No One Wants To Be The "BAD" GUY

         Providing feedback is an important managerial responsibility. It is necessary for reinforcing positive behaviour and providing redirection in case things are not on track. Feedback not only improves employee morale but also reduces confusion regarding expectations and current performance.

         Notwithstanding the fact constructive feedback is vital for desirable performance and a fundamental aspect of employee-manager relationship, many managers struggle to effective feedback to their direct reports:

• It is not my job: Quite often task oriented managers are solely focused on getting the job done. They are quite oblivious to the fact that driving sustained performance is not possible without timely feedback
• Waiting for appraisal cycles: The essence of effective feedback is its timing. Feedback is most useful when shared immediately as it gives employees time to work on the areas of improvement and motivates them for things they have done well. However, most of the managers make a common blunder of waiting till the mid-year, annual review cycles to share feedback with their team

        While the above situations exemplify the typical idiosyncrasies of managers, purpose of this article is to underscore the importance of effective feedback dialogue while handling non-performance. Structured feedback plays a pivotal role while dealing with non-performing employees. While it is comfortable to appreciate employees for a job well done managers typically hesitate to share critical feedback. It is imperative to realize that everybody wants corrective feedback and it is duty of managers to provide employees with this feedback.

        All the more, in case there is no improvement in performance and employee has to be asked to resign proper documented feedback can mitigate risks to the organization from wrongful termination claims. Research from consulting firm Zenger Folkman indicates that while managers dislike giving critical feedback, all employees value hearing it- interestingly many often find it more useful than praise.

        Why do then managers hold back feedback and find it difficult to confront employees? This could be due to either performance measures are not clearly defined or managers are simply not prepared or trained to do these discussions. In both instances managers apprehend their inability to effectively engage with employee in case of a rebuttal from the other side.

A few guidelines that managers can use while handling such situations:

• Objective performance measures: Make sure that the performance parameters are clearly defined and known to employee. In case few parameters cannot be quantified, for eg behavioural issues make sure employee is aware of the concern and put in perspective the organizational expectations/standards
• Schedule regular check ins: Make feedback part of a regular process and do not wait for the appraisal cycles. Feedback needs to be a continuous on-going process with clearly defined milestones understood by both the parties
• Use a simple framework: Although all feedback need not be documented, a common framework for documentation helps in maintaining objectivity. Periodic documentation is necessary to maintain transparency and avoid unforeseen issues in future. Use of clear unequivocal language is vital while documenting feedback. The simple framework of "Start-Stop-Continue" works fantastically in such situations. It acknowledges employee for the good work done, specifically points out what are the things he should stop and start doing immediately
• Do not become emotional: It is vital for managers to maintain their composure while doing these discussions, if it is felt at any point in time during the conversation that things are getting out of hand take a break and reschedule the meeting
• Avoid sugar coating: Do not sugar coat your words while giving negative feedback. It will be insincere and risks diluting the message. Instead clearly separate your praise from the negative commentary. However, make sure no profanity/abusive language is used at any point in time
• Take responsibility: Just as managers you feel proud when somebody from your team performs well, so also in case there is someone whose performance does not turn around and must be shown the door, be bold and take responsibility

Keeping the above considerations in mind will not only guarantee due diligence but also ensure strong rigor is followed every time.