Clients tell me that the biggest impediment is time. My experience in working closely with groups of leaders is that the other big challenge they face has more to do with skill and emotions (and the two are linked). If you are a manager, one of the most important things you do is to provide both performance and developmental feedback to your staff. To be good leader, you must be skillful at this. For the purpose of this article I will focus on performance feedback. Let me distinguish performance v. developmental feedback:
- Performance Feedback is focused on aligning the individual actions and behaviors with the needs of the role and goals
- Development Feedback is focused on expanding the individual's skill set to advance their contribution, confidence, and career.
There is crossover. Sometimes the feedback you provide serves both needs. Whatever you currently do, here is my take:
- All feedback, constructive and positive should be SAT
- Follow the same "ground rules" for positive and constructive feedback
- Just practice and you will get better at it.
SAT feedback is:
1. Straightforward - plan what you need to say and say it directly
YES - "I want to talk about ___. This (specific aspect) needs to improve in the following ways."
NO - "Overall you did a good job but I want to understand why you did ....." (you are trying to "soften it"....for what purpose?)
2. Accurate - ground your feedback in data, observation, work product and facts. Get rid of any judgement - it is unnecessary. You need to see behavior that matches the needs of the role and goal.
"You're presentation was disappointing." is better stated with specifics of what the presentation was lacking and what you need to see in the next (just the facts). Give them a resource if they need it (direction, coaching, a partner who is great at what they need to practice or a class).
3. To the point - Keep feedback as simple and short as possible. Economy of words makes all feedback more powerful. Their actions and impact of outcomes are the focus of your feedback. Why they do what they do is unknowable unless they are aware of it and choose to tell you.
I could do another entry on dealing with emotions, yours and theirs. For right now let me just say that you provide feedback because they need it. Good feedback makes us all better. Observe what it is like for you, take care of yourself and do it anyway. My final point on this deep subject - give LOTS more positive feedback and make it SAT. Include as much specific data as you would with constructive feedback. Routinely call people into your office or a conference room to celebrate their performance and provide positive feedback. Do this 3-4 times as often as you provide constructive feedback. If you do this, your constructive feedback will be more powerful and meaningful.
Get going, SAT.
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