Giving Employees Feedback-Get Engaged!

In the last article, I shared one of the key things to focus on when giving feedback to employees-clarity.  Being engaged is the next key behavior we’ll reflect upon today.

Be Engaged

“Hey Joe, you’ve got to start making less errors on your reports, okay? Thanks.”  I’ve just told Joe the issue and what I want to see changed.  Now if he doesn’t improve, it’s not my fault, right?

As a supervisor, it’s our job to coach and inspire people to do and be their best.  That’s the leadership part of supervising people.

It’s your responsibility to ensure they move from point A (sub-par performance) to point B (satisfactory or higher performance).  Simply telling them isn’t enough. Engage with them in the process of improving.

Let’s talk in detail about what that looks like.

People, Not Widgets

You’re not moving widgets around, these are people.  People won’t always go just because you tell them.  Think about how to discuss the issue in a way that will pull the person toward improved performance.

Consider how you would like it explained to you if it was your performance problem.  Also consider the individual’s personality, communication preferences and interpersonal style.  Just because you’re a “give it to me straight” person, doesn’t mean that everyone around you has the same tough outer skin.

Tell them what they’re doing, what they should be doing, and 1-2 specific examples when his/her performance wasn’t satisfactory recently.  Paint the picture of why doing it the old way is not working and how the new way is advantageous for him/her.

Ask, Don’t Guess

It’s important when coaching employees toward better performance to understand why they’re not doing something or behaving it the way they are supposed to.  Once this is clear, solutions can be identified that solve the root problem, not just the symptoms.

The reasons why two people are making the same performance errors can vary greatly.  For example, one could have missed some key points during training, another could be having personal problems at home that are distracting.

Many supervisors waste time and energy trying to figure out why an employee is having difficulty.  Often they even delay discussing the issue with the individual while they try to figure it out. Waiting only makes the situation worse.

Why guess? Ask them!  Ask what is getting in their way of performing what is expected.

Let Them Own It, Don’t Tell Them What To Do

Most people don’t like being told what to do, even if they know what they’re doing isn’t working.

Let the person take the lead in determining what they need in order to improve.  They will be more committed to following through.

After all, improving their performance is their responsibility. You’re there to support and guide them toward higher levels of performance, not to do the work for them.

Supervisors often feel it’s easier or faster to simply tell the employee how to improve.  In fact, it might seem easier in the moment, but any solution you come up with for them won’t work over the long term therefore making it harder.

It has to be a solution that is workable for the person who has to do it regularly.

Maybe even more importantly, giving a person the solutions implies that they aren’t capable of coming up with the solution themselves.  That subtly erodes an individual’s confidence.  Employees with low confidence don’t make superior performers.

Stay Engaged, Don’t Leave Them Stranded

Ensuring employee performance is satisfactory is your responsibility as a supervisor.  This typically cannot be accomplished in a single conversation.

Telling someone what they’re doing wrong and then letting them to fend for themselves will leave the person feeling isolated and unsupported.  This can cause further dips in performance in the area of concern and other areas.

Coaching to improve performance is an ongoing process of giving feedback, assisting with identifying resources and a plan, holding the person accountable for improving and telling them how they’re doing as they make efforts to improve.

They have to do all the hard work, and you need to stay with them to the end.

Give Them What They Want, Don’t Withhold

Giving feedback and holding people accountable can be a hard thing to do.  It feels confrontational and uncomfortable to most people.

But this is one of the most significant things your employees rely on you for.  They want to hear from you how they can improve.  They want the chance to improve before they lose their job.  They want you to tell them so it isn’t something everyone else knows about them but they don’t know about themselves.

They want to hear it even if it’s hard to hear.  When they see you are engaged in helping them improve, it makes the tough message easier to take.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and personal experiences! Please post them below.

Remember to check back over the next few weeks.  The next several posts will describe the other keys I’ve discovered to successfully giving employees feedback.