The Importance of Timely Feedback in the Workplace

From being a mom to my unsure first experiences with leadership to working in human resources onboard at Disney Cruise Line, I’ve learned how critical feedback is for maintaining relationships and cultivating growth. Which is why this is part of the series: Become an Aligned Leader in 2024 - Strategy 18 of 21: The Feedback Loop is a cornerstone of continuous improvement. Here are the 5 key steps that make it a game-changer: 1.     Provide Role Clarity: Clearly defining roles lays the foundation for success. When everyone understands their responsibilities, it creates a roadmap for achievement. 2.     Measure What Matters: Metrics guide progress. Focus on key performance indicators that align with goals, ensuring efforts are directed towards meaningful outcomes. 3.     Timely Feedback: Waiting for scheduled reviews is a thing of the past. Timely feedback, especially when veering off course, corrects the trajectory promptly, preventing detours. 4.     Recognize and Reinforce: Positive outcomes deserve recognition. Acknowledge achievements, big or small, to motivate and reinforce behaviors that contribute to success. 5.     Check for Understanding: Effective communication is a two-way street. Regularly check for understanding to ensure that messages are received and interpreted as intended. Repeat as needed, because effective feedback is an ongoing, organic process that adapts to the evolving needs of the people in your teams. But wait, there’s more! Here are some quick, but important bonus items: -         In the Flow, Not Stress: Timing matters. Avoid providing feedback when stressed, ensuring that the message is delivered constructively and received with an open mind. -         Document for Clarity and Growth: Documenting feedback provides clarity and serves as a roadmap for growth. It transforms insights into actionable steps, fostering development over time. -         Be a Mentor: Guide others through the Feedback Loop as a mentor, not a manager. Share experiences, provide constructive feedback, and inspire a culture of continuous improvement. Do you have any experiences with the feedback loop? What would you add to this list? Feel free to share in the comments below. Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll see you tomorrow for strategy #19! #leadershipdevelopment #feedback #feedbackloop #focusonwhatmatters #effectiveleadership #careergrowth #professionaldevelopment *** Follow me for more content on becoming an Aligned Leader and join our growing newsletter community “Align & Thrive” for tips and strategies on becoming the very best leader you can be.  

As a leader, giving feedback is essential to the success of our team. Feedback is more than a conversation, it’s a tool for team growth and transformation. The issue that I find is that most leaders are not comfortable giving constructive feedback. Praise is easy, but being constructive can be challenging.   I think of feedback in three ways: balance, specificity, and timeliness.   Balance is about the equilibrium of positive reinforcement and constructiveness. As a leader, if you’re only telling your team what they can do to improve, your team may think they can’t do anything right. On the flip side, if you’re only giving your team praise, that may not suffice your team’s goal to improve. Not every feedback session needs to have positivity and constructiveness, but I suggest thinking about feedback as a collective. Balanced feedback elicits trust and shows a holistic view of your team’s overall performance.   Specificity is about precision. Vague feedback leaves room for interpretation. As a leader, you want your team to walk away from the conversation with a clear picture of what happened and how their behavior was received or praised. The goal is to have a discussion that is concrete and identifiable. Trying to unpack 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 is challenging. Unpacking 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 is easier to identify where to improve. Being clear and specific empowers your team to take the necessary steps for improvement.   Timeliness is about promptness. The closer the feedback is to when the behavior occurred is the essential (and arguably the most important) part of raising your team’s caliber. When feedback is delivered timely it ensures the context is fresh, relevant, and easily retrievable in our memory. Telling your team about their behavior in a meeting 3 weeks ago does not hold the same weight as bringing it up soon after the meeting. Being timely ensures relevance and an opportunity for individual reflection on the experience.     As a leader, incorporating feedback seamlessly into routine interactions is crucial. As an employee, I’ve always valued feedback as it helps me improve. I understand that as a leader, the delivery and timeliness of feedback are even MORE crucial to be beneficial rather than confusing. Be the leader who is great at giving feedback that empowers and motivates their team to be successful. We are leaders of people. We have a unique opportunity to help our teams grow and feedback is a key part of that process. The quickest way of finding your own success is to help others be successful.    #Leadership

