The Gift of Feedback - How to Give & How to Receive

Feedback is important – it improves performance, develops talent, aligns expectations, solves problems, guides promotion and pay, and boosts the bottom line.

Sadly, the process of giving feedback has been pushed to the corner, addressed only a couple of times each year during the performance review. We save up all of our comments and document all of the things we note, no doubt in part because the process is unnerving and feared. This is a shame because giving and receiving feedback is some of the most important communication.

The good news is that feedback is something you can practice. Given the right way with the right intentions, you can build your confidence. Quality feedback exchanges also build trust between the giver and the receiver.

GIVING FEEDBACK

1. Make it a Positive Process and Experience – the purpose for giving feedback is to improve the situation or performance. Your delivery will set the receiver’s mind and attitude, influencing how your message is taken and the willingness on the part of the receiver to change. People react to a negative interaction six times more strongly than they react to a positive interaction, according to a study published by Professor Andrew Miner. Consider starting the conversation with “let me give you some feedback” which lets the person prepare emotionally.
2. Choose What to Correct – you need to weigh the tradeoffs involved in giving negative feedback. If an error is so minor that the value of correction doesn’t overcome the potential emotional result, consider keeping it to yourself.
3. Make It Regular – feedback requires constant attention. When something needs to be said, say it. You will increase their confidence because they will know right away where they stand. Feedback given on a regular basis leads to no surprises during the formal review sessions.
4. Criticize in Private – establish a safe place to talk where you won’t be interrupted or overheard.
5. Use “I” Statements – give the feedback from your perspective to avoid labeling the person.
6. Limit Your Focus – a session should discuss no more than two issues. Any more than that risks making the person feel demoralized or attacked. Be sure to stick to behaviors that the person can actually change or influence.
7. Talk About Positives Too – a good rule is to start off with something positive to help put the person at ease. Frame it so that the person can “see” what success looks like. Be careful not sandwich the constructive feedback between too many positives, which will water down the feedback.
8. Provide Specific Suggestions – make sure you both know what needs to be done to improve the situation. Your message should be that you care and you want to help the person grow and develop.
9. Ask Questions – give the other person a chance to process what you’ve said, and to give you their side of the story.
10. Follow Up – the whole purpose of feedback is to improve performance. Measure success and make adjustments as you go.

RECEIVING FEEDBACK

Improving the skills of the feedback giver won’t accomplish much if the receiver isn’t able to absorb what is said. The receiver controls whether feedback is let in or kept out, and decides whether or not to change. A critical performance review, a well-intended suggestion, or an oblique comment can spark an emotional reaction.

Developing your feedback receiving skill will help you identify and manage the emotions triggered by the feedback and extract value from criticism even when it’s poorly delivered. It may seem like there are a thousand ways feedback can push your buttons. In fact, there are only three:

Truth triggers are set off by the content of the feedback. When assessments or advice seem off base, unhelpful, or simply untrue, you feel indignant, wronged and exasperated.

Relationship triggers are tripped by your view of the person giving the feedback. What you believe about the giver and how you feel about your previous interactions will color how you take the message.

Identity triggers are all about how you view yourself. Whether the feedback is right or wrong, wise or witless, it can be devastating if it causes your sense of who you are to come undone. In such moments you’ll struggle with feeling overwhelmed, defensive or off-balance.

Recognizing when your response to the feedback is out of proportion to the delivery or content is something you can learn, and you can build your skill in finding the gift despite the package. Try to understand the other person’s point of view, and experiment with different ways of doing things. Be prepared to discard critiques that are genuinely not helpful or misguided. Use these steps to keep from throwing away valuable feedback, or acting on comments that are damaging:

