Positive feedback leads to better results and happier employees.
Gallup, the polling agency that has been focusing on employee engagement, is just out with new numbers and a white paper on “Why Employees are Fed Up with Feedback.” Their polling reveals how negative feedback demotivates managers and employees alike in overwhelming numbers.
As Gallup reports, only 14% of managers feel good about their ability to give feedback. And a whopping 89.1% of employees who get negative feedback report feeling not engaged or actively disengaged. That means, they could be looking elsewhere for employment.
It can’t be good for any business to have few managers good at feedback and most employees unhappy with bad feedback. With unemployment at historic lows, most businesses can’t afford to lose the talent they have invested in. Making the most of the employees you have is a key driver of success for everyone right now.
While employees need guidance, that doesn’t mean you have to hammer your direct reports on the head for doing–or not doing–something.
Here is a quick-start guide for giving effective positive feedback:
Start with something positive: For almost any employee, there is some positive feedback to give, even if you simply applaud them for being on time. Start your meeting with something that makes them feel good to establish trust and rapport.
Focus on positive actions: Then, if you want to get employees more focused on the results you need, there is no need to point out what they are not doing. Be positive and talk about what you want them to do. Try to be relentlessly forward looking.
Use a coaching approach: It is most effective to use a coaching approach to help others realize what tasks need to be prioritized and completed. Here are three simple questions to use in an employee meeting to help an employee become more aware of priorities and more motivated to focus on the results you need:
What do you think is your biggest accomplishment in the last three months?
What do you think is your biggest obstacle to getting more done right now?
If you could accomplish one big thing in the next three months, what would it be?
Start meaningful conversations and set goals: Use the questions above to start meaningful conversations about the challenges the employee faces and to focus them on the results needed. Get them to commit to doing what they set out to do. Be sure they have specific action steps to take that you can verify and give them specific timelines. Encourage them to go after the goals they commit to and celebrate milestones along the way.
Pretty soon, you’ll have happier employees and better results. That’s a win-win for everyone.
Do you need help with feedback? Send me your email and I’ll give you 20 minutes to help you formulate a plan to give feedback to someone.
