What exactly is performance feedback?
Performance feedback is an ongoing process between employees and managers that usually involve the exchange
of vital information encompassing both expected performance and actual performance exhibited by employees. Such
exchanges are crucial in making decisions that achieves optimum productivity and enhanced performance.
How important is performance feedback to our daily operations?
1. Constructive feedbacks have motivating effects on employees. This results as outcomes of employee
performances boost their morale to attain increased productivity.
2. Feedback costs little and is always present whenever it is needed. It is always there and it requires little or
no cost of acquisition.
3. Performance feedbacks can actually improve employee performance. In actual sense, constructive
feedbacks are not negative criticisms but they assist the formulation of decisions to boost performance and
productivity.
4. It is a common platform for learning and sharing knowledge about work practices.
Since performance feedback assists in improving the workplace, how should it be conveyed to reap its maximum
benefits? While the means of communicating a valuable feedback without any negative repercussion is posing
challenges to some managers and employees, here are some tips that could probably help eliminate the clause of
negative consequences.
– State the purpose of the feedback.
The main purpose of reporting a feedback should be stated without ambiguity. By indicating the importance of the
focal points contained in the feedback, it shows the employee the level of his/her responsibility in the organization.
– Describe your observation.
While giving a feedback, you need to have a point in mind. Your observation should be detailed and well organized in
a proper manner so as to convince the other person that you are really sure of what you have observed.
– Focus on the behaviour and not the person.
While describing your observation, you need to lay emphasis on the behavior and not the person you are addressing.
You need to pass the message across without sprouting out the feelings of being personally confronted. Most
importantly, avoid being judgmental.
– Open doors to accept a response.
While communicating valuable information, you need to give audience, as he/she will have something in mind as well.
By paying attention and listening emphatically, you are allowing for free communication of insights and unknown
ideas.
– Offer useful suggestions.
Since constructive feedback is all about adjustments and developments, offer helpful suggestions regarding the
situation by backing it up with feasible examples. This shows your level of responsibility, that you have made
evaluations and possess the knowledge to improve the situation.
