Regularly Provide And Record Feedback

Definition: Feedback is the process according to which you receive information from the external environment on both the positive and negative aspects of your performance. Feedback provides an answer to the question “How am I doing?"

Another important aspect of performance and development management is the aspect of giving and receiving feedback.

Once people agree to achieve certain goals and objectives, they need to know how well they are doing.

Constructive feedback on performance is important because it encourages and motivates employees to perform at acceptable standards. It also helps correct mistakes and solves problems; it builds relationships between people, saves money and provides direction. People participating in a performance management process, both managers/supervisors and staff members, need to know how to provide constructive feedback to fellow employees as well as how to receive feedback in such a manner that it will have a positive effect on performance. Open and direct criticism provides the opportunity to clear misunderstandings and correct wrong perceptions and behaviour.

Key actions that need to be performed are:

Be honest but maintain the person’s self-esteem by providing balanced feedback. Begin and end with a positive statement. People are more receptive to corrective feedback when it is mixed with positive comments.

Be specific about what was said or done and state why it was effective or ineffective. Give examples of how the situation could have been handled more effectively.

Offer alternatives. If you are giving feedback for improvement, tell the person what he or she could have said or done differently; your perspective will be helpful. Your feedback has more value and credibility when you show that you have thought of other ways to deal with the situation.

Feedback should be Timely, Balanced and Specific

Timely Feedback: Provide feedback as soon as possible after the incident occurs. Feedback today on something that happened this morning means much more than feedback tomorrow or the following week. The incident is still fresh in the person’s mind, so feedback will be more meaningful.

Balanced Feedback: Mix positive and constructive comments throughout the discussion where possible. Too much negative feedback might make people defensive and unwilling to communicate. If you recognise all the good performance in the beginning and leave the corrective feedback for the end, a person might feel ‘set up’. Disappointment and resentment might then replace any feeling of satisfaction. After giving corrective feedback, end the discussion with a plan for improving performance. Work closely with the staff member on the plan. The more the individual contributes to it, the more committed he/she will be to carry it out.

Specific Feedback: A vague comment, like “You could have done a better job on that report”, does not identify the problem. It does not indicate what was wrong and how to improve. It is not the type of feedback that will help someone achieve his or her objectives. Along the same lines, general praise like “You have done a good job on that report”, also does not specify what the individual did well and should continue doing.

Specific feedback explains what the individual did and why it was effective or ineffective.