The Art of Giving Feedback

The ability to deliver action-oriented, employee-tailored feedback is a critical skill entrepreneurs should devote as much attention to as any other core part of their job. Feedback has to address each individual's motivations to bring that person's goals in line with those of the company.

Every CEO has his or her own style of delivering feedback, and there is no one right way of doing it. I've learned this from consulting with nearly 100 other CEOs, in addition to running my own companies. There are, however, some universal practices any entrepreneur can adopt and put into action.

Catching Greatness
When things are going well, the inclination is to say nothing. To let employees know what you want to see more of, you need to call out in real time what they are doing well. I call this "catching greatness." After that, you should:

• Give positive feedback often, but make sure it's sincere. Employees want to hear that they're doing well, but their cynicism radar goes up if they believe the words are meant to placate them. Worse, they may lose respect for you as a leader if they think you can't distinguish between superb and mediocre work. If you catch greatness, speak up. But if it's just an average effort with good intentions, let it pass.
   
• Be specific in your praise. Feedback lets people know what they should do more or less of. So saying "great job" doesn't accomplish much. Describe exactly what they did that made the job deserving of recognition so they can repeat it and others can follow suit.
   
• Praise in public. An employee's confidence swells after getting accolades in front of colleagues. Think of Employee of the Month programs. When giving praise, repeat it in company meetings, in newsletters, in staff-wide emails and even in client meetings. And if you really want to make an impression, give someone a private pat on the back followed by public recognition.

The Golden Rule with a Twist
Many leaders give negative feedback according to the golden rule: Treats others as you want to be treated. But that doesn't always work in business. To deliver tough feedback effectively, you should treat people the way they want to be treated. There's a subtle but powerful difference. For example, many hard-charging leaders like to "hear it straight" and get the facts. However, that style may be too confrontational for an employee. He or she might shut down and look for a job elsewhere.

To give constructive feedback, you need to know what makes the recipient tick. Elements of their personality and experiences will determine how you should bring up a topic so they respond constructively. If you don't know about an employee's background, challenges and ambitions, you're operating at a serious deficit. In his book Straight from the Gut, Jack Welch talks about how important it was for him to know his direct reports and top performers personally so he could lead them appropriately.

Though each message needs to be tailored for each employee, there are practices that can be applied across the board:

• While good news is best in public, bad news is best in private. Reprimanding people in public is disrespectful and counterproductive. If embarrassed, employees won't listen to your feedback.
   
• Do it face-to-face. Studies show that much of communication is non-verbal. When conversations are dicey, being face-to-face leaves less to interpretation. You can see if your feedback is getting through, and the recipient can read your body language. Second best is via phone.
  
  Never give negative feedback by e-mail. E-mails are usually sent in an effort to save time, but e-mails have the opposite effect in this case. When employees get a negative e-mail from their boss, they stew on it. They read it several times, pass it around to trusted colleagues and perhaps interpret it incorrectly. What could have been a short conversation can easily end up as a big misunderstanding.
   
• Use "I" statements. When giving negative feedback, you're often frustrated by a situation that hasn't gone well for the company. But refrain from using the accusing "you" word. Saying, "you did this" or "you did that" always feels like an attack to the recipient of your message. Phrase the discussion along the lines of "I noticed you doing X, but I would have liked to have seen Y." Let the recipient feel free to explain what happened and develop solutions with you, not pressured to come up with a defense strategy.
   
• Give the courtesy of specificity. It's important to be specific when giving positive feedback, but it's even more important when giving negative feedback. Giving details on how to improve is respectful, because it shows you think the employee is capable of better work.
   
• Confirm the translation. At the end of the conversation, ask the recipient what he or she heard and, if appropriate, what actions he or she will take. Often, even with your best intentions, what the person heard isn't exactly what you intended. Make sure you're both in agreement and can move on.

Leaders who excel at feedback foster an environment where good and bad criticism is regularly given and expected for the good of the entire organization.

I view all feedback--positive and negative--as a compliment because it shows an investment in someone's growth as a professional and makes it clear that he or she is a priority. Rather than a chore to be endured, it's a tool to be mastered.