PAPERmaking! FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF PAPER TECHNOLOGY Volume 2, Number 2, 2016
Giving feedback is one of the most important - and most challenging - tasks all managers face. For first-time managers, it can be especially difficult. No longer a peer to co-workers, new leaders take on the role of “boss.” Instead of focusing solely on their own career and development, they must develop their teams and work toward achieving broader company goals. One of the best ways to help a team improve is to provide frequent, effective feedback. But what exactly is feedback? And how can first-time managers deliver criticism without isolating their team? Three key points to remember about feedback are: • It should be specific and fact-based. • It should be “wise” and focus on employee development. • It should be ongoing and not a one-time event. What Is Feedback? Feedback can be in the form of one-on-one meetings, performance reviews, or a simple conversation at the coffee maker. Feedback can be positive or negative, but the common theme is that it is actionable information about how someone is doing in meeting specific goals. “We all know receiving feedback can be awkward or painful at times,” says William Gentry, author of Be the Boss Everyone Wants to Work for: A Guide for New Leaders . “Delivering it can be just as awkward and painful. But providing positive and negative feedback to your direct reports, staff, or team is the only way they will know how they are performing well, or if they are not, how they can become better.” In other words, giving feedback means holding employees accountable for their responsibilities. Without feedback, teams won’t know when they are performing well and when they are not. Helpful feedback guides employees; that’s why giving it is crucial to being a successful manager. Just the Facts, Please! Confronting employees with negative feedback can be uncomfortable, especially for first- time managers. Telling a former co-worker, and possibly friend, that they are not doing something well isn’t easy. Emotions can run high. That’s why it’s important to stick to the facts.
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Article 8 – Feedback
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