Providing balanced feedback is an efficient strategy to increase employee engagement and get your employees motivated. However it’s easier in theory if you don’t fully understand what balanced feedback is, or how you can implement it.
Balanced feedback is all about positively reinforcing critical behaviours as well as providing corrective feedback when required. Most people do a little bit of both, but it is usually heavily weighted to corrective feedback which over time becomes a demotivator.
The secret is to turn the ratio around giving no less than four positive comments to each corrective comment or reprimand. Sounds easy, but in reality it’s not hard to forget!
Like other aspects of frontline leadership the key is to practice the skills every day. The best way I have discovered to create balanced feedback part of your everyday routine would be to consider it ‘planned spontaneous recognition’.
Sounds somewhat oxymoron, however it constitutes a great deal of sense. All three aspects are important. Part one ‘planned’ is important for that frontline manager – you need to be planned concerning the feedback. Which means you need to incorporate face-time on the floor with your team many times each day. One of my clients incorporates it each time he comes back from the break or gets away from his desk to get something in the printer. It really works for him!
The all important face-time allows the chance to arise to provide feedback. You’re available seeing what’s going on, what employees are saying to customers and how they’re handling enquiries. This makes it far easier to trap your employees doing things right, to help you give positive feedback.
The second part ‘spontaneous’ is essential for both the frontline leader and the employee. You have to be flexible in what you are going to give feedback about. You cannot plan in advance what you are likely to give feedback about while you don’t know the situation you will be watching. You need a great knowledge of the critical behaviours that you’re seeking to reinforce which means you understand what to give feedback about.
The 3rd part of the equation is recognition. This will be significant for the employee. As they receive balanced feedback and therefore are buoyed with positive recognition of the behaviours and actions, you develop employee engagement. Employee engagement is essential in driving employee motivation and commitment to the organisation.