Feedback. The word itself evokes a pang of reaction for many. However, it doesn’t always have to have connotations of a negative experience. Giving feedback can be improved upon during each stage of the process. Employees can grow consistently through constructive input and strategies. Still, it should be a priority for leaders and HR professionals to identify room for growth while encouraging employees to become the very best they can be.
In improving your workplace, leaders should take the following steps to develop an effective feedback strategy: create a foundation of trust, bring positivity to feedback and foster an environment that prides itself on continually improving while promoting a mindset of growth. Let’s take an in-depth look at each of these steps and how to effectively achieve them.
Build a Successful Foundation
Effective feedback starts from the ground up. What measures are you and your HR team putting in place to ensure meaningful feedback and create an impactful experience for employees and leaders? It starts with developing and maintaining trust. Harboring a culture of trust will help feedback thrive in addition to other facets of the workplace. Trust is crucial for feedback to be a healthy process. Without it, feedback may come off as uneasy or ingenuine. Continuing the effort to sustain work relationships will positively impact how feedback is received.
Additionally, it’s worth considering how employees will react to the feedback given. What is your end goal? Whether it’s helping your employees reach their personal goals or helping cultivate company commitment, these are valuable targets to aim for. Building a foundation rooted in good intentions early on will prove to be beneficial to the whole organization.
Destigmatize Feedback and Alleviate Anxieties
Feedback often carries a negative connotation. Why is this? Often, employees may feel feedback and performance reviews in their past work experiences were a personal attack. Similarly, employees may feel a sense of anxiety waiting around to hear if their assessment is good or bad. Feedback shouldn’t have to be this way. Instead of furthering this intimidating experience, leaders can brainstorm ways to make input more welcoming.
While anxiety in employees won’t entirely dissipate, tackling issues in the environment that leaders can resolve to reduce tension will help employees calm their nerves. There are a few ways to do this. Establishing and promoting the importance of open communication on an ongoing basis will make leaders feel more approachable and decrease the notion that feedback is confrontational. Instead of giving feedback formally from your office, consider having it over coffee or lunch. Environments can make or break the energy between people, and it’s something to ponder. Lastly, create a culture of having a positive growth mindset. Feedback is all about learning from the past and looking to the future to achieve results.
Continue Effective Practices
While it’s essential to design and develop your feedback strategy to be effective, it’s equally necessary to consider what you wish to gain from long-term results. Additionally, sustaining the positive practices you’ve put into place is an important factor. If not, the ideas set into place will falter without action to back them up.
Continuing the dialogue is one of the most important steps to maintain transparency and trust while lessening anxious feelings. This dialogue starts at the top. Check-in with managers to ensure they are continuing conversations with their team members and vice versa. As a leader, the most critical thing you can do is lead by example. Continue to re-assess what’s working and what’s not with your strategy. Do not be afraid to fail in your feedback plan. It will happen. But it’s a step in the right direction of improvement. Lead with conviction and openness to change by putting your people first and prioritizing collective goals.
Recent Comments