Part of your job as a new manager is to give helpful feedback to employees, but it doesn't stop there. The feedback process isn't over when you reel off what you think the employee should do to improve performance. It ends when the worker understands your input and applies it successfully.
Most managers dislike giving negative feedback. They may fear that workers will perceive their well intentioned comments as personal criticism, and because it's common for rookie managers to want to be liked by their troops, they may shy away from pointing out work related defects or concerns about an individual"s effort or attitude.
Get over it!
Effective managers must give feedback every day. It can range from glowing praise to neutral observation to serious alarm. Ideally, positive input should far outweigh everything else. Employees crave compliments from their supervisor - they remember them, treasure them and share them with friends and family.
Look for opportunities to point out what workers are doing right. Don't feel you must ration praise only for rare flashes of brilliance or exceptional results. Letting people know that you admire how they handle a customer, organise their workspace or analyse a problem is in itself a form of feedback that straightens your relationship with your team.
When your goal is to provide constructive feedback that helps employees improve, set the stage. Get a two-way conversation going. Discuss the high standards you set for yourself and your crew -and find out what the worker thinks of these standards. That's better than coming tight out and saying, "Here's something you are doing wrong at that you need to work on..."
Remember that almost all workers thirst for input. One of the employees' biggest complaints is "I don't get enough feedback from my boss." Remove the mystery. Freely share your ideas, suggestions and reservations. Make individuals aware of their performance and guide them to improve.
Use this three step method to deliver feedback that sinks in:
Invite employees to evaluate their performance
Let them rate a specific aspect pf their work based on, say a 1 to 10 scale or an A to F grade. Many people grade themselves more harshly than you would. Even if they inflate their ratings, it gives you a baseline to respond with your input.
Ask follow up questions
Dig for more information. get employees to share dtails or examples that justify their self rating. Notice what criteria they use to evaluate themselves and how they track their performance.
Align your analysis with their comments
Now that you have given employees a chance to cime in, it's your turn. Begin by thanking them for explaining how they view their performance, then add..."I'd like to piggyback on what you have just said." Then endorse positive input that you heard earlier (as long as you agree) and add some fresh praise so you end on a high note.
"The good ones among managers.....do not talk to their subordinates about their problems, but they know how to make the subordinates talk about theirs." - Peter Drucker...
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