OBAT WORK218 Part 3Interacting Effectively
Why the reluctance to give performance feedback?
There seem to be at least three reasons. First, managers
are often uncomfortable discussing performance weak-
nesses directly with employees. Given that almost every
employee could undoubtedly improve in some areas, man-
agers fear a confrontation when presenting negative feed-
back. This discomfort apparently applies even when people
give negative feedback to a computer! Bill Gates reports
that Microsoft conducted a project requiring users to rate
their experience with a computer. “When we had the com-
puter the users had worked with ask for an evaluation of its
performance, the responses tended to be positive. But
when we had a second computer ask the same people to
evaluate their encounters with the first machine, the people
were significantly more critical. Their reluctance to criticize
the first computer ‘to its face’ suggested that they didn’t
want to hurt its feelings, even though they knew it was
only a machine.”^72
Second, many employees tend to become defensive
when their weaknesses are pointed out. Instead of accept-
ing the feedback as constructive and a basis for improving
performance, some employees challenge the evaluation by
criticizing the manager or redirecting blame to someone
else.
Finally, employees tend to have an inflated assessment
of their own performance. Statistically speaking, half of all
employees must be below-average performers. But the evi-
dence indicates that the average employee’s estimate of his
or her own performance level generally falls around the
75th percentile.^73 So even when managers are providing
good news, employees are likely to perceive it as not good
enough!
The solution to the performance feedback problem is
not to ignore it, but to train managers in how to conduct
constructive feedback sessions. An effective review in which
the employee perceives the appraisal as fair, the manager as
sincere, and the climate as constructive can result in the
employee leaving the interview in an upbeat mood. The
employee will be informed about the performance areas in
which he or she needs to improve and feel determined to
correct the deficiencies.^74 In addition, the performance
review should be designed more as a counselling activity
than a judgmental process. This can best be accomplishedby allowing the review to evolve out of the employee’s own
self-evaluation, but be aware that some individuals can
over- or underestimate their performance and have a self-
serving bias.
Managers can use the following tips to give more effec-
tive feedback:^75- Relate feedback to existing performance
goals and clear expectations. - Give specific feedback tied to observable
behaviour or measurable results. - Channel feedback toward key result areas.
- Give feedback as soon as possible.
- Give positive feedback for improvement,
not just final results. - Focus feedback on performance, not
personalities. - Base feedback on accurate and credible
information.
Assessing Skills
After you’ve read this chapter, take the following Self-
Assessments on your enclosed CD-ROM:- What’s My Face-to-Face Communication Style?
- How Good Are My Listening Skills?
- What’s My Preferred Conflict-Handling Style?
- What’s My Negotiating Style?
- How Good Am I at Giving Performance
Feedback?
Practising Skills
Choose a person with whom you’ve worked as a member
of a team, and practise giving feedback to each other.
Person A should begin by identifying behaviours that
directly helped meet the goals of the project, and then give
feedback about what needs to be improved. Person B
should summarize the feedback to demonstrate that the
key points have been heard. Persons A and B should then
switch roles. How comfortable did you feel in giving feed-
back? In receiving feedback?