The Golden Rules of Giving Positive Feedback
Providing feedback 'whether good or bad (but always constructive)' is an integral part of every leader's and manager's role. It's understandable that most managers find the task of giving feedback when performance or behaviour falls below required standards a greater challenge than providing praise. In Giving Constructive Feedback, Maguire Training shows delegates how to give effective and motivational feedback and demonstrates the benefits of doing so.
Whilst the pleasant task of giving positive feedback might seem easy in principle, handled correctly it can benefit not just the recipient but the wider team and, in turn, the business. To help you maximise its effectiveness, here are Maguire Training's golden rules of giving positive feedback.
Rule 1: Don't procrastinate
Immediacy is of the utmost importance when giving positive feedback as praising too long after the event may seem insincere and will have less of an impact.
Rule 2: Make it a public
Whilst giving negative feedback demands discretion and privacy, positive feedback can be given in front of the team to demonstrate that a job well done is recognised, valued and rewarded.
Rule 3: Link the feedback to a specific action
There's little value in praising an employee for doing a 'great job' this says nothing about what they specifically achieved and won't necessarily motivate others to follow suit. It's far better to tell everyone who performed the action, why you felt it was so worthy of praise, the wider benefit to the team or business that resulted from the action (e.g. cost savings, higher customer satisfaction etc.) and to personally thank the recipient and encourage further such praiseworthy actions in the future.
Rule 4: Consider the recipient's feelings
Some employees will enjoy their positive feedback being turned into a special occasions whilst others might baul at the idea of being singled out for praise amid their peers. Tailor the nature of feedback giving in accordance with the recipient?s personality; the important thing is that they understand that their contribution has been of value and is recognised as such.
Rule 5: Reserve positive feedback for the truly deserving cases
Giving positive feedback is a great morale booster and motivator, but only if it is done sparingly. Celebrating achievements that are over and above the normal expectations of an employee's role emphasise the special value of their contribution. The benefits and impact of giving positive feedback are gradually eroded and become less effective if it becomes a regular and expected occurrence.
There is much that leaders and managers can learn about giving all kinds of constructive and helpful feedback that contributes to the development of employees. For those that prefer to learn these skills at their own pace and in their own environment, Maguire Training provides Giving Productive Feedback as an online training module which can be accessed at delegates' convenience via our intuitive and versatile E-learning platform.
