“People need to be reminded more than they need to be instructed.”
— Samuel Johnson
I came upon this quote and my mind quickly went to the subject of feedback. There is a hunger for it and a dearth of it in our professional and personal lives. It is particularly missing when it comes to positive feedback.
Why is feedback absent in the workplace?
Why are leaders hesitant to give any form of feedback?
What are the risks of avoiding feedback?
Why is there an absence of feedback in the workplace? There are many reasons. I think most could fall under the category of “not a priority.” Almost all organizations have some formal evaluation process. Rarely are they taken seriously by management (other than HR and Human Capital) or staff. When is the last time anyone got in trouble for not completing, being late on, or giving full attention to self-evaluations or performance ratings? I can’t think of one. The process is tedious. Most people have great difficulty with the language of feedback, because they have few examples, have never been trained in the skill, and report little experience in the arena. They are also rare events, in most cases yearly.
Why are managers and leaders so hesitant to give any form of feedback to the people they supervisor? Even more difficult than writing the evaluation is delivering the feedback. It can be uncomfortable because of its unpredictability (totally preventable if it were given on a regular basis and with the right approach).
Some managers have more trouble saying good things than they do corrective comments. Maybe they have never experienced it themselves. Do they have some unsubstantiated fear that praising someone will “spoil” the listener? Are they conflict avoidant and fearful negative comments will produce anger or accusations? (“If you had been a decent manager, I would have been able to do a better job.”) It should be taken as a serious matter. However, everything would be easier if both sides had visited the topic frequently.
A wise leader I worked with often said, “Evaluation should be a consultation not a revelation.” He was right. Leaders should look forward to telling employees how much they are valued, stressing their importance to the department and the company. Praise has huge value, often much greater than money or titles. Constructive feedback also has great value in that it can prevent an issue from becoming a problem and can air differences that may simply be misunderstandings, before they become explosive.
What are the risks of avoiding feedback? The most treacherous is the loss of good people. The first and most important matter is good performers deserve to hear positive things. If they are not, it could be argued they are being cheated of a job benefit. In this tight job market employees are constantly being wooed by search firms, in-house recruiters, and individuals. They are flattered, told of their enormous worth, shown a picture of the other side of the fence. If they are not hearing positive words from their current supervisor, they are more vulnerable to the overtures and lures.
When performance is poor, and feedback is missing, there is the risk of having to hold on to a less than optimum worker while “we build a case.” This helps no one. If demotion or termination happens, it can encourage lawsuits and bad-mouthing of the organization on sites such as Glassdoor. (If you are one of the naïve leaders who thinks those reviews don’t influence decisions, I invite you to look and rethink your misconception).
In a 2017 Gallup poll, half of American workers reported looking to leave their job or searching for potential opportunities. Lack of feedback was a major contributor to their decision. Only 21% stated their performance was “managed in a way that motivates them to do outstanding work.” Hmmm.
If you are a leader of people, ask yourself, “Am I sharing what is on my mind regarding individual performance and contribution, particularly the positive?” If you are an employee, request feedback. Encourage it on a regular basis. You are entitled to know.
Just a thought.
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