1. Know Your Tendencies – consider the following questions: do you defend yourself on the facts, argue about the delivery method, or strike back? Do you smile on the outside but seethe on the inside? Do you get teary or filled with indignation? Does the hurt ease over time? Do you reject feedback right away, and then reconsider? Do you accept it first, and then later decide it’s not valid? Do you agree with it, but have trouble changing?
2. Separate the “What” from the “Who” – both in the case of the person giving the feedback and in making the feedback about who you are instead of what you are doing.
3. Treat it as Coaching – feeling judged is likely to set off your identity triggers and can drown out the opportunity to learn. Work to hear feedback as potentially valuable advice from a fresh perspective, rather than an indictment of what you’ve done in the past.
4. Open the Gift – before you accept or reject it, do some analysis to better understand it. What does it really mean? Exactly what prompted the feedback and what should you do differently and why? Further discussion could clarify.
5. Ask for Just One Thing – feedback is less likely to set off emotional triggers if you request and direct it. Find opportunities to get bite-sized pieces of coaching from a variety of people.
6. Experiment Small – after you’ve received feedback, it may be difficult to figure out which bits will help and which ones won’t. Design small experiments to find out. If it works, great, if it doesn’t you can try again, tweak your approach, or end the experiment.

Research has shown that those who intentionally seek feedback tend to get higher performance ratings. Why? Mainly because someone who seeks is more likely to take what is said to heart and genuinely improve. Also since you ask for feedback, you not only find out how others see you, you also influence how they see you. Seeking constructive criticism communicates humility, respect, passion for excellence, and confidence – all at once.

Performance Goals to Fill the Gaps

One of the common problems that new supervisors experience is no clear, strong sense whether their employees are really being effective or not.  The first step toward solving this problem is to establish clear performance goals.

Some people have a strong negative reaction toward setting goals because they fear goals as “the law” that must be maintained and never broken.  Some people fear they will not achieve the goals.  Others have disdain for goals because goals seem to take the “heart” out of their work.

Goals can be established for a variety of reasons, for example, to overcome performance problems, qualify for future jobs and roles, take advantage of sudden opportunities that arise and/or give direction to training plans.

Performance gaps are identified during the employee performance management process.  Ideally, performance gaps are addressed by performance improvement plans.  In these plans, goals are established to improve performance and may include increased effort on the part of the employee, support from the supervisor, and certain training and resources to assist the employee in their development.  Dedicated employees can greatly appreciate having specific performance goals for them to achieve in order to keep their jobs, verify their competence to their supervisor and accomplish overall professional development.

Growth gaps are identified during career planning.  Employees perceive certain areas of knowledge and skills that they would like to accomplish in order to qualify for certain future roles and positions.  Employees often appreciate having clear-cut goals that mark what they need to do to advance in their careers.

Opportunity gaps are identified when a sudden opportunity arises for the employee.  If the employee is highly interested in taking advantage of the opportunity, then he or she will appreciate knowing exactly what they need to accomplish to grab the opportunity.

Training gaps are identified when hiring a new employee, during employee performance management, or career planning.  Gaps are usually in terms of knowledge, skills, or abilities.  Training plans can be designed with clear-cut training goals to give direction to the employee and the trainer.

Training Employees - Accommodating Their Learning Style

Orienting New Employees

Develop an employee orientation checklist and consider the following activities for inclusion on the list. 

1.        Before the employee begins, send a welcome letter – verify start date, provide a copy of the employee policies and procedures manual. Let them know the dress code, start time, and whether they should plan on packing a lunch.

2.        When the employee begins, meet with them – explain how they will be trained, introduce them to staff, give them keys, get them to sign any needed benefit and tax forms, explain the time-recording system, and provide them with copies of important documents.

3.        Show them the facilities – including layout of offices, bathrooms, storage areas, kitchen use, copy and fax systems, computer configuration and procedures, telephone usage, and any special office systems.

4.        Schedule any needed computer training – including use of passwords, overview of software and documentation, location and use of peripherals, and where to go to get questions answered.

