As a people manager, delivering feedback isn’t just a responsibility — it’s a powerful tool that can fuel employee engagement. How you communicate feedback to employees directly impacts their performance, motivation, and job retention.
Many managers enjoy giving positive feedback, because it is well received, celebrates achievements, and reinforces desirable behaviors. It can sometimes be challenging, even for experienced managers, to strike the right tone when giving constructive feedback. However, when done effectively, addressing employee performance gaps or areas for improvement can be just as impactful in engaging and developing employees as positive feedback.
Whether you’re recognizing an achievement or addressing an area for improvement, the key to delivering truly impactful feedback is to keep it timely, authentic, constructive, and actionable.
Authenticity is Critical for Positive Feedback
When delivered effectively, positive feedback energizes employees, boosts morale and enhances productivity. It also can improve collaboration within teams.
Here are some tips for giving meaningful positive feedback:
- Be specific: For maximum impact, follow up generic praise like “you’re a rockstar” by highlighting exactly what the employee did well and how their contribution positively impacted your team or the organization.
- Be genuine and personal: Most people can tell when a compliment is forced. Take time before you meet with the employee to reflect not only on what you want to say but how you want to say it. The best feedback is personalized for the person receiving it. For instance, while some employees may enjoy a longer conversation about their achievements, others prefer praise that’s direct and to the point. Knowing your employees’ preferences makes it more likely that your feedback will be well received.
- Keep it positive: When giving positive feedback, you may be tempted to add a dash of constructive criticism to balance out the conversation. However, this dilutes the impact of your praise and can leave employees feeling less engaged. It’s best to have those conversations separately.
- Don’t delay: Timing matters. Deliver positive feedback as soon as possible after an achievement. Waiting too long to deliver praise diminishes its value.
Delivering Constructive Feedback Efficiently
Sometimes things don’t go as planned — a project misses the mark, deadlines slip, or performance falls short of expectations. These situations call for constructive guidance to address issues while maintaining trust and encouraging improvement.
When giving constructive feedback, consider these tips:
- Choose the right time and place: Schedule a one-on-one meeting in a private space to avoid distractions. Select a time of day when you will not be rushed to ensure enough time for a more relaxed conversation. When possible, address issues promptly to prevent them from escalating.
- Ask questions: At the start of the conversation, ask questions to make sure you have all the relevant information. This helps you to avoid making incorrect assumptions about the reasons for an employee’s behavior.
- Address actions, not character: The most effective feedback targets behaviors or actions that need improvement, not personal traits. “Don’t confuse the person with their actions,” Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education reports, “being personal will lead the recipient to shut down. They will be less likely to act on, or learn from, the points shared.” Stick with the facts. Calmly describe the actions they took and what occurred as result of those actions
- Encourage the employee to be part of the solution. When possible, encourage the employee to brainstorm different steps they could take to solve the problem or ensure a more positive result the next time a similar situation arises. Inspiring employees to take ownership in resolving their mistakes increases the likelihood of long-term behavioral change. It also reframes a potentially difficult discussion as an opportunity for learning and development.
- Pause and regroup to de-escalate. If the employee becomes defensive during the discussion, resist the urge to resolve everything immediately. Acknowledge their emotions, calmly state next steps, and schedule a follow-up meeting to revisit the conversation.
Commit to Continual Feedback
It’s important not only to give feedback, but to give it regularly. Creating an environment that encourages continuous feedback benefits both employees and the organization. Research from Gallup found that “employees are 3.6 times more likely to strongly agree that they are motivated to do outstanding work when their manager provides daily (vs. annual) feedback.” Frequent feedback ensures employees have a clear understanding of how their performance is viewed in real time, where their work is strong, and areas that could be improved. It helps ensure alignment to better enable the employee to reach short- and long-term goals. Feedback also plays a critical role in employee retention. Forbes reports that 61% of employees planning to remain with their organization say they understand their manager’s expectations and the path to promotion.
By fostering a culture of feedback, organizations create dynamic, engaging, and high-performing workplaces where everyone benefits.
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