Giving constructive feedback sounds easy enough…until you have to actually do it. But, as a manager, it’s an important part of your job. So how can you offer corrective input to your employees without them getting defensive? Here are some tips to help you:
Make it timely.
Don’t hold onto negative feedback until an employee’s performance review and then bombard them with a litany of things they’re doing wrong. Instead, offer constructive criticism in small, timely doses. Otherwise, you’ll overwhelm your employee and they’ll tune you out.
Do it in person.
While sending a quick email praising an employee’s hard work is fine, don’t email negative feedback. It’s understandable that you want to avoid confronting your employee, but email messages can be easily misconstrued. Instead, have a private, face-to-face talk with them.
Ask questions and listen.
If your employee is having a performance issue, try to get to the root of the problem so you can help solve it. Do so by asking questions like: “Why did you approach the project this way?” You may come to learn there were other variables at play you didn’t know about, or at the very least, you will gain some insight about your employee’s perspective on the problem.
Be clear and specific.
Don’t beat around the bush. Instead, be as direct as possible and give your employee specific examples of their behavior. For instance, if they missed the mark on handling an angry customer, let them know what went wrong and how to handle the situation better next time.
Mind the body language.
Eye contact, hand gestures, tone of voice and body language can all impact the message you’re delivering. Also, be aware of your employee’s body language. If they pull back into a defensive stance or their eyes glaze over, it means they’re disengaging.
Don’t nitpick.
As a manager, it’s important to point out when an employee needs to improve in a certain area. However, if you’re constantly criticizing everything your team does, your people will ignore you and your feedback will become meaningless. So make sure you don’t focus too much on the negative and always spotlight the positive.
Giving negative feedback is never fun. But remember, it’s impossible to improve employee performance without it.
If you’d like more help with hiring and HR-related issues, call Future Force. As one of Dade County’s top staffing agencies, we can help you hire and retain high quality employees for temporary and full-time positions. Contact us today to learn more.