Set a timetable for implementation. Whether you're giving feedback in a
formal performance review or a casual chat, set a time frame for
improvement. Ideally, you want people to act on what you say within
hours or days of your comments. Example: If you want to critique an
employee's handling of a difficult coworker, set a goal of having the
employee take certain actions to treat the coworker better over the
next week. Set a date within a week to meet and evaluate the employee's
progress.
- Monitor your effectiveness. To test whether you're giving employees
sufficient feedback, check in with them. Approach each of them
privately every few months and ask, �Do I give you enough feedback on
your performance?� Explain that you want to communicate both positive
and negative aspects of performance so that everyone's aware of how
they're doing.
- Treat annual appraisals as opportunities to step back and assess
performance issues that you've already covered with each employee
throughout the year. That way, you won't wait for the formal review to
overwhelm an individual with a truckload of out-of-the-blue input.
Adopt a �no surprises� goal when you hold yearly performance appraisals
so that your employees don't feel landside
- Tie negative input to suggestions, not threats. Rather than insist that
an employee's uncooperative attitude stop, list the benefits the
employee could gain by adopting a more team-oriented attitude. Then
involve the employee in creating an action plan for improvement.
- Confront problems head-on in performance reviews. To avoid what they
anticipate as unpleasantness, some supervisors gloss over an employee's
failings by resorting to �fair,� �neutral� or �competent� ratings.
Tip Use the �disc� formula (describe impact, specify consequence) to
organize your feedback. Start with a one- or two-sentence description
of the action or behavior you want to address and its impact. Then
specify your desired outcome, the good consequences of achieving
that outcome-and the bad consequences for not improving performance.
Example: �Your two bouts of yelling at colleagues yesterday disrupted
the unit's concentration and led to us missing our deadline. By
speaking in a calm tone, you can get the same points across and
increase the odds that others will be receptive to you. You're more apt
to earn a promotion if you stop yelling, and you'll hurt your future
here if you continue such inappropriate behavior.�
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