In this post I have chosen to write on performance feedback which is a part of the big umbrella of performance management. Yet, it is one aspect that is consciously or unconsiously neglected. It is also a fact that giving feedback on performance can be uncomfortable both for the person giving it and the person receiving it. Even in the cinema we have trained actors who are expected and believed to perform better than the novices who come to try their hand on the steam of their ardent desire.
In corporates, we expect people trained in technical skills alone to perform the role of a nurturing guide or mentor and give feedback to an employee so that he/she can perform better. Considering the importance and critically of the activity, we should pay more attention and train both the supervisor and his junior to effectively give and take feedback with the ultimate aim of not only improved performance but also development of employee to full potential.
Apart from individual training to both actors in this exercise, it is necessary for HR to enhance the overall awareness in the company, highlighting the criticality of performance feedback for employee performance and overall performance of company. In the absence of such an awareness campaign peridically, some managers would go through the motions of the process thinking "Such a waste of valuable time that could have been used to get a shot at the actual work of increasing production." We have to show to the busy line manager that engaging with his team members in fact contributes considerably to his basic goal of higher production and productivity.
Performance feedback is critical for helping employees to understand clearly the expectations from them; enabling adjustments and for providing coaching if necessary for improvement. As for example feedback to an employee that "his choice of words" while interacting with customers is having a negative impact, and a discussion on "better choice of words" will help the employee serve his customers more effectively. The exercise also provides valuable feedback to the manager about the realities and challenges faced on the ground so that he can better lead the team. It is necessary to have regular follow up dialogues and not restrict the interaction to a formal yearly, half yearly or quarterly exercise.
It is hard to change something if you are unaware of what you are doing wrong. Performance feedback can cover a wide range of job aspects such as quality of work ( asessed on a scale of say 1-5, repetitive errors), work habits ( being punctual, dependable, organized), service habits (not returning phone calls, is rude, passes the buck) and team skills (inclusive, collaborative without being dominating). Acknowledging the employee's difficulty and feelings, validate the member as an important part of the team and it also shows your willingness to value his inputs.
Set standards and establish realistic parameters in advance against which feedback can be given. Be sure to acknowledge the things done well and not focus only on the shortcomings. Let your feedback style be consistently same in respect of all employees so that an individual employee does not feel being singled out and attacked personally. Hold regular performance feedback sessions with all employees, looking out also for new ideas that may come up which can be profitably used by the entire team. Set a time during the week to monitor and talk to employees. Prepare standard forms to simplify the recording process and let employees know what to expect.
Share specific feedback and provide examples: Provide concrete examples for the observations- Specific examples of times the employee’s work or actions did not meet performance standards. While giving constructive feedback, ensure that it is a discussion with two way communication. The employees should have opportunity to share their perspective. Try to come to an agreement on the best way forward together.The focus of your feedback shouldn’t be about just good versus bad instances of performance, but about opportunities for development.
It is to kept in mind that performance feedback is a communication process and therefore all aspects pertaining to good communication is relevant here. The non verbal communication exhibited while giving feedback matters a lot. An expression of impatience, annoyance, contempt or ones depicting interest, openness to know from appraisee, an encouraging smile can make the difference. Most people want to do a good job and are eager to improve with feedback. When done right. performance feedback eventually relies less on documenting information and more on simple conversations that happen throughout a workday or week.
In corporates, we expect people trained in technical skills alone to perform the role of a nurturing guide or mentor and give feedback to an employee so that he/she can perform better. Considering the importance and critically of the activity, we should pay more attention and train both the supervisor and his junior to effectively give and take feedback with the ultimate aim of not only improved performance but also development of employee to full potential.
Apart from individual training to both actors in this exercise, it is necessary for HR to enhance the overall awareness in the company, highlighting the criticality of performance feedback for employee performance and overall performance of company. In the absence of such an awareness campaign peridically, some managers would go through the motions of the process thinking "Such a waste of valuable time that could have been used to get a shot at the actual work of increasing production." We have to show to the busy line manager that engaging with his team members in fact contributes considerably to his basic goal of higher production and productivity.
Performance feedback is critical for helping employees to understand clearly the expectations from them; enabling adjustments and for providing coaching if necessary for improvement. As for example feedback to an employee that "his choice of words" while interacting with customers is having a negative impact, and a discussion on "better choice of words" will help the employee serve his customers more effectively. The exercise also provides valuable feedback to the manager about the realities and challenges faced on the ground so that he can better lead the team. It is necessary to have regular follow up dialogues and not restrict the interaction to a formal yearly, half yearly or quarterly exercise.
It is hard to change something if you are unaware of what you are doing wrong. Performance feedback can cover a wide range of job aspects such as quality of work ( asessed on a scale of say 1-5, repetitive errors), work habits ( being punctual, dependable, organized), service habits (not returning phone calls, is rude, passes the buck) and team skills (inclusive, collaborative without being dominating). Acknowledging the employee's difficulty and feelings, validate the member as an important part of the team and it also shows your willingness to value his inputs.
Set standards and establish realistic parameters in advance against which feedback can be given. Be sure to acknowledge the things done well and not focus only on the shortcomings. Let your feedback style be consistently same in respect of all employees so that an individual employee does not feel being singled out and attacked personally. Hold regular performance feedback sessions with all employees, looking out also for new ideas that may come up which can be profitably used by the entire team. Set a time during the week to monitor and talk to employees. Prepare standard forms to simplify the recording process and let employees know what to expect.
Share specific feedback and provide examples: Provide concrete examples for the observations- Specific examples of times the employee’s work or actions did not meet performance standards. While giving constructive feedback, ensure that it is a discussion with two way communication. The employees should have opportunity to share their perspective. Try to come to an agreement on the best way forward together.The focus of your feedback shouldn’t be about just good versus bad instances of performance, but about opportunities for development.
It is to kept in mind that performance feedback is a communication process and therefore all aspects pertaining to good communication is relevant here. The non verbal communication exhibited while giving feedback matters a lot. An expression of impatience, annoyance, contempt or ones depicting interest, openness to know from appraisee, an encouraging smile can make the difference. Most people want to do a good job and are eager to improve with feedback. When done right. performance feedback eventually relies less on documenting information and more on simple conversations that happen throughout a workday or week.
Performance feedback becomes a welcome and desirable exercise for both, the ones giving and receiving feedback, when it is clear to both parties that the ultimate objective is development of the employee; facilitating his/her best possible contribution to the organization.
Performance feedback is good in so far as it helps in course correction and leads to improvement for everyone's benefit.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts on the subject.
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