4qtr2003 - Ask the Coach: Better Employee Feedback

Question: I know that feedback is important for employees. How do you know how much feedback to provide?

Answer: What a great question! At its crux, it's a function of whether the message you intended to be received by an employee is the same as the message the employee actually received. Think about how you could determine that. How do you know that you know? Don't just rely on your 'gut instinct' to tell you - that's not a good litmus for these types of things. Try this instead - ask and then listen. "You know I'm not sure if I said that right," you could say, "What did it sound like I was saying?" It can be as simple as that!

I remember one time I met with an employee and thought my message was crisp, clear, and to the point. But when I checked in with him about it, he heard something entirely different! (I thought I was complimenting him; he thought I was nit-picking.) Another time I didn't even open my mouth before an employee said, "I know what you're going to say, Barry, so you don't have to say it." I didn't know if she did or didn't, though, so I asked her to explain it to me. She then proceeded, without hesitation, to explain EXACTLY what I was thinking, why it was important, and what changes to her behavior were warranted as a result. And she did it in a way that was far more articulate than anything I was planning on saying to her!

Bottom Line: You know when you know when they tell you so.