I want you to close your eyes and imagine a dog. Ready? Go!
Surely you pictured the golden Labradoodle curls of our Chief Barketing Officer, George, right?
No? Wow, you’ve let me down, and I hope you try harder next time. You should have known that’s who I was thinking of. You are reading a blog on the Forward Level website; isn’t it obvious?
Gee...that approach doesn’t feel so good, does it? We used that example to illustrate just how easy it is to give employees feedback intended to help, but instead, it results in frustration and confusion. Ambiguous expectations can be impossible to meet. Perhaps you’ve heard or said things like this before:
“Just do better”
“Tighten up the budget”
“Communicate more”
Around this time of year, our team is busy working on our mid-year review cycle and facilitating this process for some of our HR consulting clients too. As we guide and support managers through this process and the discussions that follow, we start by asking them to reflect on how they are giving feedback and why it’s important to be intentional about the language they use. Their goal is to deliver feedback with clarity and kindness so employees are not left feeling confused or overwhelmed. More importantly, the content of the feedback should be carefully considered, relevant, and actionable.
Impactful job performance feedback should be tied to the skills, actions, and abilities an employee needs to complete the tasks and responsibilities outlined in their job description effectively and in a satisfactory manner (Hint: start with an up-to-date Job Description document!). Managers need to account for their individual expectations and ensure that they are working effectively to communicate their vision of success. Feedback should:
Not be discriminatory. This should go without saying, but your feedback should not discriminate based on identifying characteristics such as race, gender, religion, disability, or any other protected grounds. If you find that your own or one of your manager’s feedback items is headed in that direction, it might signify a larger problem with your culture – but more about that in another post.
Be timely. You wouldn’t tell me that I had spinach in my teeth three weeks ago, would you? Feedback that is too far removed from an event is simply not impactful.
Provide the measure for success. How do you know when you cross the finish line if no one knows where it is? Clear expectations and a roadmap for success can empower employees to work towards mutual goals.
Plan for follow-up. Depending on the situation, you may need to set up a concrete timeline and mark it in your calendar (we love a good Outlook reminder!) to ensure that progress has been made. Check in again after the formal performance review cycle has been completed.
Don’t worry if you’re feeling overwhelmed—we can help! From building clear and concise Job Descriptions to manager support and training, our HR team is here to help.
We love coffee and other hot beverages, so feel free to book a chat to talk about your HR needs.
Share
