In previous posts we’ve talked about employee motivation and how good conditions can help you to manage your team to its full potencial. Ans it has been proven, the conditions in which an employee works and those the company offers beyond the office are a very important part of this success but we can’t forget the human factor.
A constant dialogue with your employees is esencial if you want to identify problems and understand what’s going on in the company. Only this way you’ll have the necessary information to solve and anticipate any human problems.
Regular feedback is vital
Feedback is the basis for personal and professional development and allows employees to be aware of what is happening around them. Conecting to their surroundings they can identify new oportunities and improvements in their day to day.
An employee with no feedback by their superior is a lost employee and will end up isolated from the company’s goals. If there’s one thing we know for sure, is that nowadays companies are in constant change and there’s nothing certain. The only way to remove this feeling of uncertainty from the employee is to let them know everything that concerns them and the company so they can change and adapt.
Those companies that spend time on giving feedback to their employees have a lower turnover rate and their employees are more motivated..
How to give feedback to an employee
There’s no exact formula to this. We are talking about humans, not machines, and every person is different to the next. We are going to give you some advice based on our experience but you should always trust your instincts, in the end you are the one who knows your employees best.
These are our tips to how we mantain a strong and cohesive team in Factorial. Maybe not all of them will be of use to you, but we are sure they’ll help you to figure the apropiate path for you.
1. Focus on the problem, not the person.
This goes both ways, positive and negative. Focus on the actions of the employee not their personality. Feedback should be used to modify procedures not the person. You have the best talent in your team, you just need to help them achieve their full potential.
2. Make it something between you two.
Feedback can be given in public, but it would be better if you gave it on private one-on-ones or small meetings so it could be more personal. Tis way you can understand better your employee’s situation and will be able to deepen each point without the employee feeling preasured.
3. Back your words with data
The best way for a person to understand what you are trying to say is with data to confirm those ideas. When possible offer specific data and objectives to your employees so they can better understand the impact and scale of your feedback. Is the best way for the both of you to be on the same page.
4. Don’t focus just on the negative
There will always be things to improve, but perfection doesn’t exist. Don’t focus these one-on-ones just on the negatives, talk about the good things the employee has achieved and what has already improved.
5. Don’t digress
Feedback must be precise or it will be useless. Explain the situation you want to illustrate and why it is important for the company and the employee. If you can’t make the employee see your point and why it is so important you won’t have their atention nor their support. Success is a team effort.
6. The company has its goals, the employee has them too.
It is obvious you need people committed to the company’s vision but don’t forget your employees have their own goals. Professional and personal development, learning new things, gain new responsabilities, grow… In these private meetings you can try to find common ground to achieve a common goal.
7. Feedback goes both ways
It’s good to always listen to the employee too. Ask for their own feedback and you’ll know what they think and how everything works for them. Without their input you won’t be able to really improve situations or solve any problems.
8. Get conclusions and answers
It’s impportant to summarize in key points each meeting and take the needed actions to solve and improve what has been talked about. If you can’t unlock a situation the employee may end up with no motivationa and even leave you.
Have you used any of those principles? We’ll love to hear about it in the comments below :)
