If your feedback is causing frustration (to you) or confusion (to your team), let’s explore how to deliver it effectively.
Why Your Feedback Might Be Missing the Mark
You may be unclear, too generic, too harsh, or too soft.
Here’s a breakdown of common feedback pitfalls:
- Too Harsh (and generic): Phrases like “I don’t trust you”, “You are not working hard enough”, “I’m tired of repeating myself”, or “What’s wrong with you?” will crush a team member’s confidence and what’s the point?
- Too Soft (still generic): Vague comments like “You’re doing fine”, “Nobody’s perfect”, or “It’s okay” when it’s not can mask real issues and prevent growth.
Here’s how to give feedback that genuinely helps.
1. When Your Team Member Exceeds Expectations
For those hitting it out of the park, use feedback to reinforce and inspire further excellence. Be specific!
Examples:
- “You’ve consistently surpassed expectations for all your projects. For instance, your leadership on Project ABC was instrumental in securing an additional $X in savings.”
- “Your ability to anticipate client needs is outstanding. Last month, your proactive approach with Client X resulted in a new contract worth $Y.”
2. When Your Team Member Meets Expectations
These are reliable performers who are doing well and, you know, have room for improvement. Offer them next steps!
Examples:
- “I like that you implemented the new task-tracking system to increase productivity by 5%. We are halfway there. Let’s discuss taking a course on advanced project management techniques to manage this and other larger projects more efficiently.”
- “Your dedication is clear, as demonstrated by completing the client onboarding process within such a tight deadline. I’m happy it led to an 8% increase in client satisfaction scores. Let’s identify what we can do differently next time to avoid last minute stresses and increase the scores by another 8%.”
3. When Your Team Member Is not Meeting Expectations
For those struggling, address areas needing change and offer a path forward. Be super clear!
Example:
- “Your progress reports are ineffective and affect the team’s productivity scores. For example, I get lost when you send me emails with long paragraphs. What I need is a structured reporting format with sections for progress, challenges, and next steps. Please create a simple template for my comments. Our goal is to ensure your reports are easy to follow and on time.”
(The above is a real life example of a leader who successfully moved from mostly meets to fully meets 🙂 )
Mastering Feedback for Success
Feedback must be honest yet encouraging, clear yet detailed, and specific yet actionable.
Remember, the goal isn’t just to critique, vent, or demean anyone but to guide your team toward their potential, whether within your organization or not.
You’ve got this!
With love, Mari Carmen
