We are getting close to the time when organisations go
through their performance reviews. Performance development is based on the
assumption that people cannot learn and develop unless they receive feedback on
how they are progressing. As people are an expensive resource it makes sense to
maximise their output by ensuring that every employee performs at their full
potential. In performance reviews giving feedback is one of the most important
skills. Either conscious or unconscious feedback is given and it establishes
the working relationship between manager and employee. Any employee needs
feedback to understand where they stand in the organisation. They need this
information to assess their role in the team; department and how they are
doing. Without regular feedback employees would drift around not knowing what,
how and when to act.
Feedback is required to provide motivation and
structure to the employee and let him see what the progress is in their day to
day work. Feedback in organisations is positive in the sense that its aim is to
point the way to further development and improvement, not simply tell people
where they have gone wrong (negative feedback). Feedback must report on
successes as well as failures. However, failures are treated as opportunities
for learning so that they are less likely to be repeated in the future.
Feedback is always factual. It refers to results,
events, critical incidents and significant behaviours which have affected the
performance in specific ways.
The Key Actions for Giving Constructive Feedback are:
-
Ø State the
constructive purpose of your feedback
Ø Describe
specifically what you have observed
Ø Give
positive as well as corrective feedback
Ø Describe
your reaction
Ø Give the
other person the opportunity to respond – Am I correct?
Ø Offer
specific suggestions
Ø Do not wait
too long with giving your feedback
Ø Summarise
and express your support.
Once feedback is given you might want to react on this
by restating the sender's feelings or ideas in your own words, rather than
repeating their words. Your words should be saying, "This is what I
understand your feelings to be, am I correct?" It not only includes verbal
responses, but also nonverbal ones. Nodding your head or squeezing their hand
to show agreement, dipping your eyebrows shows you don't quite understand the
meaning of their last phrase, or sucking air in deeply and blowing it hard
shows that you are also exasperated with the situation.
The rationale for giving performance feedback is that
it will help sustain or improve performance. However, some skill is required
when giving feedback, since if it is not done correctly it could result in the
employee becoming offended, confused or even de-motivated.
