The Secrets to Successful Feedback
When I was a manager at Per Se in the early aughts I received some startling feedback in my annual review. I was called a “cheerleader” by one member of the staff who had delivered this insight as a part of the review process (managers gave feedback to the team, the team gave feedback to the managers). I was bothered by this feedback, it felt disparaging and implied that I only delivered rah-rah fluffy praise that was unneeded by the team At the time I was discouraged by this, since I prided myself on having a positive approach to my leadership style. However, I wasn’t as good at delivering the harder stuff: constructive feedback. I had some work to do.
It’s a fact: giving feedback is essential to leadership. Feedback helps your reports redirect their performance, improve their skills and reinforce good behaviors. Feedback also helps you in your leadership role by demonstrating you stand up for the business and are willing to hold people accountable. Your team craves feedback so that they may feel engaged, encouraged, and able to do a good job. So it’s essential that you work at giving feedback because it is one of the most important tools in the leaders kit.
Normally we put feedback into two categories: positive and negative. But when the goal is engagement and improvement then we must rename our categories. There is positive feedback (behaviors we want to reinforce) and then there is constructive feedback (behaviors we want to adjust, adapt, improve or eliminate). But no matter what kind of feedback you are offering, it’s important to understand who you’re directing the feedback to and what kind of feedback will motivate them most.
In a study about feedback from 2009, researchers examined the experiences of American students who were taking either beginner or advanced-level French classes. What they discovered is that “beginners overwhelmingly preferred a cheerleading, strength-focused instructor.” One who will point out what you’re doing right and acknowledge the effort with enthusiasm. “Advanced students, on the other hand, preferred a more critical instructor who would help them develop their weaker skills.” In short, when you don’t really know what you are doing, positive feedback helps you to stay optimistic and feel more at ease with the challenges you are facing — something novices tend to need. But when you are an expert, and you already more or less know what you are doing, it’s constructive feedback that can help you do what it takes to get to the top of your game. At Per Se I didn’t realize that this was my problem; I was approaching an expert-level team as if they were novices. Naturally, it didn’t go over so well.
In truth, all feedback is constructive feedback and both types of feedback are essential to building a strong team. However, we often associate feedback with negativity because it is often about changing behaviors. So it’s important to remember that constructive feedback is informative, not personal. When you offer constructive insights the goal is to help your report improve in the long run by refining his or her approach and strengthening their abilities. So you must be specific about the behavior you want them to adjust (“Jess, I’d really like to see you work on your delegation style by being more descriptive and clear in your delegation of tasks”) and the goals you have for them if they do so (“I want you to start to delegate more of your own tasks to your team so that you have more time to work on learning purchasing and receiving. This will put you in a good position for promotion.”)
On the flip side, positive feedback is often demonstrated in the form of enthusiasm or praise. And, we commonly associate positive feedback with fluff, or inessential to work. So it’s important that your positive feedback comes in the form of specific praise for specific actions. Unless it is specific, positive feedback won’t serve to reinforce good behaviors. So, instead of saying “way to go, Jess, that was awesome,” you might be more specific and say “Jess, you really demonstrated a team mindset just now. I saw how you stood up for Sam just when she needed some support. I loved seeing you take action for another on your team, well done.”
We need positive feedback as much as we need constructive feedback in the workplace because positive feedback has been shown to increase commitment to one’s work by enhancing the workplace experience and helping to raise confidence in employees. Essentially, positive feedback equates to a positive workplace. At work, everyone needs both constructive and positive feedback in order to grow, improve, and to bond with the workplace and boss.
At the heart of feedback is relationships: fostering them, growing them, and improving them. Feedback is other-focused: it helps people improve their skills and adapt their behaviors. Feedback also helps you become better in your role as a leader. The cycle of feedback itself is important because it is your chance to model to your team what good feedback looks like, which, in turn, will help your reports learn this essential skill and move up the ladder. Remember, feedback is a leadership skill that you can improve every day. And you, your team, and your business are the beneficiaries.
