When you are a manager, giving feedback can feel like walking a tightrope. Whether you are praising an worker’s achievements or correcting shortcomings, the way you communicate can have a serious impact on how your words are received and acted upon.
How business school professorsWe’ve done research on how to make the assessment process as painless as possible. We have found three basic strategies for providing feedback which can be each effective and constructive.
Using these strategies will show you how to improve your feedback process, making a more positive and productive work environment:
1. Keep your emotions out of it
Have you ever noticed that saying things like “I’m disappointed” or “I’m proud of you” can completely change the flow of a feedback conversation? This is because the language you employ – especially emotionally charged words – may change how employees interpret feedback.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, our research shows that using negative emotional language – e.g., “I’m disappointed” – can reduce worker motivation and energy. This happens because employees take their attention away from results and give attention to the way you, the manager, perceive them as an individual.
At the same time, using positive emotional language comparable to “I’m happy” can sometimes backfire. This is because it could actually make employees feel complacent.
The key takeaway is that using emotionally neutral language, especially when giving negative feedback, helps employees stay focused on their tasks without being misled by what the feedback says about them personally.
Instead of claiming, “I’m disappointed with our sales numbers,” try a more neutral approach, comparable to, “Sales numbers are below our goal. Let’s discuss some improvement strategies.”
By keeping control of the emotions in your language, you’ll be able to focus the conversation on results. This helps employees higher understand what they need to work on without the added emotional burden.
2. Let employees customize their experience
Not all employees want the same sort of feedback, and that is completely nice. Giving employees the ability to select the type and frequency of evaluations can increase productivity.
Employees who can influence how often they’re evaluated are more likely to use the process productively and effectively feel less micromanagedour research has shown.
Consider making a feedback menu where employees can select areas to evaluate, comparable to communication skills, leadership development, or project management. An additional strategy is to allow employees to set the frequency of feedback sessions – whether that be weekly check-ins or more comprehensive quarterly reviews.
When employees have an influence on the evaluation they receive, they’re more open to it, perceive it as more invaluable and are more willing to act on it.
3. Select the appropriate messenger
Who provides the feedback can be as essential as the information itself. Our research has shown this some employees respond higher to feedback from peers, while others respond higher when it comes from a manager.
Specifically, we found that folks with a greater sense of entitlement are higher at responding to feedback from a supervisor, whereas individuals with less empowerment are more responsive to peer feedback.
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Therefore, it could be idea to use personality profiles to determine the best communicator to provide feedback. For example, consider situations in which feedback can reasonably be provided from a colleague and from whom, comparable to a peer mentor or team leader.
By matching the source of feedback to the content and context, you’ll be able to be sure that the feedback can have a deeper resonance and can be perceived as constructive, not critical.
Applying the rules to real life
Managers may find that using these three strategies may require adapting their current approach to feedback, but the advantages are price it. Here’s a fast example of how to apply these strategies:
Imagine you have got an worker, Mark, whose performance has recently dropped. You can start a conversation in which you express your opinions with a neutral statement, e.g. “Mark, I noticed that deadlines weren’t met in your recent projects. Let’s discuss why this might be happening.” This language will help Mark give attention to the issue without it being considered a private attack.
Then offer Mark the option of normal biweekly visits or monthly checkups to see what works best for him. Finally, if Mark has relationship with a team member who specializes in time management, consider organizing a peer feedback session where they’ll share suggestions and methods.
Result? Mark feels supported, not analyzed, and feedback is seen as a chance for growth, not a reprimand.
As researchers who’ve been studying management communication and feedback strategies for years, we all know that these approaches can change the way people interact with their teams. By providing feedback intentionally, managers can create an environment in which employees feel respected, valued, and motivated to succeed.