5.        Review any policies and/or procedures about use of facilities.

6.        Assign an employee to them as their “buddy” – who remains available to answer any questions.

7.        Take them to lunch on the first day – and invite other employees along.

8.        Meet with them at the end of the day – to hear any questions or comments.

9.        Meet with the new employee during the first few days of employment to review the job description again.  Remind them to review the employee manual and sign a form indicating they have reviewed the manual and will comply with its contents.  Review any specific goals for the position.  In the same meeting, explain the performance review procedure and provide them a copy of the performance review document.

10.     Have one-on-one meetings with the new employees on a weekly basis for the first six weeks – to discuss the new employee’s transition into the organization, get status on work activities, hear any pending issues or needs, and establish a working relationship with their supervisor.

Learning Preferences

Whenever you are training others, you have information and ideas that you want to share in a way that is meaningful to your audience. Everyone has different learning preferences, so you want your materials to cover a variety of styles to help them to learn quickly and thoroughly. Be aware that your own learning preferences will influence your training techniques, and may shade your information, making it difficult for someone with a vastly different preference to “catch on.” Try to cover all bases by including materials for learners who are:

·         Sensory – Intuitive:  Provide both hard facts and general concepts. Give the learner the philosophy and theory behind the activity (“why are we doing this?” and what are the “rules” we are being held to?) but also give them enough details about the task for the learner to problem-solve and make decisions on their own as they work through it.

·         Active – Reflective:  Allow the learner to complete the task, but also allow time to evaluate and analyze the activity. One rule of thumb is to go over the material three different times: first, complete the task while the learner observes and takes notes; second, the learner completes the task while you provide direction (giving the learner time to add / modify their notes); and finally, the learner completes the task from their notes (while you quietly observe).

·         Sequential – Global:  Provide the big picture, as well as detail in a structured way. I prefer to think of training as taking the audience from the big picture down to the nitty-gritty details. You might open with a quick discussion about why and for whom this activity is being done. Then launch into frequency and quality expectations, and conclude with step-by-step instructions for completion.

Finally, be prepared for a period of time (usually starting 60 – 90 days after training) where the new employee will struggle to complete tasks they were trained on, and may have been successfully completing for a few weeks! This period is normal, have the employee go back to their training materials, slow down their execution, and “re-learn” the activities. This is just the process of the brain moving the material from our conscious memory to our automatic memory.

Job Training

Try to approach your employee training from a broad spectrum of learning opportunities. Each of these methods will give your employees an opportunity to explore, engage with, and solidify their job duties.

1.        Self-Directed Learning

2.        Other-Directed Learning

3.        Informal Training

4.        Formal Training

5.        Coaching

Index of Learning Styles, mindtools.com

Building Teams That Work

Some time or another, you will be asked to either work on a team or build a team of your own.  Just bringing people together and assigning them a task isn’t enough to build a cohesive team. A team that works well is one that is productive and efficient – and the members enjoy their work on the team. The team has a clear sense of direction, an understanding of each person’s role within the team, and ways to resolve conflicts as they occur. A good team is a mix of skills and interests, not dominated by the most verbal, outspoken, or popular personalities. You as a manager have several things to consider in developing and leading teams that work.

1. Set clear goals and a purpose for the team. Talk to the team about their performance goals and how the team is a part of the company’s success. Purposes and goals can change over time, so remember to revisit these.
2. Clarify the individuals’ roles in achieving the goals and purpose. Be as specific as possible – assigning tasks and communicating expected results.
3. Plan for conflicts and how you will resolve them. Conflict, when handled well, can actually produce constructive ideas and draw the team members closer together. Let the conflicts come to the surface and deal with them quickly. Each team will have a different approach to resolving disagreements, below are some tips:
1. Make sure each team member has a chance to explain the problem as they see it.
2. Encourage employees to solve problems themselves so that you aren't always in the middle. However, if they can’t resolve it, or it keeps coming back, make sure they know that you are available to coach them through a problem-solving framework.
4. Remember your leadership role. While ownership of the work is healthy for all team members, avoid being “just one of the team.” You are the one accountable for the team’s results. Hold each employee responsible for meeting goals and for solving problems. Let your team know that you are their greatest supporter by removing obstacles and supporting them when issues arise.
5. Establish ground rules. Let your team know how you like to operate. Are you a solution-oriented manager, who requires that everyone contributes ideas for a solution? Do you prefer to do a root-cause analysis first to better understand the problem before moving on to finding a solution? The important thing is that your team knows your preferred style.

