When someone is trying something new, positive feedback is essential to improving confidence. When people are trying to master skills, constructive feedback about how they can improve what they're doing may be essential to career advancement.
A manager who worries about protecting his or her employees' feelings actually may be holding them back in their careers. "It's a great injustice not to give constructive criticism and performance feedback to your employees and peers," says Jody Bertram, senior EAP consultant for VITAL WorkLife. "It's how we learn, improve and succeed!"
It helps if both you and your report agree to view the feedback as a learning opportunity. When you preface your remarks by saying, "I'm pointing this out because it's important to me, our organization and your career development that you become proficient in this area," you're far more likely to engage and motivate the employee than by giving them a scolding.Tips for providing constructive feedback:
- Explain your motivation for providing the feedback: Try not to initiate the conversation with phrases such as "You did…" or "Why did you..." Instead, lead in with statements such as, "I have a concern about…" "I feel I need to let you know…" "I want to discuss…" or "I have some thoughts about…"
- Describe what you've observed: Use specific phrases such as, "When you presented yesterday, you went ten minutes longer than your assigned time," so that the person you're speaking with has tangible information on which to act.
- Describe the effect of the behavior on others: Saying something like, "Bob had to race through his part of the presentation and our clients didn't get all the information we wanted them to have," allows the person you're coaching to put the feedback in context.
- Ask permission to share your experience: "I used to run long in my presentations until I learned how to rehearse for time. Would you like to hear what worked for me?" This approach lets the person receiving feedback know your intent is to offer help and not to chastise.
- Invite them to call VITAL WorkLife: Whenever an issue arises that you and your employee can't discuss comfortably—or requires more time to address than you have available—consider encouraging that employee to reach out to an EAP consultant by calling 800.383.1908
"Many issues aren't serious enough for a formal referral," says Bertram. "An employee who has anxiety about speaking in public might appreciate a reminder that he or she is welcome to call us anytime, day or night about any concern—personal or work-related."