Dear leaders Please start caring enough about your team and do this. As the end of the year arrives, in most organizations, so do performance reviews And too many times I hear employees are shocked They’re blindsided. Why? Because the leader failed to provide them with feedback throughout the year. They waited For performance reviews to come around. It’s the perfect time, right? NO! And in some cases, it’s not just one thing. It’s three, four or five things they need to improve. As a result, two things occur: 1.  The leader allows themselves to be the victim of poor performance Blaming the employee for the poor results. 2.  The employee continues to make the same mistakes over and over again. They never have a chance to improve before it’s “marked on their record.” Before their pay is impacted Before the team is impacted. Before the organization’s results are impacted. And they go into a state of shock. Anger. Sadness. And their performance further declines. What was once a “simple” opportunity to overcome. Has now become a battle to overcome. And all you had to do to prevent this… Was give them feedback. In a timely manner. If you don’t care about your people. They won’t care about you. Or your business. Feedback shows you care. You’re invested in them. In their development. In their success. Stop waiting. Start caring.  #executivecoaching #executivesandmanagement #management #hr #leadership

Feedback + Time (>24h) = Only Bad Things As a leader, time amplifies and distorts the feedback we provide to people. 🕒 The more time that passes, the less opportunity a person has to make adjustments to potential outcomes. 🕒 The more time that passes, the more opportunity a person has to question their value on the team. 🕒 The more time that passes, the more a person calls the relationship into question after finally receiving the feedback. (ie "This happened 3 MONTHS ago.. have you been carrying this around all that time? What else don't I know?"). Time gaps can lead to embarrassment ("I can't believe someone didn't tell me"), regret ("I wish I could've made adjustments to the project or my behavior sooner") and disengagement ("I guess my work doesn't matter"). It makes issues seem bigger than they potentially were. We want our words to come across as clear as possible with the fewest chances of distortion when giving feedback. And time is the great distorter. If you care about your people, give feedback in a timely manner (< 24 hours) and directly. It helps keep small issues small. What if its been more than 24 hours? Don't worry. If its really an issue, they will give you another opportunity to address it. Good luck!

"Giving constructive and effective feedback is one of the most important skills any leader needs in order to help develop employees to their fullest potential. Unfortunately, it can make some people uncomfortable. " says Emily Abbas, executive vice president, chief consumer banking and marketing officer at Bankers Trust. For my recent "Leading Fearlessly" column, I turned to Emily and other leaders and asked for advice on giving feedback. Here is what she had to say -- what advice stands out to you? "I’ve found getting comfortable starts with being in the right mindset, which is offering feedback as the gift it is, followed by being timely, specific, and sharing the impact of their actions. Here are some considerations for giving feedback: 1. Timeliness: Give the feedback as close to the situation or opportunity as possible. Don’t wait for a performance review or a regularly scheduled meeting. That way the team member is more likely to remember the circumstances and they can make the recommended adjustments as soon as possible and/or feel good about the recognition provided. 2. Specificity: Focus on details and specific examples of what the person did or did not do well. If the feedback is constructive, then this is also a good time to reinforce that you are giving them this feedback because you believe they can do better and want to improve. 3. Impact: Explain the impact of their actions – good or bad. While this may include impact on customers, other team members, or business, consider also sharing how it made you feel. They can’t disagree or argue with that. For example, “When you rolled your eyes in the meeting as we were walking out, it made me feel like you weren’t on board with the plan the rest of the team agreed upon, and I wondered if we can count on you to engage and do your best work.” There are two sides to the feedback coin. When it comes to receiving, it may help to remember that leaders only take the time to give feedback to those they believe are an integral part of the team and worthy of their time and attention. Congratulations if that is you!" You can read the entire in the Des Moines Business RecordFEARLESS publication here: https://bit.ly/3tmJjGS. Check out earlier advice from Elizabeth Nigut of EMC Insurance Companies, Jody Gifford (she/her) of NCMIC and Rachelle Chase. #Leadership #Leadershipdevelopment #womenleaders #Culture #feedback

Less than 30% of professionals receive feedback, yet 75% of them state that receiving feedback is helpful. I will be the first one to raise my hand and state that I was guilty of this early on in my career. I dreaded giving feedback to others. Deep inside, I believed that direct feedback could harm relationships and disrupt the team's dynamic. However, with experience, I faced an inconvenient truth. A place without feedback isn't doing its best. It misses chances to improve. From this realization, I understood: the best teams don't just welcome feedback, they actively seek and give it. They recognize its crucial role and use it effectively to improve and grow. To delve deeper into the art of giving feedback, I reached out to my friend Meredith Bell, President and Cofounder of Grow Strong Leader. Here are three invaluable tips she shared: 1. Act While It's Fresh: If you don’t deliver feedback in a timely manner, say within 24 hours, the other person may not remember exactly what happened, and they may wonder why you took so long to bring it up. 2. One Issue at a Time: If you bring up more than one, the person may feel overwhelmed. They may get confused and lose clarity about what it is they’re supposed to do. So you want to make sure that because your goal is to have them change the behavior, they understand what’s the one thing you want them to do differently. 3. Keep It Private: If you embarrass someone in front of others, they’re going to feel resentment and that will diminish their motivation to change and also damage your relationship. Another negative impact is that it can destroy some of the trust you’ve built up over time, and it could take a long time to restore that trust. When given correctly, feedback helps people grow. Be thoughtful in your approach, listen, and always have a helpful conversation. For those eager to master the art of feedback and communication more broadly, give Meredith a follow and check out her Podcast: Grow Strong Leaders (link in the comments). 🔁 Repost if this is useful. ----- Follow me, tap the (🔔) on my profile Omar Halabieh Let's unleash your leadership potential and fast-track your career 🚀 #leadership #career #management #careerdevelopment #feedback

