6 Effective Ways To Give Feedback at Work Your Employees Want To Hear

We all agree that in order to improve in life, in our careers, in our sports, we need feedback. But knowing how to give feedback at work effectively is crucial. We may not like it all the time, but we know we need some form of an objective opinion from an expert who can help us see where we are doing well, where we are underperforming, and give us sound advice on how to improve our overall performance.

We seek these experts out, and actually pay them for their advice in the sports we play, the hobbies we have, and the nutrition and physical health we desire. And so it would make sense that we would want that type of advice in our work performance, right? Understanding how to give feedback at work is therefore vital.

Well, not so fast – we may want the feedback at work, but it seems the feedback we are getting is not feedback we want to hear or that we find valuable. According to a study, only twenty-six percent of employees report that the feedback they receive at work is helpful, and more than 50-percent of millennials report that their managers are unprepared and lack the skills to give them effective feedback – casual or formal.?

Why Giving Feedback At Work Is So Difficult

Why is it so difficult to learn how to give feedback at work? It’s pretty simple – leaders today are not good at it. Think about how little training and input you receive on how to give effective feedback – not much right? According to Gallup – more than 80% of managers report they struggle with when and how to give feedback.

Add to that, most of the methods we use for feedback are outdated, making it challenging to figure out how to give feedback at work effectively.

First, when you hire a health or sports coach, you have an expectation that that is what you are getting, you actually seek it out. You work with them on a consistent basis – meeting with them once a month or sometimes weekly.

Your coach has a multi-faceted approach for giving feedback. Sometimes they give you feedback during a drill, or watch you try to improve a certain technique or they watch you play and then provide feedback after that match or game.

A health coach may have you track what you eat or the exercise you get, and then make suggestions for improvement or enhancements. Then they give you a few weeks to try a few more ideas, and then provide more input.

With feedback outside of the workplace, feedback is part of your progression. Something that is done consistently to help you get better.

Most feedback at work is given in the form of a performance review, showing a lack of understanding about how to give feedback at work regularly. A review done once or twice a year, and one that focuses on the past performance of the employees is not only not that valuable, it is not very inspiring.

6 Strategies To Give Feedback at Work Your Employees Want To Hear

Set The Expectation

When someone comes to work with you, set the expectation right up front that your job, your role, is to teach them how to give feedback at work and help them excel and progress. Regular feedback sessions are going to be a part of their development. Encourage them to come to you with questions or ideas in areas they want to grow.

Relationships First

Earn the right to give someone feedback, especially feedback for improvement. You need to be connected to your team members, they need to trust you, and you need to invest in them before asking them to invest in and follow your advice.

Communication Style

Feedback is different for different people and that depends on how they want to receive feedback. Some want you to be direct and to the point, others need a little more of a softer approach. Get to know the person you are giving feedback to, and adjust your style to better connect with theirs.

Choose The Time

While casual feedback can be incredibly valuable, you have to be careful about when you deliver feedback. A team member who is having a bad day, and not performing up to your expectations, may not need one more thing layered on them that day. A team member who just made their biggest sale may not need to hear how they could have increased their service while they are still celebrating the victory. Be mindful of when to deliver feedback.

Focus on Performance

Always, always focus on performance and not the person. In other words, think about the expectations you had, and ensure those have been communicated. Then lay out the expectations they delivered, and focus your feedback on the gap.

Give Them Control

And last but not least, ensure they have some control over the plan for improvement. People are more likely to support what they help create, and while you are pointing out where they need to improve, giving them an opportunity to say how they are going to do that will ensure the likelihood of implementation.

Knowing how to give feedback at work is key to employee growth, engagement, and retention in your organization. Doing it well will create a culture where employees feel valued and cared about, and when you invest in your employees' development they will return that favor by investing in the growth of your company.