The-4 Player Model

David Kanto and William Lehr designed a communication model for family systems in 1975. This model was adapted by Deborah Ancona and William Isaacs of MIT’s Sloan School of Management to teams in organizations. There are four acts that are essential building blocks of team behavior. In appropriate sequence, these acts help the team consider a wide range of alternatives, examine each, refine and elaborate with ideas from inside and outside the team, choose an alternative, and act.

Move – this act establishes a direction and sets the team in motion.  Example: “Let’s build Product X.  Product X is the best Idea out there.”

Follow – this act provides support for the move and serves the function of completion. Example: “I agree with the arguments you’ve made. Product X is the way to go.”

Oppose – the oppose act questions the move that has been initiated. Example: “The data don’t support your claims. We’ll be in real trouble if we go with Product X.”

Bystand – this provides perspective and invites the team to be more reflective. A bystander may bring in more data, an historic perspective, or some insight about the operation or team. Example: “We tried some of these same ideas two years ago and they didn’t work. What do we think has changed?”

Interviewing to Hire Top People

The interview is a valuable tool for the supervisor in assessing the applicant’s suitability for the position. It is also the applicant’s biggest opportunity to gain knowledge concerning the position duties and responsibilities and the company’s environment.

You should prepare for the interview by studying the application form and / or resume and reviewing the qualification requirements established for the job. In addition, the interviewer should list specifics to be explored such as apparent gaps in the applicant’s work record, ambiguous or contradictory entries on the application, etc.

You should also be aware that questions that would ordinarily be lawful may, in some circumstances, be held to be evidence of unlawful discrimination. See the end for some examples.

• Allowable questions are any which pertain to the background of the candidate both in education and experience essential to actual performance on the job. These include any incomplete information on the resume or application.
• Why the applicant left former job and what kind of references he or she would receive from their former employer.
• What the applicant’s prior job duties consisted of and what he or she liked or disliked about prior jobs.
• In what kind of job duties, hours, days, etc. the applicant is interested.
• Allow the applicant to mention and discuss what he or she feels is relevant to the job for which he or she is applying.
• Citizenship or working visa, but not country of origin.

Interview Format

1. Introduction of company and position
2. Introduction of supervisor, length of time with company, philosophies, etc.
3. Tour of the facility
4.  Review of resume and / or application, ask related questions.
5.  Allow the candidate to ask questions.
6.  Ask at least three situational questions.
7.  Allow the candidate to ask questions.
8. Tell the candidate what the next steps are and the expected timing.
9. Conclude.

Candidate Evaluation

Candidate evaluation forms can be a useful tool to fairly compare different candidates by ranking overall qualifications for the position which they have applied. Under each category, you should give the candidate a numerical rating and write specific job-related comments in the space. Each category should be weighted for importance to success in the position. In the comments, consider ways that a low ranking can be overcome (training, e.g.). The form should be completed as soon as the interview is completed and the candidate has left.  Below are suggested categories for ranking:

• Educational Background / Training
• Prior Work Experience
• Technical Qualifications / Experience
• Verbal Communication – how were the candidate’s communication skills during the interview (i.e. body language, answers to questions)?
• Candidate Enthusiasm – how much interest did the candidate show in the position and the company?
• Knowledge of Company – did the candidate research the company prior to the interview?
• Teambuilding / Interpersonal Skills
• Initiative
• Time Management
• Customer Service
• Salary Expectations – what were the candidate’s salary expectations? Were they within the range for the position?
• Overall Impression and Recommendation – final comments and recommendations for proceeding with the candidate.

