How to Manage a Feedback Session
Tips for Effectively Facilitating Performance Related Feedback
Oct 2, 2009
A feedback session with an employee can occur as a result of a specific incident or an ongoing issue. On occasion an employee may not respond favorably to the feedback being provided and demonstrate unprofessional or inappropriate conduct.
As a manager it is critical to be able effectively manage a feedback session. This means being prepared for unexpected reactions from employees and respond accordingly. There are several strategies that can be employed during a feedback session to prevent a negative or defensive response from and employee.
How to Manage a Feedback Session - Be Mindful of the Facilitation
When facilitating feedback it is critical to be mindful of the wording that is used. There a certain key phrases that can negatively impact a feedback session. Avoid starting a sentence with the word “You” during a feedback session as it places blame on an employee and will immediately put the employee on the defensive.
- Instead of saying “You are always late for work.” Try saying, “I am concerned about your current start time. I have you on the schedule to be at work for 9:00 am but I notice that you have arrived at 9:30 am every day this week.”
- Instead of saying “You are not meeting the company’s performance expectations. You will need to make some immediate improvements.” Try saying “I have outlined the company’s performance expectations and I notice that you have missed a couple of the targets. Let’s review them together and come up with an action plan for improvement.”
- Instead of saying “You need to start being more polite to our customers.” Try saying “I notice that you have been short with some of our customers lately. Can you help me understand why?”
Using “I” instead of "you" can prevent a negative or resistant response from an employee. Demonstrating respect for the employee during a feedback session will allow the employee to open up and feel comfortable.
How to Manage a Feedback Session - Avoid Making Assumptions
Sometimes a manager will hear from other employees about a concerning an incident, professionalism issue or ongoing inappropriate conduct.
Rather than making assumptions or taking the information at face value it is critical to first talk with the employee and then come to a decision as to whether or not a plan of action is required. Usually there is another side to the story and it is the manager’s responsibility to get a clear understanding of exactly what has occurred from all parties involved.
The following phrases can be used to open up the feedback session involving second hand information
- "I want to discuss some information that has been brought to my attention and I am hoping you can help me by providing some clarification.”
- “I was made aware of a situation that occurred last week and I wanted to take some time talk with you about it.”
- “I was wondering if you could help me understand what happened between you and Sally the other day.”
When discussing second hand information with an employee be prepared for the employee to express confusion or deny that the issue even occurred.
When an employee feigns ignorance or denies the occurrence of an incident a manager can ask the employee “Do you have any idea why someone might want to make a false complaint about you?” or “Is there anything going on with the team that may make them believe that you did this?”
It is important for managers not to make assumptions as to why an employee chose to do or say something. Rather than making an assumption the manager should schedule a feedback session to discuss the issue with the employee and then provide feedback and create an action plan for improvement.
How to Manage a Feedback Session - Understand that Every Employee is Different
A person’s life experience and personality traits will play a role in how he or she responds to constructive feedback.
It is important for a manager to tailor the feedback session and delivery to the employee that they are meeting with. Some employees prefer feedback delivered in a direct and to-the-point manner while other employees prefer delivery of feedback in a more empathetic and understanding manner with significant time set aside for discussion.
There are many personality tests available online to help managers and employees understand their own personality traits and how they impact their performance in the workplace. This can significantly assist a manager in better understanding employees and team members.
When a manager takes into consideration the method of delivery and an employee’s unique personality the result is a constructive feedback session resulting in for professional growth and development as well as improved performance.
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