Feedback is one of the most important management tools for companies, however it can be one of the trickiest ones to get right. Feedback has the tendency to impact on people’s emotions which can mean that many managers avoid giving feedback altogether. Regardless of how difficult it can be to give constructive feedback, avoiding it can do more harm than good. For employees, receiving feedback is important for development and productivity and is therefore a vital tool for companies to achieve results and drive success.

When is feedback most effective?

One mistake that managers often make is to wait until something goes wrong to give feedback. The result can be that problems can fester and become even more difficult to deal with. In fact, according to Gallup, companies that give feedback on people’s’ strengths have a 14.9% lower turnover rate and 8.9% higher profitability than those that don’t.

Employees prefer to hear about their successes in the workplace rather than their failings. This is why constructive feedback is most effective when positive feedback is also regularly delivered. Employees can benefit greatly from receiving regular positive feedback so that they can focus on their strengths and use them to increase productivity.

Common errors people make when approaching giving feedback can include:

• The “how is it going” approach – Delivering feedback as part of a non-specific, “how is it going” type discussion. This can be too unfocused and may feel like an out-of-nowhere ambush for the employee.
• The feedback sandwich – Delivering negative feedback sandwiched in the middle of positive feedback. This can end up more closely resembling the “crap filed lolly” by presenting something as sweet when at its centre it actually isn’t. This isn’t a transparent or effective approach.
• The pillow approach – Using too many pillows when delivering feedback to ensure a soft landing. When managers are too phobic about confrontation they can overwork to minimise the negative impact. This can be confusing for the employee as they may not actually realise that their behaviour needs to change.
• The machine gun nelly – Building up a lot of feedback over time as ammunition and then letting them have it all at once! This can make the employee feel like they are under attack.

Why is it important to deliver feedback effectively?

When feedback is delivered ineffectively, the results can be highly detrimental to an employee’s performance. If the employee consistently receives feedback in a way that undermines their ability to perform their job, their confidence may be weakened, and their overall performance can be impaired.

The desire for people to only hear positive feedback can sometimes inhibit their ability to take negative feedback onboard. In order to deliver negative feedback in a way that increases productivity, preserves morale and improves success, managers should consider the following strategies:

Employ the STAR/AR approach

The STAR approach is an effective approach for giving feedback. It clearly identifies the good or bad behaviour and evaluates the results in a clear and easy to digest way.

It comprises of the following steps.

S – Situation

Describe the situation where the behaviour occurred. 

T – Task

Describe the task the employee performed.

A – Action  

Describe the action taken by the employee.

R – Result

Describe the result of that action taken by the employee.

If your feedback is constructive in nature then you should also add the extra layers of:

A – Alternative action

Suggest an alternative action that could have been taken by the employee.

R – Alternative result 

Suggest an alternative result that could have occurred had the employee taken alternative action.

The STAR/AR approach not only assesses performance but also recommends alternative strategies for next time which ensures that the employee has the best possible chance to learn from the feedback.

Working with an executive coach is a great way to master giving constructive feedback to your employees. To find out whether this is right for you contact us today.

An executive coach will work with you to ensure your feedback is digestible, specific, objective, honest, accurate, solutions-focused and balanced. 

Digestible

Give bite sized feedback at a time. It’s important that managers don’t bombard employees with too much feedback at the one time. Saving multiple matters for the one conversation can inhibit a person’s ability to achieve their best results. Rather, it is more effective to give small amounts of feedback, more often.

What may seem like an easy fix for a manager may take some time to perfect for an employee. This is why giving little bits of feedback at a time will help to ensure that the outcome of each discussion will be achieved.

Specific

Dancing around the problem without drawing focus to the bottom-line is a way that some managers try to give feedback to avoid hurting someone’s feelings. This method is highly ineffective. By being specific and maintaining focus, managers can ensure that employees have heard and understood the information that has been given to them. This can help to ensure that they work to resolve the problem and work towards their goals.

Objective

Your feedback must be objective and concentrate on behaviour, not character. Giving constructive feedback in a manner than disempowers, humiliates or undermines people can be extremely counterintuitive. When constructive feedback is delivered ineffectively, employees may take it as a personal attack on their character. For example, telling someone that something they have done is “not good” can be received as a personal attack. The person may receive this information by thinking “I am not good”. In order to deliver constructive feedback, it’s important to frame the discussion around the task at hand rather than the employee’s character.

Honest & Accurate 

Your feedback must be accurate, honest and fair. Make sure you have a clear understanding of exactly how the employee behaved before addressing it. It is also important for you to consider why you are unhappy with the behaviour of the employee. Did the employee underperform or did they simply take a different action than you would have? Employing the STAR/AR model will help identify genuine behaviour or performance issues rather than personal preferences.

Solutions-focused

Centre the discussion on the solution, not just the problem. To draw attention to a problem area, constructive feedback should be framed in a way that highlights potential future successes. Instead of dwelling on the problem, managers should guide employees by concentrating on the solution. Ask coaching questions like, “what’s another approach? What worked well? What could you do differently? By concentrating on “what to do” instead of “what not to do”, the person will feel more empowered to achieve success.

Balanced

Create a balance between addressing the subject of the feedback with the emotional needs of the employee. How will the employee react to this feedback? Do they feel respected and listened to? Will delivering this feedback create fallout in terms of employee engagement?

Employees may respond to feedback differently, so when giving constructive feedback it’s important for managers to be receptive to the individual’s response. This way you can tailor your next discussion according to the techniques the person responded best to.

Timely & Constructive

Don’t be a “machine gun nelly”; make sure your feedback is timely. Don’t wait to deliver feedback until the behaviour is no longer fresh in the employee’s’ mind; make sure you address the behaviour as soon as possible.

