Constructive Feedback
As an employer or human resource professional, one of your goals should be to see people succeed at work. The reason for this is twofold. First, it's the makings of a great manager. Your management skills are only as successful as the people who work with you. They want to feel valuable to the company. To many, it's much more than just receiving a steady paycheck; it's about job satisfaction and achieving goals. Work is like a second family because people who are employed full time spend more hours with their coworkers than their spouse, children, or pets. The security of a job is important because there are household bills to pay and financial stress can harm a person's health and relationships. In addition, benefits like insurance and paid time off enhance livelihood. Employees look to their managers to help them succeed because there is a lot at stake. Do this for them and they will take good care of your customers, and happy customers will help your business succeed, too. It's a win-win situation.
Second, a lot of time and money is spent interviewing, selecting, hiring, and training employees. A valuable employee is an asset to your company. Some studies estimate that the cost to replace an hourly associate is about $6,000. This includes the time spent getting a replacement up to speed. It is a good financial move to put in the effort to address and correct performance issues. One way to do this is with constructive feedback, which differs from constructive criticism.
Don't Criticize
To criticize is to make someone feel incompetent or unprofessional. Here are some examples of criticizing statements:
The silverware is rolled loosely and the tables look sloppy.
You are behind in filing paperwork and I can't find the balance report.
John did not get paid today because you did not process his check.
You used the last ink cartridge and did not order a new one.
I heard you tell the bellperson that an old lady needed help with her luggage.
Can you see how each statement is a negative one? By turning the negative statement into a constructive one, you can still get the message across, fix the problem, and encourage the employee to do a better job next time around. It will also make addressing future problems easier for both you and the employee.
Offer Feedback
Ask an employee if you may help correct an issue by saying something like, “May I offer you some feedback about something that I have noticed?” The employee should welcome the opportunity to discuss it. If not, deliver the feedback anyway (and look to page 114 on how to handle uncooperative employees).
Why should I ask permission to correct an employee's performance?
Asking permission to deliver feedback shows respect for the employee's time and feelings. Nobody likes to be told that they are doing something wrong, but it has to be done because employees are paid to do the job right. You can show compassion while correcting a problem and still make your expectations clear.
To turn around the negative comment above about the silverware that was rolled loosely and made the tables look sloppy, do this: Tell him that the overall appearance of the table will impress the diners if the silverware is rolled tight, and that this is the image the restaurant wants. Instead of pointing out how poor the table looked, you are telling him how he is expected to do it. Then show him tips to roll the silverware tightly. Next, give him a turn to show you how he does it. If it's still too loose, work with him until he gets it right. He may not have been shown how to do it properly in the first place, or he may have been rushing through his work, causing the quality to suffer.
To address the problem with the worker who is continually behind with filing paperwork, tell him that in order for the office to run efficiently, the filing needs to be done daily. Ask him to file everything away now and to give you the balance report when he finds it. Then, ask him how he plans to keep up with it. If he doesn't know, give him the option to file everything as soon as it crosses his desk, or to spend the last fifteen minutes of each day filing before he goes home.
Constructive feedback takes longer than dictating orders, but it is time well spent. By telling employees how and why something is to be done and what the outcome will be, there is a better understanding about the reasons for job expectations. However, this doesn't mean that the employee has the option whether or not to comply.
Next, let's figure out why John didn't receive a paycheck. It is not necessary to say to your payroll clerk, “You didn't process John's paycheck.” If it's his job to input the paychecks and someone was skipped, he already knows that the error is his. Tell him that John did not receive a paycheck and ask if the procedure to make sure that everyone receives a check on payday is effective. Either the procedure was not followed or there is a flaw and John's check was skipped and it wasn't noticed. Together, decide what will be done to ensure that it doesn't happen again. But first, ask the payroll clerk to issue a check for John right away.
Instead of saying, “You used the last ink cartridge and did not order a new one,” say, “We no longer have a spare ink cartridge since the last one is now in your printer. Did you order a new one yet?” The hotel employee who referred to the guest as an old lady can be asked, “Can you think of another description for the woman that doesn't describe her age?”
To offer feedback is to work together for better results. Put the ball in the employee's court to correct the problem and guide them only when necessary. A little initiative can go a long way.
After you deliver constructive feedback to an employee, make a note of the date and what was said in your supervisor's file. Hopefully, the incident will not come up again, but if it does, you may need to give the employee a verbal warning. Therefore, it's important to show that you have already brought up the problem once.
Feedback can go both ways. You'll be listened to more carefully if employees know that they can speak, too. Although they don't set the rules, take their comments and suggestions seriously. Sometimes the people out there actually doing the work have the best ideas for performing the job more efficiently. Hear them out and give their ideas a chance if they are feasible.
