Author Meg Melville
Gaining feedback from your line-manager on your perceived effectiveness in your workplace, can be a really rewarding experience. Unfortunately, it often gets a mixed rap from the professional learning perspective for the following reasons:
- It is a waste of time
- People are fearful of it
- It is backward looking
- It is too vague or general
- It only happens when there is a problem
- It is something that is done to you but not with you
- It is just a box-ticking exercise
- There is never any follow up or accountability
If this is the prevailing perception in the organisation, then the fault most likely lies with the actual tool being used for gathering the information, the person debriefing the information or the organisational culture. As with all things, feedback when done poorly, is unlikely to yield a positive result; it may actually do more harm than good! When done well, the outcome is far more likely to be worthwhile-productive and rewarding. It can actually be transformative to an individual on their learning journey.
When feedback becomes a valued part of the organisation’s culture, you are more likely to see a highly functional and happy workplace. This, in turn, becomes a natural extension of the organisation’s values in practice.
Why is feedback worthwhile? It helps us to see how we are perceived by others in our workplace, be that our line-manager, peers, direct reports, students or others with whom we interact. It enables a “pulse health check” on how we are travelling in our workplace, both professionally and in our interactions with others. Self-awareness can never be overstated! A lack of it however, will be a roadblock to the effectiveness of the individual, the team, and career progression.
You would hope that employees in the workplace would want to know their perceived effectiveness in their roles, as this may in fact vary amongst different groups that they interact with. For example, the boss may see you in a glowing light but not so your peers or direct reports.
So, what will make feedback a welcomed part of the workplace culture?
- Trust in the process
- Trust in the people involved
- Timeliness
- Targeted
- Forward thinking
- Support
Trust in the process: relates to the tool being used, is it fit for purpose/relevant to my role?
Trust in the people providing the feedback: are they equipped to provide feedback on what I do?
Timeliness: how long will this process take and when is an appropriate time to undertake this?
Targeted: is the criteria on which the feedback is based, specifically related to my role within the organisation?
Forward thinking: is this feedback related to past performance or is it going to help me going forward?
Support: who and what resources can I tap into to help me action the feedback?
In this respect, feedback must be considered developmental and not evaluative. If feedback becomes associated with something that happens only when there is a problem, it will be perceived negatively. If there is an issue with an employee’s performance, that needs to be dealt with quite separately, in a different format.
You would hope that employees would welcome feedback on their perceived effectiveness in their workplace, as a means to greater fulfilment and happiness at work. If there is reticence, perhaps a conversation needs to precede this, as to why this is the case and to help them understand that the process is totally confidential and designed to further their professional growth.
Feedback comes in many forms: professional conversations, both formal and informal; observations; assessments; 360 degree surveys-to name a few. Whichever format, the why, what and how will be critical:
- Why are we doing this?
- What format are we using?
- How is this going to help me professionally and personally?
With a clear rationale for all of the above, the outcome has to be a win-win for all.
