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Every good relationship is based on thoughtful give and take.

Good communication can prevent a lot of issues in our private lives, and it is just as crucial in the workplace. Integrating regular feedback into your management approach can produce real benefits, yet many businesses seem to be falling short in this area.

Studies regularly show that employees want more feedback from their supervisor, not less. Research also shows companies that regularly engage their employees with feedback have lower turnover rates.

Here’s Why You Should Give Feedback

Lowering the Pressure of Annual Performance Reviews

When a lot of is put on one annual performance review, it turns the conversation into a high stakes affair, especially if a pay increase is on the line. Both staff members and supervisors come in prepared to make their points and defend them. Even a small bit of criticism can trigger an argument if it causes the employee to think he or she is not getting a raise or annual bonus. Your company will be hampered if this is the only way people discuss feedback.

When manager input is offered regularly, the conversation around it can become more relaxed, honest and open. Input, feedback and especially praise should be ingrained in the regular workflow; rather than the occasional criticism hitting like a punch to the gut. With practice and an atmosphere of understanding, both workers and supervisors will get better at providing and receiving helpful input. Ideally, this culminates in performance management being a positive habit among your workforce rather than a high-pressure arm wrestling that happens once a year.

Motivating with Constructive Feedback

When staff members get input that’s specific and timely, it allows them to act on it quickly. This is much more ideal than asking employees to change what occurred earlier in the year. The annual review approach also makes it harder to concentrate on making granular adjustments in real-time; there’s usually just too much to cover and it can be overwhelming. It’s also much easier for a supervisor to be vague when such a large period of time has passed between a problem and the review, which is not a good thing.

Best Practices for Giving Feedback

All input and feedback given to employees is not equal. Input should be well-informed, honest and given with regularity.

An effective approach to given well-informed feedback is to lean on good two-way communication. Ask open-ended questions and create an atmosphere where employees feel comfortable bringing you suggestions, challenges, nagging issues and full-blown problems.

You want your employees to feel comfortable being honest with you so you can be honest in return. If you are going to give criticism, don’t give it in the heat of the moment. Also, give criticism is a way that sparks a genuinely useful conversation.

Finally, if you are giving input and feedback as part of a regular, on-going conversation with your employees, it will produce the best results.

Let Us Work with Your Company to Sustain High-Performance Levels

At Cornerstone, we prioritize strong communication with our clients to ensure that our contract employees are excelling in their roles. Please contact us today to find out how we can support superior performance at your organization.


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