The 5 Don’ts of Frequent Feedback
The 5 Don’ts of Frequent Feedback
The transformation of the typical performance review process often includes the phrase, “make feedback more frequent”. That sounds like a good idea. It is if certain conditions are in place. There are five conditions which will either make or break the efficacy of frequent feedback.
I was out of town for a weekend and decided to play golf at a local course. Because I was alone the starter connected me with a threesome. One of the men frequently spoke. He spoke during everyone’s shots. He was whispered when someone was about to hit their shot yet you could still hear him.
He would not, or could not, stop himself. His frequent babbling was annoying enough but he made it worse by talking only about himself. He babbled about how he had played this and that hole. He added unnecessary details about the unfair bounce that prevented a par etc. etc. It was not helpful and it was annoying. The same annoyance and lack of value can occur with frequent feedback about work performance unless these five conditions are met.
The Five Don’ts
The first of the five conditions important for adding value during frequent feedback is to have a clear standard of behavior that everyone agrees will add value. In other words, don’t forget to create a clear standard of specific and observable behaviors. With a clear standard, managers and employees can provide helpful feedback based on that standard. They can avoid expressing opinions.
This leads us to the second condition. Don’t forget to use data during feedback and avoid unsolicited criticism. When a clear standard exists, everyone and anyone can ask if the behavior matches the standard. Criticism or opinions are unnecessary. A manager expressing an opinion about the performance of an employee can create fear in that employee.
Often the feedback will lead to emotions. This is especially true when there are challenging performance issues which have not been addressed in a timely manner. When there is emotion empathy is needed. Don’t forget to provide empathy. Empathy is the sincere expression that you understand the emotions someone is experiencing. Feedback without empathy is worthless. Empathy allows the person receiving the feedback to absorb it and use it. If there is an emotion and there is no empathy the feedback is rejected. The entire interaction becomes a waste of time.
This next condition don’t will seem out of order. Don’t forget to ask permission. Get the person’s consent. Ask permission to provide feedback. Even better, ask everyone in your organization to ask permission before they provide feedback. Make it a rule or part of the standard. Allow the person who is to receive the feedback to say, “no, I am not ready”. Give them the opportunity to wait for a better time.
Our Declaration of Independence states, “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” Feedback is delivered between men and women with the consent of those receiving the feedback. Give them the choice. Allow them to consent.
The most important condition is last. This condition is also the biggest change in how the typical manager thinks about feedback. Don’t make the feedback about the person. Make the feedback about process or method. Two of the earlier conditions were “don’t forget to use data during feedback (avoid unsolicited criticism)” and “don’t forget to create a clear standard.” If these are handled then the only thing left to discuss is either the process within which the employee is working or the method the employee is using to perform.
Feedback doesn’t have to be about the person. Give them feedback about their methods and how those methods can change. This will eliminate fear of change.
Frequent feedback is not enough to create optimum value and optimum improvement. Be sure you create the right environment by implementing these conditions. It will make the feedback easier and more effective.
Wally Hauck, PhD has a cure for the “deadly disease” known as the typical performance appraisal. Wally holds a doctorate in organizational leadership from Warren National University, a Master of Business Administration in finance from Iona College, and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania. Wally is a Certified Speaking Professional or CSP. Wally has a passion for helping leaders let go of the old and embrace new thinking to improve leadership skills, employee engagement, and performance.
Wally Hauck, PhD, CSP works with leaders who want to optimize the people potential. His company, Optimum Leadership, helps leaders reduce the greatest waste in America namely the failure to fully optimize the ability of people.
Wally’s vision is to eliminate the traditional performance review process from the planet. He has a cure and a replacement for this "deadly disease" called it the Complete Performance Improvement Process or CPIP. CPIP improves the quality and frequency of feedback to create high performance.
Optimum Leadership, provides ideas, tools, and processes, that help leaders to think, behave, and improve. Wally works with C-level executives and HR professional to achieve extraordinary results.
Wally holds a doctorate in organizational leadership from Warren National University, a Master of Business Administration in finance from Iona College, and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania. Wally is a Certified Speaking Professional or CSP.|Wally Hauck, PhD, CSP works with leaders who want to optimize the people potential. His company, Optimum Leadership, helps leaders reduce the greatest waste in America namely the failure to fully optimize the ability of people.
Wally’s vision is to eliminate the traditional performance review process from the planet. He has a cure and a replacement for this "deadly disease" called it the Complete Performance Improvement Process or CPIP. CPIP improves the quality and frequency of feedback to create high performance.
Optimum Leadership, provides ideas, tools, and processes, that help leaders to think, behave, and improve. Wally works with C-level executives and HR professional to achieve extraordinary results.
Wally holds a doctorate in organizational leadership from Warren National University, a Master of Business Administration in finance from Iona College, and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania. Wally is a Certified Speaking Professional or CSP.|Wally Hauck, PhD, CSP works with leaders who want to optimize the people potential. His company, Optimum Leadership, helps leaders reduce the greatest waste in America namely the failure to fully optimize the ability of people.
Wally’s vision is to eliminate the traditional performance review process from the planet. He has a cure and a replacement for this "deadly disease" called it the Complete Performance Improvement Process or CPIP. CPIP improves the quality and frequency of feedback to create high performance.
Optimum Leadership, provides ideas, tools, and processes, that help leaders to think, behave, and improve. Wally works with C-level executives and HR professional to achieve extraordinary results.
Wally holds a doctorate in organizational leadership from Warren National University, a Master of Business Administration in finance from Iona College, and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania. Wally is a Certified Speaking Professional or CSP.
Wally’s vision is to eliminate the traditional performance review process from the planet. He has a cure and a replacement for this "deadly disease" called it the Complete Performance Improvement Process or CPIP. CPIP improves the quality and frequency of feedback to create high performance.
Optimum Leadership, provides ideas, tools, and processes, that help leaders to think, behave, and improve. Wally works with C-level executives and HR professional to achieve extraordinary results.
Wally holds a doctorate in organizational leadership from Warren National University, a Master of Business Administration in finance from Iona College, and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania. Wally is a Certified Speaking Professional or CSP.|Wally Hauck, PhD, CSP works with leaders who want to optimize the people potential. His company, Optimum Leadership, helps leaders reduce the greatest waste in America namely the failure to fully optimize the ability of people.
Wally’s vision is to eliminate the traditional performance review process from the planet. He has a cure and a replacement for this "deadly disease" called it the Complete Performance Improvement Process or CPIP. CPIP improves the quality and frequency of feedback to create high performance.
Optimum Leadership, provides ideas, tools, and processes, that help leaders to think, behave, and improve. Wally works with C-level executives and HR professional to achieve extraordinary results.
Wally holds a doctorate in organizational leadership from Warren National University, a Master of Business Administration in finance from Iona College, and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania. Wally is a Certified Speaking Professional or CSP.|Wally Hauck, PhD, CSP works with leaders who want to optimize the people potential. His company, Optimum Leadership, helps leaders reduce the greatest waste in America namely the failure to fully optimize the ability of people.
Wally’s vision is to eliminate the traditional performance review process from the planet. He has a cure and a replacement for this "deadly disease" called it the Complete Performance Improvement Process or CPIP. CPIP improves the quality and frequency of feedback to create high performance.
Optimum Leadership, provides ideas, tools, and processes, that help leaders to think, behave, and improve. Wally works with C-level executives and HR professional to achieve extraordinary results.
Wally holds a doctorate in organizational leadership from Warren National University, a Master of Business Administration in finance from Iona College, and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania. Wally is a Certified Speaking Professional or CSP.
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