How to Give Your Team Feedback That Sticks

Company leaders have to give feedback to staff members on a consistent basis – good or bad. Your ability to give feedback shapes how well your team performs. You want your staff members to listen to what you have to say, to respect your opinion, and to follow through on implementing long-term improvements.

Giving feedback that actually penetrates and results in lasting change is a big challenge, for even the best managers and leaders. These tips will help you give your team feedback that sticks.

• Deliver instant feedback.

If someone on your staff does something right, or wrong, don’t wait days, weeks or months to provide input on the behavior. Provide immediate praise if something is being done right. Step in right away if you see problem behavior or mistakes, but be mindful not to embarrass staff members by being overly critical in front of others. If you provide instant feedback, you won’t have a long list of unresolved issues at performance review time. Your staff can constantly improve throughout the year.

• Use praise liberally to showcase the behaviors you want to cultivate.

You have to correct problems that arise due to poor performance, but you don’t want to always focus on the negative. Provide specific praise to encourage more of the behaviors you want to see. You’ll keep staff much more motivated if you encourage good acts instead of only making complaints. When you praise someone publicly, other team members will want to mimic what you approve of.

• Provide specifics and offer context.

Specific and detailed feedback makes it easier for your staff to implement your suggestions and perform according to your standards. Don’t just describe outcomes you hope to achieve. Explain specific behaviors to help your staff achieve desired goals. Consider explaining why you make certain requests, as staff will be more likely to work hard and comply with requests if they understand the purpose.

• Lay out a detailed path to improvement.

Staff members get discouraged quickly if they think they can’t win. Provide a very specific roadmap to show your team members how they can improve and meet your expectations. If you show people the path to success, most will want to follow it.

The Reserves Network helps your company to hire skilled professionals who will be great members of your staff and who are good at incorporating feedback. Contact us to find out how we can help you to succeed in putting together a great team.