Interviewing Guidelines

• Questions about national origin or ancestry are prohibited because they have no relevance to the job or work status - unless the position specifically requires a U.S. citizen (which should be stated in the job posting).
• OK:  Are you legally authorized to work in the United States?
• Not OK:  Are you a U.S. citizen? Where were your parents born?
• Questions about disabilities or illnesses of any sort should be avoided.
• OK: Are you able to perform the specific duties of this position?
• Not OK: Do you have any disabilities? Have you had any recent or past illnesses or operations?
• Questions to ask about a candidate's interest and activities outside of work should be framed with care to avoid political and religious affiliations or other personal matters.
• OK: Are you a member of any professional or trade groups that are relevant to our industry?
• Not OK: Do you belong to any clubs or social organizations?
• Questions about arrests or pending charges that are not related to the particular job.
• OK: Have you ever been convicted of [something substantially related to the job]?
• Not OK: Have you ever been arrested?
• Questions about retirement plans.
• OK: What are your long-term career goals?
• Not OK: How much longer do you plan to work before you retire?
• Questions about family obligations that may get in the way of work. Ask directly about the candidate's availability, instead.
• OK: Are you available to work overtime on occasion? Can you travel?
• Not OK: Do you have children? Can you get a babysitter on short notice for overtime or travel?
• Questions about religion.
• OK: Are you available to work within our required schedule?
• Not OK: What religion do you practice? What religious holidays do you observe?
• Questions about age should be limited to over 18 (or 21 if applicable).
• OK: Are you over the age of 18?
• Not OK: How old are you? When did you graduate from college?
• Questions that hint at a woman's marital status and anything that could be mistaken as a question referring to national origin or ancestry.
• OK: Is additional information necessary to check references, such as a different name or nickname?
• Not OK: Is this your maiden name? Do you prefer to be called Ms., Miss, or Mrs.?

Strategic Workforce Planning

Workforce planning is a systematic process for identifying the human resources required to meet organizational goals. Specifically, the plan involves having the right number of people; with the right knowledge, skills and abilities; in the right positions; at the right time. Often companies choose to grow organically, by using existing employee personalities and abilities to determine roles and responsibilities. Planning happens “on the fly” and job duties end up leaving gaps or having overlaps. This is costly to the company and can lead to frustrated employees and supervisors, as expectations keep shifting or an employee migrates out of their intended position.

Workforce planning allows for a more effective and efficient use of staff. It helps ensure replacements are available to fill key vacancies. It makes it possible to make staffing decisions based both on the work needed and the funds available. It provides realistic and accurate staffing projections based on skills needed to do the work. It provides clear training and development goals and priorities focused on the work that needs to be done. It may also help the company prepare for restructuring, reducing, or expanding its current workforce.

Workforce planning requires an analysis of numerous factors, including current staff, short- and long-term needs, and weaknesses in the talent pool. Proper planning calls for a detailed understanding of the skills of the workforce and decision tools to maximize the company’s talent pool.

Planning the workforce requires an overall understanding of the company’s goals and strategies. The skill set of the workforce should align with these goals. If the company is planning on expansion, for example, the workforce to support the expansion needs to be identified, put into place, and trained before the expansion rolls through the company.

Some of the steps to consider when planning your workforce are:

1.        Review your organization’s strategy, for your area. What are your current workforce needs? Start with a clean piece of paper and draft the deliverables, duties, tasks, and outcomes necessary to run your area and meet your strategic goals. What are your future workforce needs? Write down the “future state” of your organization if your goals are met.

2.        Document your existing workforce competencies, job levels, certifications, etc. Also document turnover and time in position in order to assess how often you may need to (re)fill the position. Consider time to train the position as well.

