Real time recognition and feedback have a major role to play in an individual’s growth
Have you ever felt like checking for how many likes or comments your last Facebook or Instagram post got? How do you feel when you get complimented when you share the product of your hobby with others? (a painting, a baked dish, or even a marathon run!)
What does this tell us about the human psyche? We crave instant gratification in the form of applause, likes and even feedback. It makes us feel fulfilled, and even motivates some of us to do even better the next time. If our need for instant gratification is so prevalent in our personal lives, why is it that our performance management systems at work are so far behind in the game?
Many of you would agree, continuous feedback on our performance at work is extremely useful in driving collaboration, providing encouragement and even the much needed recognition from our peers and seniors. This is why progressive organisations world over are now exploring tools that can enable continuous feedback, check-ins and other ways of instantaneous collaboration to bring a revolution in how we approach performance management and even daily work life.
But no tool can make lasting change on its own. So how do we take this from an identified need to a changed behaviour, day-in and day-out? Here’s our take:
What is a Performance Review?
A performance review is a formal meeting between an employee and their manager. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the employee's work over the past year and set goals for the coming year. The performance review can be a positive experience if both the employee and manager are prepared for it.
What to expect in the performance evaluation process?
The performance evaluation process usually goes something like this:
1. The employee and their manager meet to discuss the employee's work over the past year.
2. The manager provides feedback on the employee's performance.
3. The employee and manager set goals for the coming year.
4. The meeting ends with both parties agreeing on the goals.
What to do before the meeting?
There are a few things you can do to prepare for your performance review:
1. Review your previous performance reviews. This will give you an idea of what your manager will be looking for and how they tend to give feedback.
2. Make a list of your accomplishments from the past year. This will help you to remember all the good work you've done and give you something to fall back on if the meeting starts to feel negative.
3. Set goals for yourself. Think about what you want to achieve in the coming year and how you can get there. This will help you to focus on the positive and make the most of the meeting.
What to do during the meeting?
The performance review is your chance to have a discussion with your manager about your work. Here are a few things to keep in mind during the meeting:
1. Listen to feedback. It can be difficult to hear criticism, but it's important to listen to what your manager has to say. They may have some helpful suggestions for how you can improve your work in the future.
2. Ask questions. If you're unsure about something, don't be afraid to ask for clarification. This will help you to understand the feedback and make the most of it.
3. Be positive. The meeting is an opportunity to focus on your achievements and set goals for the future. Keep this in mind, even if the feedback isn't all positive.
What to do after the meeting?
Once the performance review is over, there are a few things you can do to follow up:
1. Thank your manager for their time.
2. Follow up on any action items that were discussed during the meeting.
3. Reflect on the feedback you received. This will help you to improve your work in the future.
Performance reviews can be daunting, but they don't have to be. By preparing for the meeting and keeping a positive attitude, you can make the most of the experience.
Support, not judge
Managers are now looked towards for coaching and development support rather than opinionated judgement in the form of numerical ratings on an appraisal form. If you’re a team leader, make sure you try to make your feedback constructive, actionable and low on bias.
A good way to do this is to orient your feedback towards certain goals, tasks or deliverables rather than the person as a whole. This shifts the mindset from value-judging a person to doing our best to achieve high-quality output.
Remember the good and the bad
Willingness to accept negative feedback, no matter how constructive it is, can only come when one trusts and respects your opinion. As a manager, look for ways to build trust by acknowledging your team when they do a good job, and appreciating their hard work in front of their peers, seniors and even clients.
If you feel a team member is defensive or unwilling to take your feedback seriously, try our tried and tested rule of thumb: give 4 instances of timely, well-deserved appreciation for every 1 constructive, hard-hitting feedback you want someone to work upon.
Good feedback is a dialogue
Feedback should be multi-directional, so push for peer-to-peer feedback and upward feedback for holistic adoption of feedback culture within your organization. In many cultures and circumstances, it can still be hard for people to give feedback to their peers or seniors. To make a systemic change, build in small habits like asking your team members for feedback publicly and humbly on team review calls.
Something like - “I’d love to get your thoughts on how we should present our findings in the next client meeting as you have the most context” or “I’ve gotten a little rusty on Power BI – since you’re the analytics whiz on our time do you mind reviewing this report I put together?” - can break the ice and make people feel their opinion is valued.
Role model the desired behavior by sharing your own vulnerability on hurdles you’re facing, and requesting inputs on how to overcome them.
Make it count
Acting upon feedback is crucial to one’s development – whether one is helping their team achieve more collectively or looking to grow into a larger role individually. Hence, try to take note of any improvement in one’s performance as a result of accepting this continuous feedback, and make sure you highlight it during performance reviews and appraisals.
Mesh makes it easy to give and track clear, objective and specific feedback in real time. Sign up for a demo today and see how easy it can be to give your employees the feedback they crave!
