Authentic Feedback

Every person deserves to receive authentic, sincere feedback on his or her performance. Feedback helps employees understand what behaviors are desired and the feedback rewards individuals for their accomplishments, and encourages them to improve, and achieve their goals. Authentic feedback not only helps the person it solidifies the relationship between the person giving the feedback and the receiver.

All too often leaders focus on the negative and forget to let people know how their work helps the organization to succeed. When day after day people hear only negative feedback, it chips away at their confidence and their desire to stay in the situation. Sure, there are areas that a person can improve, but what are their strengths? Years ago, while working at GM, we had a supervisor that every evening walked around and thanked the employees and identified things he or she did well. The team would have walked through fire for him and worked extremely hard to make him look good.

Although it is necessary to provide feedback when things are not right, it is imperative to give your employees positive feedback as well. If only negative feedback is given it will negatively affect morale and the employee’s ability to succeed.

1. When you see something positive take time to let the person know you appreciate them and let them know specifically what they did and the effect of their efforts.

2. Keep it positive: Do not add anything negative or areas in need of improvement. Schedule a different time to discuss it or it will negate any positive influence of your earlier comments.

3. Public recognition not only recognizes the employee but let’s others know what behavior is desired from them as well.

4. Tie it back to mission, vision and values. When you identify what the person did well let him or her and others understand how it influences the bigger picture as well. For example, “When you took the initiative to follow-up with the customer to ensure the issue was resolved, it reinforced our value to go above and beyond to meet our customer’s needs.”

By being genuine in your praise and taking time to tie it to the bigger picture, you can dramatically improve your employee’s morale and keep your workforce engaged.

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