3.        Create a projected workforce based on your goals and existing trends. Ask yourself questions like:

a.        What changes (technology innovations, process developments, organizational structure) are expected?

b.        How will these changes affect the work? How will they affect the skill requirements?

c.        What will the planned organization look like – number of employees, competencies, certifications?

4.        Align your existing workforce with your projected workforce. Identify gaps or excesses in headcount, knowledge, skills, abilities and experience. During this process you will: identify skills needed for success; develop retention strategies; consider training versus recruiting to fill gaps; consider contractors versus hiring; and create mentoring programs for staff needing nominal development.

5.        Review your plan with your supervisor to get approval and spot any weak areas in your plan.

6.        If your plan calls for a new role, ask yourself the following questions:

a.        Will structure changes better allow the company/ department to achieve its goals?

b.        Where are more people needed?  Fewer?

c.        Which skills are lacking? In surplus?

d.        Will the tools used in the past support the future direction?  Will the tools needed to support the strategy require new skills?

e.        How expensive will the change be?

f.         What are the critical positions?  Where are the retention risks?

7.        Draft a job description

a.        Define the position – write down everything you want in a new hire before you assign a title to the position. Think about desired outcomes, specific deliverables, as well as duties or tasks critical to success.  You may have to eliminate some as you hone the list to acceptable professional standards and the market, but you will start with a better idea of what you are hiring for.

b.        Title the position and the department to whom the new hire reports.

c.        Write a summary overview of what the position entails, followed by a bulleted list of job duties and responsibilities.  Include all key areas of responsibilities.  Include a catch-phrase line to include additional “duties as assigned” to prevent a “that wasn’t in my job description” conflict later on.

d.        You may want to include a list of people and positions the hire will consult with on a regular basis.

e.        Qualifications should be in a separate paragraph.  Reflect any particular skills, attributes, or credentials necessary to perform each responsibility on the list. 

8.        Determine the best way to change the workforce:

a.        Buy – recruit and hire talent

b.        Build – develop and promote talent from within the company

c.        Borrow – contract

d.        Trim – reduce the number of employees

9.        Determine approximate cost of the new role - Each initiative must be evaluated on cost, benefit, and value.  Create budgets for each option, evaluate opportunity costs, determine capacity requirements, and check in with financial goals.

10.     Get authorization – give your job description and completed Intent to Hire form to your supervisor for approval.  Once you have supervisor approval, give to the HR office for review and approval.

11.     Finalize the job description – make any necessary changes to the job description and post.

Managing Yourself

Managing yourself is about managing personal feelings, personal attitudes, personality preferences and personal behaviors to bring out the best in yourself and others. A quarterback on any given play may have personal feelings about their receiver, but he still must throw to that person to win the play.

First, you must set high standards for yourself and those around you; and you must hold people accountable. Second, you must develop your emotional intelligence skills. Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize your own emotions, understand how they affect you, and manage your responses with tact. It also involves your perception of others, allowing you to manage relationships more effectively.

To do the best job of managing yourself and role-modeling for others, you need to be:
• Competent in your job
• Committed to the organization and its people
• Trustworthy, reliable and honest
• Fair
• Respectful to everyone, every time
• Aware of and avoid under- or over-managing
• In control of your behavior and not let personal feelings dominate your actions
• Confident that others will be responsible and intelligent

Managers that are truly effective recognize that individuals and work teams need to be experts in their jobs and that people are our best resource. Managers who lead engaged employees:
• Understand themselves and others
• Learn personality preferences or styles and use the knowledge wisely
• Manage their own behavior
• Recognize that effective leadership requires behaviors that they may find uncomfortable or difficult
• Remember that leadership is about getting others to do the right things in the right ways

Some things to keep in mind:
1. Monitor your work hours
2. Recognize your own signs of stress
3. Get a mentor or coach
4. Learn to delegate
5. Communicate as much as you can
6. Recognize what’s important from what’s urgent – fix the system, not the problem
7. Recognize accomplishments