ONGOING FEEDBACK AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT A. Principles and Benefits f Onging Feedback While it may seem like an added respnsibility t managers already "full plate," managers that prvide nging feedback and caching against established gals and metrics are actually making their jb easier. Als, yur wrk grup will have a greater likelihd f meeting and exceeding the department s academic and business gals. Yur emplyees will always knw what is expected f them They will appreciate yur interest in their success Managing perfrmance and nging perfrmance feedback shuld be an nging habit; the annual review then becmes a nn-event, a frmalizatin f the existing relatinship between a manager and the emplyee. Feedback shuld be prvided n an nging, yearrund basis, nt nly during the annual perfrmance appraisal. Remember, it is imprtant t address strengths and successes as well as deficiencies and failures. If a manager has a gd histry f prviding nging feedback, preparatin is easy. Benefits f Prviding Onging Feedback & Caching During the year, yu are respnsible fr caching and mentring yur emplyees t assist them in reaching their gals and achieving ptimal perfrmance. Onging feedback and caching are used t cmmunicate abut and crrect perfrmance deficiencies, t reinfrce apprpriate behavir, t teach the emplyee new skills, t mtivate high perfrmance, and t mentr emplyees s they understand their rle in the Department and University. Regular feedback and caching will make yur jb as a supervisr/manager easier when emplyees build their skills and independence Feedback and caching als increases prductivity, the quality f wrk and the effectiveness f the wrk grup Emplyees mtivatin and initiative is increased with effective feedback and caching Creativity and innvatin in prblem slving increases with effective feedback and caching Feedback and caching can prevent prblems frm ccurring When t Prvide Feedback & Cach Onging perfrmance feedback and caching is a cntinuus and cntinual prcess f prviding help t yur emplyees by analyzing their perfrmance and ther jb behavirs fr the purpse f increasing their jb effectiveness. It is an integral part f perfrmance develpment. Bth infrmal day-t-day and regular feedback and caching sessins are recmmended. These can be shrt update sessins t check n prgress, give feedback, and address prblems that have arisen. It is imprtant, when prviding nging feedback and caching fr imprvement, t schedule time with the emplyee in a private setting fr the discussin. UNH Perfrmance Management Tlkit - Onging Feedback And Perfrmance Management Page 1 f 6
It is nt apprpriate t crrect r discipline an emplyee where thers can hear r see the cnversatin. If yu are reinfrcing psitive behavir, hwever, ding it in a public setting may be apprpriate and appreciated. Characteristics f an Effective Cach. An effective cach: Is a catalyst fr change, smene wh sparks actin in thers Helps thers understand expectatins f their wrk and live up t thse expectatins Helps emplyees believe they can attain their gals Expects emplyees t direct the imprvement f their wn perfrmance Principles f Effective Onging Feedback & Caching There are five key principles fr prviding effective nging feedback and caching. 1. Maintain and Enhance Self-Esteem Yur emplyees need t feel respected and have a sense f self wrth in rder t be mtivated, cnfident, innvative and cmmitted. Emplyees wh feel valued are mre willing t share respnsibility, cnfrnt challenges, and adapt well t change. It will be yur jb as a cach t prvide useful respnses that are empathic, supprtive and explratry. 2. Listen Actively and Respnd with Cncern Listening is a pwerful way t build trust and imprve cmmunicatin. T listen actively means t pay careful attentin t what the emplyee is saying. Yu can demnstrate that yu are actively listening by being attentive and maintaining eye cntact. Yu can shw understanding and empathy by paraphrasing r reflecting back what was expressed. This encurages yur emplyees t share their feelings and ideas with yu. 3. Ask fr Help and Encurage Invlvement Emplyees want t have a say in hw they d their wrk. They want t be invlved in decisins that affect them. Invlvement increases the chance that innvative ideas and slutins will surface. It is a sign f strength fr a supervisr t ask emplyees fr their suggestins n hw t slve a prblem r imprve perfrmance. 4. Share Thughts, Feelings, and Ratinale Emplyees want t knw hw yu re feeling abut them in relatin t their perfrmance. UNH Perfrmance Management Tlkit - Onging Feedback And Perfrmance Management Page 2 f 6
By being pen with them, yu ll encurage them t trust yu, t be pen in return, and t accept respnsibility fr imprving. By sharing the ratinale fr yur decisins, yu will help them understand hw their wrk cntributes t the gals f the department/unit and the University as a whle. 5. Prvide Supprt withut Remving Respnsibility As a supervisr/manager f thers, yu are in a special psitin t prvide supprt t yur emplyees. This may include advising, mentring, and prviding needed resurces, reassigning duties, and clearing radblcks. B. Characteristics f Onging Feedback T be mst effective, nging feedback shuld be: Timely Specific "Owned" by the giver Understd by the receiver Delivered in a supprtive climate Fllwed-up with an actin plan Given with n surprises 1. Timely Prvide feedback as clse as pssible t the ccurrence f the behavir in questin; it will be f little use t yur emplyee therwise. If yu wait until the annual perfrmance appraisal t address pr perfrmance, yur emplyee may resent that yu did nt give him r her the pprtunity t crrect the prblem. Even if yu are discussing an emplyee s excellent perfrmance fr the first time during the annual perfrmance appraisal, it may be "t little t late" if that emplyee places a high value n recgnitin. 2. Specific D nt make vague generalizatins when prviding feedback t yur emplyees; instead, describe the undesirable behavir in exact terms. Be able t substantiate, in very specific language, the imprtance f perfrming the jb crrectly and the cnsequences f cntinued pr perfrmance. While yu and yur emplyee shuld wrk tgether t develp slutins, be prepared t identify specific alternatives if necessary. Any feedback yu prvide shuld address the emplyee's perfrmance in terms f measurable utcmes that were develped tgether. UNH Perfrmance Management Tlkit - Onging Feedback And Perfrmance Management Page 3 f 6
