Feedback - Your People Need It
Keywords: feedback, appraisal, performance appraisal, performance mangement, evaluation, employee performance,
The early months of a job are the most important in determining whether the match between employee and organization is going to be successful or not. If the recruitment has been handled well and reasonable expectations have been set by all parties, then it comes down to the relationship between the employee and the manager.
Ideally you will have a performance management system that incorporates WHAT people need to do through a job description and HOW they are to do it through core competencies and behaviours. However, whether you have that in place or not, early setting of expectations and provision of feedback is essential.
Regardless of the seniority of the job, it is important that the new employee has some direction and receives information on how they are going.
We have previously discussed Expectations of Success which are the targets for a new employee over the first few months - possibly even up to the first year.
It is important to give in-depth and specific feedback at these times. It is often too easy to say “everything seems to be going OK” whereas a comment on what they are doing well is far more useful. “I liked the way you prepared that report, it was clear and concise and I was able to use it to communicate with the Board.” “Thank you for briefing me on the planned meeting well in advance, it helped me prepare for it”
A useful reinforcement model is to define exactly what was expected, how they did it and the consequences. “Part of your job is to plan the preventative maintenance of the equipment. I see that you have done that well in advance; it is comprehensive and has been communicated effectively. As a result, we have had no down time and our margins are up. Thank you for doing a great job.”
With that sort of feedback the employee knows what it is they did well and why it is important. They are likely to do it again.
Of course giving positive feedback is easier than the other kind. If we have to be critical, we’ll tend to try and avoid it. It is important that we don’t.
Try this simple improvement model.
Describe what the problem is. “One of the behaviours we try to encourage here is team work. I’ve heard that the rest of your team is not getting the information they need from you. Is there a problem?”
Collect the relevant information which will include the employee’s side of the events. “What sort of obstacles are stopping you from sharing this with them?”
Explore possible solutions. “Can we organize brief meetings, do it by email or will phone calls be OK?”
Agree on the action to be taken. “OK, so you’ll send an email with the figures each Friday”
Agree on a follow up. “Let’s meet as a team at the end of next month to check this is working and see what else we can do to make improvements.”
A few guiding principles also help.
Maintain the employee’s self esteem. Look for the positive aspects of the employee’s behaviour and treat any negative aspects as areas that are development opportunities.
Concentrate on the task or behaviour - not the person. For example: “When you say ‘get me the file now’, the support team feels intimidated and offended” rather than “You upset the team”. Another example may be: “When the report is late, the invoicing is delayed which increases interest costs” rather than “You’re too slow”.
Remember to focus on the behaviours and performance, not the personality.
Don’t fall into the trap of giving a couple of compliments followed by a “but”. Try replacing this with an “and”. It makes all the difference.
With a structure to follow it is often easier to prepare for giving feedback and preparation will help reduce the tendency to procrastinate.
We have talked about the importance of feedback for new employees, of course it is also important to keep this up with all employees and build it into your ongoing performance management process.
In times of a talent shortage it is particularly important to identify any instances of previously good performers who may be slipping in their performance and addressing this in a positive way. This way problems are identified and fixed as soon as possible rather than left to grow and lead into costly exercises that cause friction, reduce productivity and increased costs.
Paul Phillips is a Director of Horizon Management Group; a consulting firm which assists businesses manage their people more effectively. He has over 30 years experience in human resources and, while based in Australia, has worked in a number of overseas locations. www.horizonmg.com
Previous Articles Highlighter:
Good Menu Design Requires Creative As Well As A Systematic Approach (1)
So, as important the menu design is to the customers who read it, it's also important to the restaurant itself as it is being put together. Before you actually start to put together your restaurant, you need to do some research in order to be able to make it the best it can be.
Baby Boomer Business Sellers - The Rush To The Exits Could Erode Company Valuations (2)
Count on your original champion who negotiated your agreement not being involved by the end of the earn-out period. Make the agreement air tight in terms of how it is interpreted.
