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Feedback is often mentioned, either as part of the performance appraisal process or as a stand-alone means of assisting your staff development. But it can be an important source of information and understanding of yourself as an effective leader. It is certainly an essential tool for the effective leader. Learn just how important feedback can be on our Leadership Skills training course. We can also arrange Appraisals Training on a private basis, with content tailored to your organisation’s processes and policies.

What is feedback?

Feedback is a way of helping another person change their behaviour. Feedback helps the individual to keep their performance on target in order to achieve certain standards and goals. It is a developmental process for the individual who wants to learn how well their performance matches expectations.

For performance to improve, three types of information must be conveyed:

• what is considered to be the appropriate standard of performance
• how their performance measures up to this standard
• how they might improve their performance.

Clearly if you expect a member of staff to perform to a certain standard, then the standard needs to be explained first before giving the task! This is obvious, but how often does it happen?

Guidelines for giving feedback

Focus on performance, not on personality

• Telling someone that they “don’t seem to be able to relate very well to the public” could sound, to the individual in question, like a comment on their personality. Concentrate feedback on the behaviours required in order to dispel this perception (such as giving full attention to customers, making eye contact with them, using their name when possible, returning calls promptly, etc.) will be much more helpful.

Give feedback when the behaviour occurs

• Praise is most effective when it occurs close in time to the praiseworthy behaviour; so is criticism, for stored-up criticism can lead to massive defensive mechanisms being brought into play when it is tackled. Frequent informal feedback is much better than infrequent formal feedback.

Summarise and check

• Ask the individual to summarise the feedback they have just received and try to make sure that they remember both the positive and the negative. Then ask them to reiterate the action plan that you have agreed to remedy any performance deficits/develop themselves for the future.

Feedback is a two-way process!

It just as important that you as the leader receive feedback from your staff as it is that you give feedback to them. You also need to know where your behaviour could change so be prepared to ask for constructive feedback from staff and do not be defensive when you receive it. Listen attentively to what is being said and be prepared to change if necessary.

In other words, do not expect your staff to do something you are not prepared to do yourself!

Similar resources you may like

1. Feedback skills
2. How leaders add value to teams
3. Leaders and coaching
4. Managing performance
5. Feedback from Managers

Tags

Constructive feedback, Effective Leadership, Giving feedback, leadership skills, leadership training, Negative feedback, Positive feedback

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This entry was posted by Colin Welch on Tuesday, April 3rd, 2007 at 9:06 am and is filed under Leadership Skills. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

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