It is as much about what we hear as what we don’t hear. When we don’t receive affirmation that we are doing well, our mind naturally goes to thinking we must be doing something wrong. We may also think you don’t care if we don’t hear from you. You might very well be doing amazing work and yet your mind is not telling you that. If you are being pushed to improve or do more, it is quite possible that you are doing great and your leader wants you to keep growing. Unfortunately, in those situations our mind goes to the negative and it starts to erode confidence. Just yesterday I had someone ask how to help a person get her confidence back. When I dug deeper with questions it was a result of her last leader pushing her. She was doing well, and yet wasn’t hearing it. She was only hearing how she needed to do more, grow more, lead more. Now she was stepping into a new team and role and needed to feel she was confident and needed to be reminded of that from her leader. What does this mean? It means leaders must provide feedback that team members hear. It means we need to be clear and specific. We need to share feedback that is helpful. We need to be objective. We need to be timely. As leaders, we have a responsibility to know how our team members, to know how they are motivated. We also need to be aware of how they are receiving and reacting to our feedback. Any conversation we have has the power to shut the person down or lift them up. We need to provide helpful feedback! We want to boost and reinforce confidence. We must provide support for growth. #MotivationMonday #Leadership #Growth

Your primary role as a leader is to develop your team members. Providing regular, timely feedback is a necessary aspect of helping them reach their potential. But sometimes, feedback can unintentionally come across as criticism, making teams defensive rather than inspired. The difference lies in your approach. Where Leaders Go Wrong: 1) 🕛 Timing: Jumping on mistakes as they happen can make team members feel targeted. 2) 👥 Setting: Offering criticism in front of peers and in a public forum can embarrass and demoralize. 3) 🗣 Lack of Specificity: Vague feedback leaves team members confused about how to improve. Here’s how to ensure feedback is useful: 1) ⏸ Pause and Plan: Give yourself time to consider and frame the feedback. This allows you to approach the situation with a clear, constructive plan rather than a reactive comment. 2) 👨🏫 Choose the Right Setting: Feedback should be a private conversation, not a public spectacle. This creates a safe space for open dialogue. 3) 🎯 Be Specific and Actionable: Clearly articulate what needs improvement and offer specific, actionable steps to achieve this. Set benchmarks and measurements for growth and follow-up. This shows your commitment to their growth. 4) 🚩 Focus on the Behavior, Not the Person: Emphasize that the feedback is about actions and outcomes, not personal attributes. This encourages a growth mindset. 5) 🗣 Invite Dialogue: Feedback is a two-way street. Encourage your team members to share their perspectives, fostering a collaborative approach to improvement. Next time you have feedback to give, apply these 5 steps. You’ll find defensiveness shifts to receptivity and results. #feedback #growth #communication #leadership #executivecoaching

Constructive feedback is the cornerstone of growth and improvement in any organization. As leaders, it's our responsibility to foster a culture where feedback is not only welcomed but actively sought and valued. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Ensure your team feels comfortable sharing honest feedback without fear of judgment or retribution. An open and trusting atmosphere encourages candid discussions. 𝗕𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘆: Provide feedback that is clear, actionable, and given promptly. Addressing issues or praising achievements in real-time makes feedback more relevant and impactful. 𝗘𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝘄𝗼-𝗪𝗮𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Feedback should be a dialogue, not a monologue. Encourage your team to share their thoughts, ideas, and concerns. Listen actively and show that you value their input. 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵: Frame feedback as a tool for development, not criticism. Highlight strengths and provide guidance on areas for improvement. This positive approach motivates and engages your team. 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸-𝗜𝗻𝘀: Make feedback a regular part of your interactions, not just an annual event. Frequent check-ins help maintain alignment and foster continuous improvement. By prioritizing constructive feedback, we can drive performance, enhance skills, and build a more resilient and adaptive team. How do you integrate feedback into your leadership style? Share your strategies and experiences below! ---------- Hey, I'm Kevin, I am the host of Working Wisdom and The Toxic Leadership Podcast and provide daily posts and insights to help transform organizational culture and leadership. ➡️ Follow for more ♻️ Repost to share with others (or save for later)