictConflict can be a driver of change and growth if managed correctly. Employees that can mediate and resolve conflicts effectively are invaluable in improving team productivity and promoting change in the organization.
Here are some examples of how to manage change and conflict with grace:
Customer supportThe core goal of most businesses is to acquire and retain customers. Having employees that are customer favorites can be a bonus.
It’s good to have some positive feedback examples to keep them motivated:
Personal developmentMost employees want to develop and grow as part of their careers. It’s important to note these development milestones by giving feedback and encouraging employees to continue by providing support with positive feedback and constructive criticism.
Here are some examples of how you can acknowledge professional development and expertise:
New employeeNew hires tend to feel overwhelmed or insecure during their first couple of weeks in a new office. By giving new employees positive feedback, you help foster a company culture of supportiveness that can help new workers relax and boost their confidence, leading to positive outcomes in the future.
Support new team members with feedback examples like:
Best practices for giving positive feedback to employeesGiving employee feedback can be a challenge, but following a few simple principles can ensure that you give effective employee feedback during your feedback conversations. Be specificYou want to reinforce good habits, so be sure to identify what the person did well. Vague feedback can feel insincere and make the employee feel unnoticed. Give real-time feedbackDon’t wait until the next meeting; identify and reward good work with positive feedback as soon as you see it happen. Provide actionable feedbackIf you’re providing corrective feedback, guide the employee with usable ideas. It’s easy to say you don’t like how they do a task, but saying how you want a task done is significantly more effective. Be genuineEmployees can tell if you’re giving positive feedback simply to improve morale. While our employee feedback examples are a great baseline, you should still do your best to tailor your feedback example to the situation and person involved. Stay compassionateSome people view constructive feedback as negative, so it’s vital to stay kind during the session and consider the employee’s situation and feelings. Let others know (if appropriate)If you believe that an employee did something truly amazing, it may be worthwhile to acknowledge their contribution publicly. However, ensure that the employee is comfortable with the recognition before proceeding, as unwanted positive feedback may lead to potential conflicts. Seek opportunities to acknowledge small wins throughout the week with your employees.Positive vs. constructive feedbackThe main difference between positive and constructive feedback is that positive feedback acts as a motivational tool to enhance employee engagement with praise. Constructive feedback is a tool to address negative behaviors by providing actionable insights into how to address these issues. Using negative feedback appropriatelyJust like there’s a time and place for positive feedback, there is that for negative. However, since negative feedback doesn’t always land as comfortably as the latter, it is even more important to understand this type of feedback and how to deliver it appropriately. What is negative feedback?Negative or corrective feedback refers to identifying and correcting mistakes or wrong behaviors. Employees regularly make mistakes, but it can be tough to change their behavior until they know they’re doing something wrong. Using criticism effectivelyEffective employee feedback may often require some form of negative commentary. If the employee fails to meet the company’s organizational values, they need to receive negative criticism and actionable methods to correct their mistakes. Many constructive employee feedback examples contain the “feedback sandwich,” where you provide feedback after noting a positive aspect of the employee’s work. This helps the employee take the feedback without getting defensive or affecting their job satisfaction. The positive feedback loopA positive employee feedback loop is when a company uses its employee feedback channel to improve its internal structure and workplace satisfaction. It leads to better business outcomes as employee engagement and productivity increase. Obtaining and taking note of employee feedback is often invaluable and should be a core value of any business. Most workers will provide informative feedback when related to their work. |