Telling an employee they suck at a certain skill.

Do you hate negative feedback?

I don't like giving it. I don't like receiving it.

The truth of the matter though.... Feedback is a critical part of learning and growing.

Check out some of these statistics when it comes to employee feedback (according to Zippio)

• 65% of employees want more feedback
• 75% of employees think feedback is valuable
• 14.9% lower turnover rates for businesses that gave feedback to their employees vs. businesses that didn't
• 85% of employees take more initiative when they receive feedback in the workplace

and then, the most mind blowing statistic....

• 92% of respondents agreed that negative redirecting feedback, when delivered appropriately, is effective at improving performance.

What the heck is negative redirecting feedback and how does it apply to growth and learning in the workplace?

I'm happy you asked! Lets get into today's Lesson.

ONLY GIVE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK IF YOU ARE READY TO HELP THE EMPLOYEE GROW

Lets dive into this concept of "negative redirecting feedback" a little bit more:

The goal of negative redirecting feedback is to address skill/behavior gaps while while simultaneously providing constructive advice on how to improve or change course.

For example, instead of simply pointing out that an employee's communication skills are lacking, negative redirecting feedback would involve explaining the specific areas where improvement is needed and providing recommendations or resources to help them enhance their communication abilities.

I personally think its a best practice for an employee to take a look at their own job description, and self-assess where they think they are on each major skillset/responsibility. I write more about that here.

As leaders, sometimes we need to help our employees see their own blind spots though. If we are going to provide negative feedback, a best practice is to have the framework for a Growth Action Plan prepared. Here's the five key components (which interestingly enough spells out the acronym SMART)

1. Skills: Be very clear and specific about what skill needs to be improved around the negative feedback. Example: Time Management on key Projects
2. Metrics: Identify the Baseline metrics where the employee is at today, and what the goal metrics should be. Check out this article for some examples of metrics. Example: Planned time vs. actual time, time estimation accuracy, time per specific task, etc.
3. Actions: Be very clear at what the weekly or daily actions should be during the agreed upon time period. Example: Spend 10-15 minutes every morning reading or watching trainings on Time Management for the next 90 days, then apply the knowledge you learned immediately to your work.
4. Resources: Arm your team member with the right resources, which could include books, ebooks, podcasts, videos, online courses, live courses, coaching, role playing, blogs, mentors, etc. Example: Read these two books, listen to this podcast, and take these 2 online courses.
5. Track: Track progress on a weekly basis with quick check ins that are focused on this specific Growth Action Plan. Example: Every Friday at 9am, lets chat for 5-15 minutes to review progress and make adjustments if necessary.

Employees today crave feedback, but only if it is given alongside a path for Professional Growth. We as leaders must not just take the time to identify the gaps.... we also MUST arm our team with the time and the resources to increase their performance and ultimately their self-confidence and self-worth. -Dan Clapper.

ACTION TIME:

1.) Start with yourself. What negative feedback would you give yourself? What skill set is associated with that negative feedback? Now put that through the Growth Action Plan steps above.

2.) Repeat this feedback process with your team, and provide them the time and the resources to improve their skills.

See, if we are really are honest, every single employee on this planet probably has some sort of skill gap. If you have an employee that is 10 out of 10 in every category of their job description, maybe its time for a promotion- which will open up a new set of skill sets for that employee to master.

We as leaders need to inspire growth and learning in the workplace, now more than ever. I look forward to continuing to provide fresh, actionable content week after week to help you build the self-confidence of your teams and maximize the flywheel of growth. If you like these articles, please share with someone who may find value! Thank you for subscribing.

-Your Friend,

Dan