The Formula For Giving Feedback Without Causing Your Team’s Performance To Crash

A guide for managers to deliver critical advice

Receiving positive feedback from an accomplishment I worked hard on energizes me. As was the case last week when Niklas G?ke complimented key attributes on a particular article of mine. He shared four specific points that illustrated my writing strengths. He then asked me to experiment with trying a different formatting style. I was motivated by his feedback style and didn’t hesitate on trying out his suggestion.

There is a formula for providing feedback in the workplace that could create the spark to enhance performance.

“If you have something critical to say to a player, preface it by saying something positive. That way when you get to the criticism, at least you know he’ll be listening.” — Bud Grant, American Football

The seed for change is planted when we receive critical feedback. My eyes narrowed at the article in disbelief when I read there are 18 ways to be criticized. Yet scrolling through the long list, I found myself whispering ‘Yes, that has happened to me.’ or ‘Yep, I’ve been the manager who delivered that kind of feedback.’ I, myself, have experienced constructive and destructive criticisms, in the form of these phrases:

Destructive criticisms

”Your idea makes no sense.”

“You are being too sensitive about this.”

“Blue is an odd colour for a wall.”

“That will never work.”

“We are not doing that.”

Constructive criticisms

“Could you consider evolving this idea?”

“It is a good plan to consider for next year.”

“That’s a great idea, let’s expand on it.”

“How do you think we could handle the potential problem of X with this idea?”

“Let’s get some data to validate this theory.”

Damage Caused by Destructive Feedback

I am a critical person myself. Flaws naturally appear before me. My tendency to find faults made me an excellent software tester. The downside? The destructive approaches I have used to convey imperfections cost me friends, a husband, and a good management reputation. Those losses proved there could be dire consequences from dispensing harsh criticisms.

The result of sharp feedback is awful. I have been on the receiving end of destructive comments. Years ago I worked through a long weekend, missing out on fun plans, to complete a presentation. When I presented it, I was told it was garbage and I had wasted an entire management group’s time. There was probably some truth to that, but the verbal commentary destroyed my confidence.

I was down on myself for several days filled with anxiety. The words echoed loudly in my mind. It was like playing a bad movie on an endless loop.

This revelation is an important reminder for leaders like me to carefully consider how we deliver a work assessment to our teams. We should provide feedback kindly because there is a correlation between positive feedback and high performance.

High Performing Teams Receive More Praise

The feedback delivery formula is a simple one. Begin with many, like 5, compliments. Then follow with one action to explore for raising the standard. Let’s label this the 5x feedback formula.

High performing teams receive five times more encouraging messages than critical ones.

Contrast this with low-performing teams whose positive to negative ratio is 1:3.

The lower performance could be due to how we respond to negative feedback. The more we hear about our sub-par our work, the more our brain translates this into “I’m a poor performer.”

This simply robs us of our self-esteem and sets us back from making real self-improvement plans.

Ways to Positively Inspire Improvement

As a follower and a leader, I see merit in discussing growth opportunities using an open-ended approach. One that unlocks, rather than closes conversations. And elevates, rather than diminishes self-worth.

Your strengths are in A, B, C, D, E. If there was one thing to upgrade, it would be X.

It is not a small effort to deliver feedback that will increase performance. For the leader, it requires advance planning to select a method below and apply the 5x feedback formula.

Begin with all of an individuals’ strengths. It sets the foundation so it’s clear what already works well. The one improvement area then becomes the centre of attention, giving clarity for both the individual and the leader to support the change.

When I was competing on a high-performing dragon boat team, I recall the difference between a coach who said I had to work on five different things and a coach who said I had one thing to concentrate on for the next five practices. I was aware that there would be more changes to come to become a better paddler, but for now, it would be beneficial for me to focus on one priority at a time.

How did you feel about your performance?

Ask for the team member’s opinion on their performance. A question like this opens the discussion for both the leader and the employee to see similarities and differences in expectations. In one case, the individual was already aware of her shortcomings.

She was tough on herself. Instead of expanding on areas to fix, I emphasized the areas she excelled in. I purposely left the conversation at that. I worried after the meeting that I failed in suggesting improvements for her. She surprised me in how she responded. She sought personal development resources and then showed me the next day how nicely she planned to implement said self-improvement.

Apply the 5x feedback formula: come to the meeting with atleast five compliments, and only one new goal to reach potential.

How would you have done this differently?

Ask a team member how s/he would have prepared or performed different. Starting with this question can help leaders see the level of individual awareness and motivation. With recognition of what was less ideal in the situation, individuals are more likely to take ownership for a skills upgrade.

I worked with an architect who self-assessed that he needed to ditch his lengthy explanations, with a few well-chosen words for management presentations. When I agreed that improved communication would advance his career, he created a plan for himself and demonstrated a noticeable improvement within months.

Apply the 5x feedback formula: collaborate on selecting one goal to do it differently next time. Express at least five things that went well.

I have struggled with a similar concern you’re feeling, let me share my experience.

Share a personal story that shows a similar struggle the team member may be dealing with. The willingness to talk about a former hardship can enhance trust. It could lead to the individual to having an open mind in finding new, perhaps better solutions. I used to think that the definition of a professional manager is to display confidence and hide past failures. But my experience, the wins and losses, are valuable when others can benefit from it. Which means talking about the slip ups along the way to better outcomes.

I shared a story with a mentee in a new team lead position about my disastrous approach as a new manager. I confessed that I cared more about my achievements than those of the team. The tension from his shoulders eased dramatically once he realized he was not alone. Furthermore, he lowered his defenses allowing us both to work together to resolve his issues.

Apply the 5x feedback formula: share your story weaving in five successful lessons that the individual has already achieved. Work jointly on one potential solution to explore.

“People thrive on positive reinforcement. They can take only a certain amount of criticism and you may lose them altogether if you criticize them in a personal way… you can make a point without being personal. Don’t insult or belittle your people. Instead of getting more out of them you will get less.” — Bill Walsh, American Football

Summary of the benefits of constructive feedback and how to deliver it

Sharing constructive feedback is fundamental in order to achievement personal development and business performance. The difficulty is for leaders to deliver good and critical advice without alienating our teams.

Managers are usually uncomfortable in delivering, and teams in receiving feedback about their performance, especially if it is not positive. The opportunity, here, is for leaders to select an open-ended approach using a 5x feedback formula. It's an approach that can showcase an individual's strengths, then centre on one opportunity for change.

--This article was first published on Medium by Management Matters--