Creating E-Covers Using Photoshop? Forget It (3)
Designing your own e-book requires software Photoshop, Paintshop Pro, or GIMP to name a few, and stock images, which you should carefully check the license of. If you're a photographer and have professional quality photos, or know one, they might be a good person to contact, otherwise look for sites that deal in royalty free images.
Bath And Kitchen Countertops Made So Easy That Anyone Can Do It (4)
Keywords: Jerusalem Stone, stone, granite, marble, countertops, fireplace, fireplaces Building a new home or remodeling an existing one can be a very stressful time. There are so many decisions to make.
Everything You Need To Know About Kitchen And Bath Counter Tops (5)
Most of these can be installed by the home owner. For truly high end products, like granite, one has to go to a specialty center. Granite offers a gleaming, refined look to the kitchen and bath.
Opening An Online Store Strategies (6)
The best choice is to find a reputable host that will provide you with a storefront and hosting for a reasonable price. Don't try to pinch pennies on this aspect of your business.
Who Caused The Housing Bust (7)
Beginning in early 2007, studies of 20-month-old subprime mortgages showed a default rate greater than 5%. The higher-than-expected defaults led to hedge fund wipeouts and then to mortgage broker bankruptcies.
History Of Aerial Panoramas (8)
The process of dealing with wet plate cameras involved a very small window of time. Early wet plates needed to be developed and fixed very quickly after exposure. Still, these difficulties did not stop photographers from meeting the challenge of capturing photographic images from the air.
Buy, Sell, Or Hold? (9)
Will the credit crunch adversely affect these holdings? I don't think it will. There are closed-end funds with attractive portfolios of bonds that can be purchased for less than the underlying costs of the bonds themselves.
Are You Killing Your Houseplants With Kindness? (10)
Composts are best used as organic amendments for outdoor soils. A good potting medium should stay porous and allow watering and fertilizing at an even and consistent rate. Houseplants receive much less sunlight than outdoor plants, so plants that thrive in full or partial shade will be good choices.
Newer Articles Highlighter:
Bargain Hunting Pursuits Have No Borders (1)
When the necessities in life are bought and paid for with credit cards with discounted rates and give the shopper the added benefit of rewards through points or airline miles, the savvy bargain hunter will believe that they have achieved all of the goals of their bargain hunting shopping trip.
Use Pay Per Click (PPC) To Increase Traffic To Your Website (2)
You, the advertiser, pay a "cost per click" each time a person clicks on your ad. This cost is determined by the amount you bid for each keyword associated with your ad.
Get The Best Deal On Your Dell Printers (3)
There are many companies who are always in a hurry and are there to pay almost anything to just get their supplies on time. But to find the Dell printer supplies you have to plan ahead.
Mothers Of The Bride And Groom - How To Break Rules And Still Look Great And Guilt-Free (4)
Daughters, please give mom a break like she gave you (many) breaks all those years of raising and loving you, despite your faults and mishaps. Do not dictate what mom can or cannot wear.
A Little Certificate Can Go A Long Way (5)
But if you are like most people you will want to know what is involved in the training program, which leads to the certificate. Well, there are lots of training programs conducted by many institutions to develop a person's skill and knowledge.
What Are Zero Balance Transfers? (6)
With planning and exercising discipline, you can bring down your large credit card balance. You can take advantage of the low APR, and apply all the money you save on the interest to the principal.
How To Complete A Mortgage Application (7)
It would be an apt substitute if you do not have enough credit history with canceled checks for rent, electricity, water, and other recurring obligations to show in payment history.
How Soon Can I Refinance A Mortgage? (8)
You may also be wishing to consolidate other debts and paying them off by refinancing a mortgage. All the options for their worth will have to analyzed to derive the maximum benefits from refinancing mortgage.
Diet To Fight Cellulite - Stop Cellulite Forever (9)
It is the case with stress as well. . Many people take to eating when they are stressed out. Some meditation in such cases has proven to be a great help to reduce food intake for those wanting to reduce weight.
Dish Network Online Sales (10)
One wants to beat the other. Hence the consumer benefits again. So, start browsing and looking for the best deal on Dish Network. What Will You Get?