Offering Positive Feedback On Performance

One of the roles of managers is to provide feedback on performance. If it's given in a constructive way, it makes what's expected from them very clear. It also helps in the area of motivation because it helps them to see where they can improve. Positive feedback is just as helpful as negative feedback. When I say negative feedback I don't mean that you should berate anyone. What I mean is that sometimes what we have to say to a person isn't going to be pleasant for them to hear but it has to be said non the less so they can move forward.

I have heard a lot of managers over the years giving feedback to their staff and a lot made me cringe when I listened to it. When some of that feedback was directed at me I thought 'do you really think that what you are saying is going to make me want to work harder for you'? Luckily I'm a little more thick skinned than most and I shrugged it all of but some would just walk away totally demotivated. I remember one instance where the area manager was giving a 'motivational' talk to our staff. He started off by berating them because of the bad month we were having and he concluded by berating them. By the end of it, a few people resigned on the spot. There is a more productive way to give negative feedback to someone than that!

If you have to give feedback to someone (which you would have to as a manager or a supervisor) you need to think it all through first. a few points you should decide on before you approach someone are:

A better managing tip 1.

Take care that when you are giving feedback, be in a positive frame of mind. It can be difficult to do that but it is a must. when you are in a bad mood, everything can seem worse than it is. If you are like that, give feedback another time.


A better managing tip 2.

You also need to stick to the topic. Don't go from one issue to another as it's hard for someone to absorb too much feedback at once. Do it gradually. if someone has too many things to work on, they will fail.


A better managing tip 3.

The appropriate time and place is also important. My favorite place for a not too serious discussion was at our downstairs coffee shop. For something of a serious nature, it was either a meeting room or in my office with the door closed.


A better managing tip 4.

It's very important to focus on the behavior and not the person. It's not the person but it's their observable behavior that you are seeking to change. For example, don't say something like 'you are a lazy bum because the paperwork you hand in is always late and untidy. You are a gross little pig'! You should say something like, 'I have noticed that your paperwork is illegible most of the time and mistakes are easily made when it's like that'...or something like that.

Feedback when it's negative is difficult enough to take for some people but when you make it a pleasant experience for someone when they are on the receiving end, then the results will have a positive outcome. You will find that with a little preparation beforehand, being in the right frame of mind and using the appropriate location, this will increase their motivation and excel at their work.