How to Give Effective Employee Feedback?
Feedback, both positive and negative, enhances the performance of your employees. Positive employee feedback encourages your employees to reach their maximum potential, while constructive criticism can help them grow and be more productive.
It’s essential to make sure your reviews are specific, authentic, and individualized. Giving your team positive feedback only helps them to grow and meet goals. It’s important that your reviews are accurate and constructive in a way that leaves your employees clear with your expectations of them.
How Can I Give Positive Employee Feedback?
- When someone performs better than before, especially after their review conversation with you…
“What an outstanding job you have been doing on X project since we spoke. Your messages to the rest of the team have sounded more authoritative and as well as clear and focused. Your leadership has improved greatly over the last quarter, and I greatly appreciate it.”
- When someone shows above and beyond dedication…
“I know you are going above and beyond to make X project a success. Your ability to work cohesively in a cross-functional setting has been a huge asset to the team while working on this project. I really appreciate your extraordinary effort over the last few months. Keep it up.”
- When you are highlighting someone’s attributes…
“Bill- over the last quarter, you have shown great leadership qualities. Even in the midst of a busy season with multiple projects being worked out, you found a way to keep the team in high spirits. It has not gone unnoticed, and we are looking forward to what you will bring to the company in the future.”
How Do I Give Negative Employee Feedback Without Sounding Too Harsh?
- Show unwavering support when you have a low performing employee…
“Tom, I’ve been noticing a decline in your performance over the last two weeks. You have made some easily-avoided errors and not be meeting your deadline goals. If you are feeling overwhelmed or feel like you do not understand something, please let me know how I can help. We only want to see you succeed here, and I am here to support you in any way possible.”
- When a deadline isn’t met look at the bigger picture…
“Joe, can you please explain your process leading up to this specific deadline so we can see where things may have gone off track? As you are a part of the whole team, this missed deadline, unfortunately, puts us all behind. Please let us know if you feel like you are not understanding something or need help with your time management regarding other projects.”
- Sympathize with client-facing mistakes…
“Let us take this as a lesson for next time when hastily closing a sales deal. Please make sure to update their payment info before sending them an access PIN. Don’t worry, I will send them an apology email right now and allow you to redirect them to their access point. If you are still unaware of how the billing software works, I would be happy to send you through a refresher course.”
In the end, feedback helps your company move forward as a whole. As a manager, it’s part of your job to make sure you are supporting your employees in every way possible. Positive feedback is a beautiful part of being a manager, but it’s also important to acknowledge and lend support where it is needed. Feel free to utilize many of the tools on the app to start a conversation regarding performance and rewards.