Feedback: Breakfast of Champions!
As we all enter busy season, it’s easy to put off tasks that do not directly impact our clients such as providing feedback. But when you consider the effect of delaying employee feedback until the performance management process, employee engagement and retention suffer. All too often, it seems the path of least resistance or the good ole – “I don’t have time” methods of providing feedback become habit during the busiest time of the year. It is during this time of the year when employees have the most development opportunities. Once the slower summer months hit, the work loads typically decrease and there is very little opportunity for an individual to apply the feedback provided. I’ve heard all too often in exit interviews, “Well I wish someone would have told me sooner so that I would not have continued making the same mistakes.” So why not make this busy season different? It’s a great opportunity to work with your leaders emphasizing the importance of making time for providing feedback – informal or formal – during busy season and beyond.
The perception of “providing feedback” is often interpreted as being formal and potentially negative. That just does not need to be the case. Feedback can be as simple as complimenting for a job well done and by drawing parallels to the firm’s core values. Recognizing an individual’s strengths and how they apply their strengths will yield repeat performances and further development of those skills. It is in the mistakes however that learning takes place and it is that feedback that tends to be difficult to share. The secret is to remove the emotion from the situation and describe the behavior. When the emotion is removed, the opportunity to address specific actions becomes more constructive. One very simple method is to describe the performance expectation, describe the observed behavior and ask the individual to explain the gap. This gives the individual receiving feedback the opportunity to explain his/her behavior and the person providing feedback the opportunity to ask clarifying questions. Such as, “What led you to make the decision to . . .” or “help me understand your thought process on . . .or similar questions. Avoid asking “why” as the answer would typically be, “I don’t know” or “I’m not sure”. Once the gap is explained and understood, then the opportunity to adjust expectations becomes real and improvement surfaces!
One other key feedback element is in the ears. Whether providing or receiving feedback, really listening to what is being said, is pivotal. Avoid the temptation to formulate a response to what is being said and totally focus on what is being said by using a simple active technique, “So what I
heard you say was . . . “ . Any points understood and/or missed will be apparent immediately rather than linger without resolution. As with providing feedback, asking questions when receiving feedback is very helpful! Most of us want to know specifically what we need to change, learn, stop or start doing so, if we aren’t really hearing the “what” then it’s time to ask but, be ready for the answer.
Those who want to advance in their careers and improve will welcome ongoing feedback any time of the year but, like football teams, they work the hardest during football season watching films, ramping up the intensity of practices and team meetings after each game. These are essentially feedback techniques that focus on one goal: win more games with the hopes of playing in the Super Bowl! Will your team have more wins than losses this busy season? Will you make the time for feedback to help them win?