Delivering Employee Feedback

Observing employee behavior

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- One very overlooked aspect of being a leader?is the art of observing.?Think of all the things you say and do as a leader.?All of that, ideally,?should be based on your understanding of your employees.?Some of it is supplied by others, but mostly,?it comes?from your direct observations?while interacting with your team.?And there's a lot to observe,?including personality and attitudes, interpersonal skills,?technical and business skills, and character.?Let's make it easy by putting all of this?into three simple categories.?Let's start with what I call positive examples.

characteristics that are value-added?and worthy of a little praise.?On the task side,?that might include fixing a customer problem?or improving a work process.?On the interpersonal side,?this might include showing kindness or gratitude,?or displaying lots of helping behaviors.?In terms of negative examples,?you'll need to make observations there as well.?If you see flawed work products,?or even work that is acceptable?but not as good as you feel it could be, take note.?If you witness unproductive interpersonal exchanges?or personality problems, pay special attention.?While difficult,?learning to address these types of negative examples,?beginning with good feedback,?is a hugely important part of your job.?

Next is that group of good behaviors that we want to see,?but are not seeing.?From a development perspective,?if a person needs certain qualities to advance,?they need to know.?For example, what if you have an employee?who never shows gratitude towards others??They aren't mean, but showing gratitude is a blind spot.?It's your job to take note,?so that it can become a part of feedback?you deliver when you're ready.?As far as the issue of timing,?there is no right answer here.?Sometimes, you should plan when you will spend time?observing and interacting.

Other times, it's just a naturally-occurring situation?driven by the work you're all doing.?In either case, give your memory a boost by taking notes.

Research suggests that human memory isn't always great.?So after any interesting interaction,?be sure, whether digitally or on paper,?to capture what you've observed?and any related thoughts you might have.?Using thoughtful observation not only?keeps you connected with the team through interactions,?but it also makes performance evaluations easier?because you've been making observations and notes?on a regular basis.?That makes you a more prepared and helpful leader.