Imagine you received a set of Legos without the instructions. You might be able to figure out how some of the pieces go together by looking at the picture on the outside of the box. But as you put the set together, it would be nice to go back to the instructions and check on your progress to make sure you are on the right track and not wasting your r time. It would be frustrating and nearly impossible to complete the set exactly correctly without some instructions.
This analogy demonstrates exactly why feedback is so important for employees. As small business leaders, we need to let employees know what is expected of them. We need to be the set of instructions they can refer back to in order to make sure they are progressing toward their goal.
But too often, giving performance feedback takes a back burner for leaders, even though we all know how important it is. According to research from LeadershipIQ, only 29% of employees say they “always” know whether their performance is where it should be.
Why do leaders avoid giving feedback? The research shows that 90% of leaders say they have avoided giving feedback because they were concerned that the employee would react poorly. What these leaders may be missing is hat giving ongoing performance feedback would actually make these conversations easier. Instead of waiting for a scheduled performance review, leaders need to let employees know in the moment whether their performance is up to par, and that includes both positive and negative performance feedback. When you provide feedback more often, employees get used to it and come to expect it.
It may be surprising, but employees actually do want to know how they are doing, even if they aren’t performing well. In fact, 57% of employees said they prefer constructive feedback over praise or recognition.
Keep this in mind as you move forward this week and make giving feedback to your employees a priority. Do you need help getting started? Check out the recording of our recent Performance Communication Made Easy webinar or reach out to our team of HR experts at 1-800-748-5102 or humanresources@helpside.com