Wanting to know “where you stand” or “how you are doing” is one of those built-in aspects of the human psyche. And I’m not talking about the formal annual review process here. That is another topic for another day with its own list of pros and cons. I am talking about an ongoing dialogue between you and the people who work for you. People need and want appropriate feedback.
Imagine going to a bowling alley where they put a curtain in front of the pins. You see the ball go through the curtain, you hear the noise of some pins falling (and hopefully not the ka-thunk of a gutter ball), but you have no idea what really happened. You get no meaningful feedback on the results of your efforts. That wouldn’t be any fun. You would probably look for another bowling alley. Or perhaps you like to shoot basketball. What if, again, someone put up a curtain blocking your sight of the goal? How long would you shoot baskets over the curtain not knowing if you were making the baskets or not? I suspect not long.
Notice I specifically used the words “appropriate feedback.” There is a fine line between appropriate feedback and unproductive criticism.
If you think giving ongoing feedback on performance to your employees is a good idea, here are some things to think about. Give feedback on both sub-standard performance and positive performance. Think of it as similar to the dynamics of riding a bicycle. Although you are no longer aware of it once you learn to ride, your nervous system gives you constant ongoing feedback encouraging you to make adjustments in many different directions during your bike ride. The constant little adjustments help you avoid the need for big adjustments, like picking up your bike after a fall and hoping you can make it to the nearest emergency room for bandages, stitches or worse. The same thing applies at work. Making little adjustments helps you avoid more costly problems later on. And of course, the feedback needs to be specific, timely and based on facts. For example, whenever possible specifically relate the feedback to the company goals. This will create a two-for-one benefit by helping the employee improve their performance while reinforcing what is important to you and the organization.
However, if you are the boss, like Mayor Koch, you probably ought to get in the habit of asking, “How am I doing?”
Article by Chris Crouch from Memphis Daily News.
Smart Stuff 4 Work is written by Chris Crouch. Chris has spent years researching and studying both the mental and physical aspects of being productive and is the author of several books on the topic including Getting More Done
Comments