Constructive Feedback: Manager's Step-By-Step Guide

Providing feedback to your staff is an important management task. Staff need and want to know that they are doing well and they also need to be made aware of improvements they should be making.

You are introduced to the framework you need to adhere to when providing constructive feedback.

The more you pre-plan the conversation you are going to have with your employee, the more in control you will be and the better equipped you will be to handle the unexpected. Become clear on what you aim to achieve and schedule a time to talk to the worker in private and a time when they can handle it emotionally,

Once you and your staff member are positioned somewhere comfortable, and private, you then enter into conversation, and explain what it is that you are concerned about.

When having a performance conversation with a staff member, it is important that you do your best to identify the heart of the problem  by asking questions, and doing so in such a way that  you encourage and invite the employee to give you feedback.

It is important that your employee engages in conversation with you, whilst your role is to ask clarifying questions and to listen to the answers. It is during this step of the constructive feedback process that employees will most likely share THEIR concerns with you. You need to facilitate that process and this requires the right communication skills.

Your role here is to truly listen, listen to what is being said and also read between the lines. What is the person’s body language telling you, what is their tone of voice telling you?

Truly listening will help you identify the core reason for the problem.

Learn to control your emotions, and pre-planning possible adverse scenarios will help you with this exercise. There is a difference between the message you convey based on whether you use an "I" statement or a "you" statement.

Making the employee aware of the consequences of their actions is sometimes sufficient to get them to make the desired changes.

There is a big difference between telling the staff member exactly what they need to do to change, as compared to making suggestions, and seeking staff buy-in.

Has the employee got everything that is needed so that they can lift their game? Tools, training, timelines are all important.

You want the employee to commit to the changes you have mutually discussed. This commitment to you, and to themselves, will help to cement the agreement.

If you are not getting the results you want after a constructive feedback conversation, it may be worthwhile doing some self analysis. How good are you communication skills? Should you be introducing some changes?

Put the spotlight on yourself and be aware of any self imposed limitations.

Leaders sometimes overlook performance or behavioural issues, and this happens for a variety of reasons. In this lecture I highlight some of the more common reasons why managers sometimes ignore concerns regarding staff performance.

This lecture focuses on more reasons as to why leaders chose to ignore brewing issues. One of the more common one's is: Lack of time. The manager is overloaded and does not have the time to discuss an issue with the staff member concerned. Could this be you?

Recognizing your pitfalls is a great first step. Coming up with an action plan to rid yourself of these stumbling blocks is essential if you want to be a truly effective leader. How are you going to do this?

Time for some self-analysis: what holds you back from coaching when you should?

This lecture is an introduction to the segment on why employees sometimes perform poorly.

We look at some of the root causes of poor performance, and highlight lack of systems as often being the reason as to why staff performance is not up to par.

Sometimes managers inadvertently contribute to performance problems. Realizing and acknowledging this pitfall is a first step toward then taking action to improve on the skills that are lacking.

Most organizations have a written Disciplinary Policy and Procedures document that outlines the progressive performance management steps that leaders need to follow.

You are introduced to an overview of performance management steps and where constructive feedback sits within this framework.

The Policy and Procedures Manual is an important document that exists within most organization and provides the framework that managers need to adhere to when addressing under-performance or behavioural issues with an employee. This manual can vary dramatically from company to company. It is a valuable resource and it is important for leaders to become familiar with it.

Become clear on your company's documentation relating to staff performance management.

This is your wrap up lecture.

In  your role of an effective leader, if you want top performing employees you need to address under-performance and any other issues that impact productivity or the culture within the organization.

You may wish to use the Constructive Feedback step-by-step guide outlined in this course whenever you have a 'cup of coffee' chat with one of your staff.

Some suggestions for you.