Employees need both rewards and consequences to perform well. An environment that is skewed heavily as overly positive or negative will result in dysfunction. Motivational rewards come in many different forms, including those that are tangible (e.g., gifts, time off and money) and intangible (e.g., feeling included, development opportunities and additional responsibilities). Both can be highly effective. However, the least expensive, and often the most appreciated form of motivation, is simply performance feedback.
Employees want to be recognised, to be contributing members of a winning team, and to achieve such recognition, they need feedback. However, in my experience, many managers find giving frequent, meaningful feedback difficult.
To be most effective, feedback should be tailored to the individual, well thought out and delivered close to the event.
Positive feedback
To give positive feedback, the easiest way to start is to see employees doing something right and comment on it. I coach directors and managers to get in the discipline of praising employees on at least one specific item each week. Thanking them for a job well done will often result in the employees repeating the behaviour.
My next piece of advice: When praising employees, make sure that you are: 1) specific about what you liked; and 2) you link their behaviour back to the goals of the organisation.
While the specific praise you give may take more words, it will mean more to an employee than the usual “Great job!” or “Thanks for all you do.” Generic praise that is not specific and not linked to the organisation leaves employees wondering what they did right and unable to repeat the behaviour.
Negative feedback
Negative feedback is more difficult, but here are a few tips. First, don’t layer negative feedback in between positive comments. While some people believe that this “Oreo” approach softens the blow, I believe it sends mixed messages and gives little guidance.
Instead, the first time you have an issue with an employee’s performance, let him or her know. Your comments do not have to be harsh. Rather, they should be assertive and factual. Begin with a neutral comment to reduce defensiveness. Then, while using a pleasant but firm tone of voice, explain how the employee’s behaviour affects you, your team or the company and why it is a problem. Next, ask for the behaviour/performance you expect. Finish your feedback with a question asking the employee to fulfill with your request. For example,
Kevin, I understand how busy we are. However, when employees are late for meetings, it causes particular problems. We have to stop the meeting to fill in the late comer on our discussions. This takes up valuable time and interrupts the flow of the meeting. Kevin, I would appreciate your being on time to future team meetings. Can you do this for me?
The question obliges the employee to either answer in the affirmative or give you a reason for being unable to comply. If you get a negative response, you can discuss the issue further and hopefully come to an understanding. Obviously, if the employee continues to perform poorly there are further techniques for escalating your feedback.
Giving employees negative feedback is uncomfortable for most managers. However, ignoring performance issues is unfair to both the employee and the organisation. Remember, employees want to be recognised, contributing members of a winning team.