A lot of managers find that delivering constructive feedback is a skill they may need to improve on. At Directions Unlimited we offer executive coaching to help you develop those skills, and more! To find out more about how to give constructive feedback to your employees, contact us today.

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Everyone has their reasons for avoiding difficult conversations. Perhaps you’re worried about losing the friendships you have with your team members, or maybe you don’t want to be seen as the ‘bad guy.’ Perhaps you’re concerned about other people’s feelings getting hurt, or you simply get tongue tied and are not sure what to say, or even where to begin.

Whatever the case, when you’re in charge, you’re the one that needs to resolve issues. These conversations can’t be avoided without consequences. To truly succeed as a leader or manager, it’s important to take ownership of your role as an arbiter and facilitator, and handle difficult conversations with respect and maturity.

Planned and unplanned conversations

Difficult conversations will fall into the categories of planned and unplanned conversations. While some forward planning is ideal when heading into unknown territory, you may often find yourself having to deal with some conflict that was sprung on you and that you are completely unprepared for. Either way, as much as you may want to avoid conflict or upsetting someone, having difficult conversations is an inevitable part of leadership and management.

Often, especially in the case of unplanned conversations, our initial tendency may be to become defensive and overuse the word ‘no’. It’s very easy to want to stick to your opinion and try to ‘win’ the argument, but if that’s how you always do it, are you really winning in the long term? What might that way of behaving be doing to your employee, client, or colleague and the relationship you have with them? Over time, you will end up being seen as the difficult one, as unreasonable and unapproachable, and people will lose respect for you. Not the best outcome!

Instead, try framing your conversations around more of a mutual acceptance of each other’s view or opinion, whereby you let the other person know that they have been heard, and you can also add your perspective into the mix. For example, instead of saying ‘no, this is actually what happened’, you could say ‘yes, I see how you’ve come to that conclusion, let me share with you my experience with that situation.’ The latter option has a much better chance of letting the other person know their words were taken on board and their feelings heard, and they should be much more likely to listen to what you have to add.

What happens when we avoid difficult conversations?

When we avoid having difficult conversations it can drastically affect the entire workplace – in a negative way. Most issues within the workplace don’t just resolve themselves. Left unmanaged, they can lead to underperformance, loss of morale, resentment, more conflict, lack of focus and productivity, and an increase in staff turnover. A study by AHRI found that 47% of people believed that effective management and leadership is the best way to retain them, closely followed by a positive workplace culture. You owe it to your team to appropriately handle difficult conversations and conflict, or you risk losing them altogether. For a deeper look into retaining your best people, check out this blog post.

How to handle difficult conversations with ease

What is your current go-to reaction when an issue arises in your workplace? Is it dread? Panic? Worry? All of the above? Well fear not! There are some simple steps you can take to help you handle both planned and unplanned difficult conversations and resolve conflicts.

Be calm and collected

It is important to lead the conversation calmly and steadily. The way in which you hold yourself, the tone of voice you use, and your mannerisms will all contribute greatly to the outcome of your difficult conversation. Being as centred and calm as possible will help keep you on track to a positive result.

Choose the right environment to talk in

Having difficult conversations in your office while you sit at your desk can be quite overbearing. A better choice would be to meet in an office meeting room, at the cafeteria or even go outside and make it a walking meeting – the fresh air and change of scenery can help to open people up to new ideas.

Make your intentions clear

Let your employee know ahead of time that you’d like to have a talk about x, y, or z and ask them what time suits them. This will mean you’ve given some ownership to the employee and it won’t feel as intimidating going in. By locking in a time and place to chat, it also gives you time to prepare and organise. When the meeting begins, don’t take time for small talk as it can steer away from the topic at hand, just try to get straight into it.

Figure out your objective

Long before the conversation is to take place, you need to know what you want to accomplish, and your desired outcome. You’ll also need to consider that there will be new facts presented during the conversation, but knowing where you stand as much as possible beforehand will help guide you through.

Be curious and show acknowledgement

Start the conversation with a mindset of inquiry. Don’t lay blame, judgement or point the finger, as this will undo any of the positive groundwork and your meeting will likely turn sour. Be open to hearing what the employee has to say, and try to listen to their point of view and story before jumping in with solutions. In doing so, ensure that you are acknowledging the feelings of your employee, warranted or not. It doesn’t mean you agree with everything that they are saying, but if they are being open with you it’s important to encourage that through active listening and by respecting their views.

Be consistent

As hard as it may be, you need to do your best to remain objective, fair and consistent when it comes to your management and leadership approach, and especially when it comes to your responses and solutions to problems in the workplace. You don’t want to seem as though you’re favouring one employee over another, or giving any special treatment based on outside relationships.

Encourage input

Make sure the employee is part of the analysis of the situation and in providing solutions. Again, you want to give them some ownership of this and let them feel part of the process. Often you’ll find that your employees can come up with a wider array of solutions than you can, simply because they are in a different position with different perspectives.

Ideally, you want to reach a level of understanding and agreement between you and the employee. You might like to write up a plan of action and book in a time to meet again to follow up and discuss any progress. Ensure that the employee is comfortable enough with the outcome and that they know to approach you with any questions or concerns.

Remember, when difficult conversations are handled promptly, and desired outcomes are achieved, it can mean a huge improvement in your employee happiness and engagement levels, leading to an efficient and productive workplace.

Need more guidance?

Many people find that they need a little help developing these much needed skills. Executive coaching can help you evolve your ability to handle difficult conversations and conflict resolution more effectively. Check out our recent blog post to see how else coaching can benefit you.

If you would like an obligation free discussion on how executive coaching can prepare you to effectively handle difficult conversations, contact us today.

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