Yur emplyee will be less likely t dispute the existence f a prblem if he r she was invlved in the gal setting prcess. Emplyee agreement is an imprtant first step in reversing pr perfrmance. 3. "Owned" by the Giver Use persnal prnuns such as "I" and "my" when prviding feedback t an emplyee. These wrds enable yu t take respnsibility fr yur wn thughts and bservatins. Sentences wrded in this way are less likely t be interpreted as accusatins than thse that use the wrd "yu," reducing the pssibility f a defensive reactin by yur emplyee. 4. Understd by the Receiver Ask yur emplyee t rephrase yur feedback t ensure that his r her interpretatin crrespnds t yur intent. Als cnfirm that yur emplyee understands what is expected f him r her, including the available tls and resurces that can assist in the fulfillment f these expectatins. 5. Delivered in a Supprtive Climate The setting in which yu prvide yur feedback is as imprtant as what yu say and hw yu say it. Yur emplyee's success in imprving his r her perfrmance nt t mentin yur cntinued wrking relatinship with ne anther can be greatly influenced by the framewrk within which yur feedback is given. Prvide feedback in a disruptin-free envirnment in which there is n risk f being verheard. Make it clear that the purpse f the feedback sessin is t assist yur emplyee in achieving success (nt t punish r embarrass him r her), and that yu are addressing a specific behavir (nt the manner in which yur emplyee perfrms all f his r her duties). Allw yur emplyee the pprtunity t explain why perfrmance has been belw expectatins; perhaps he r she lacks the skills r mtivatin t perfrm the jb prperly, r there are ther factrs beynd his r her cntrl preventing successful gal attainment. As a supervisr r manager, it may be within yur pwer t address sme f these issues. Otherwise, it may be necessary t re-evaluate and mdify yur emplyee's existing set f gals accrdingly. Offer yur help and supprt. Identify additinal resurces, such as training, bks, r experienced c-wrkers, frm which yur emplyee can als learn. UNH Perfrmance Management Tlkit - Onging Feedback And Perfrmance Management Page 4 f 6
While it is very easy t tell an emplyee what he r she is ding wrng, dn t frget t tell him/her what he is ding right! Even star perfrmers need t be tld they are ding a gd jb. 6. Fllwed-Up with an Actin Plan fr Perfrmance Imprvement Tgether with yur emplyee, frmulate a strategy fr imprving his r her perfrmance including the apprpriate behavir t achieve results as well as the actual results. This may include skill-building activities, practicing in a dummy envirnment in which errrs are nt detrimental, and/r using an entirely different apprach t perfrming his r her duties. Agree upn deadlines and measures, and schedule fllw-up meetings t review prgress against gals. 7. Given with NO SURPRISES Almst all managers can recall clearly a mment in their careers when they had a "surprise mment" in a perfrmance review - - it can have a lng-lasting impact. If ne f the bjectives f management is t imprve emplyee perfrmance, it seems dd t d smething that triggers an emplyee s natural defenses and makes it that much mre difficult t achieve that gal. One f the best rules t fllw is the principle f n surprises-in ther wrds, if it wasn't discussed during the perfrmance evaluatin perid, it will nt appear n the perfrmance appraisal. Nt nly des this reduce the anxiety assciated with the review, it tends t build a strnger relatinship between the supervisr and emplyee. A practical ratinale fr fllwing this rule is that any surprise sprung n an emplyee damages the credibility f the manager. After all, if it's imprtant enugh t put n the review frm, why isn't it imprtant enugh t mentin befrehand? C. Dcumenting Observed Behavirs -- Onging Feedback & Caching Onging feedback and caching is a key t creating a year-rund perfrmance management system as ppsed t an annual event. Creating a system that keeps track f critical incidents ver the entire evaluatin perid helps managers avid this trap. Managers shuld ffer emplyees nging perfrmance feedback as sn as they can after the fact, be as specific as they can, and describe the impact f a certain actin n the department r rganizatin. This apprach can strengthen the feedback's influence n future perfrmance. It is best t develp a system that allws the manager t let the paper dcumentatin remember s that the manager can frget. UNH Perfrmance Management Tlkit - Onging Feedback And Perfrmance Management Page 5 f 6
Keeping sme type f file that tracks bth psitive and negative events thrughut the year fr each emplyee allws a manager t evaluate the entire 12-mnth perid, nt just the past 60 days. A manager may prefer t enter cmments n the perfrmance assessment frm thrughut the year, s when the time cmes fr the frmal review, ntatins have already been made. This "recentness errr" is prevalent in many evaluatin ratings because everyne tends t give mre weight t smething that happened recently. UNH Perfrmance Management Tlkit - Onging Feedback And Perfrmance Management Page 6 f 6