Attention Managers: Quit Being Cautious When It Comes to Giving Feedback

As a manager or leader, one of the most difficult parts of your job can be giving feedback to subordinates. Only 29% of people in a recent Leadership IQ survey said they ‘Always’ know whether their performance is where it should be, or not.

Even with all of the emphasis on performance analytics, and software to help improve these practices, it’s still common for employees to not know where their performance stands. With the new year right around the corner, it’s time to make a resolution to stop being cautious about feedback, and we have just the tips to help you get started.

Watch Out for Hesitant Feedback Delivery

37% of the 616 managers surveyed in a study, said they were uncomfortable having to give direct feedback and criticism about an employee’s performance that an individual might respond badly to. Let’s face it, no one enjoys giving corrective feedback, but everyone enjoys receiving it. 72% of respondents said they thought their performance would improve if their managers would provide corrective feedback.

Despite many managers’ fear of backlash from giving corrective feedback, it’s something employees need and actually want to hear. Having the ability (and desire!) to give corrective, among positive, feedback will only benefit you and your organization in the long run. It gives employees the opportunity to know where they are in terms of performance and how to improve from there.

Read more about getting comfortable delivering negative feedback in a constructive way.

Use Your Technology

What better way to continuously track and monitor employee performance than your… performance management system? Embrace the technology your company has provided when it comes to tackling your issues with giving feedback and keeping records of performance.

You can start by harnessing your feedback skills in written form, and then graduate to face-to-face talks when the formal review comes around. 58% of companies surveyed in 2015 were still using spreadsheets as their primary means for tracking performance metrics. If this sounds like your organization, it’s time to get with the times and see what a performance management system can do for you.

Learn why employees want a performance management system.

Channel Goal Alignment

Giving constructive feedback, or any kind of feedback for that matter, shouldn’t be delivered with a one-and-done mentality. Working to align organizational goals with employee goals should be a part of the ongoing feedback process as well.

Communications expert, Bill Quirke, says when employees understand their overall role in business, 91% will work toward its success. But when they don’t, that figure drops sharply to 23%. Keeping these statistics in mind when giving feedback can be beneficial to help remember to give an end goal during each instance of performance management. This provides employees with something to work towards and lets them understand how their work is contributing to the business as a whole.

Read how to keep your team on track with their goals.

Administering feedback to your team is the backbone of performance improvement within an organization. When managers are hesitant about this practice, or just don’t use the tools the correct way, it can hinder the progress of performance for employees and managers alike. What part of giving feedback do you struggle with? Where do your strengths lie? Let us know on Twitter! @trakstar_hr