The No-Fail Approach to Employee Feedback: How To Do It (and Why It Matters)
This is a guest blog post from Keisha Smith of Keisha Smith Consulting, a partner of Anna Mason Consulting. Together, the two companies offer a suite of complementary trainings, workshops, and programming.
Feedback: It isn’t difficult… or it doesn’t have to be. And yet so many managers: a) dread, b) avoid, or — real talk here — c) bungle their approach employee feedback, sometimes so badly that it actually backfires.
At its heart, effective feedback is all about effective communication. It should develop deeper relationships, build trust, keep individuals focused on their goals, course-correct any problem areas, and ultimately make employees feel heard and valued. Proactive feedback boosts workplace wellbeing and retention.
We know it’s important. So why is it so hard to get right?
Formal and Informal Feedback
First, feedback isn’t just an annual review. Managers, if you’re delivering feedback just once per year, you misunderstood the assignment. My colleague Anna talks about this in her excellent blog post, “The Secret Sauce of Great Leadership.” It’s about consistency. Schedule one-on-one sessions with each employee at least quarterly — preferably monthly or even biweekly, if you can. Don’t cancel these sessions. Be present, focused, and attentive. This is one component of what I call “formal feedback.” These sessions don’t have to be long (think 30 minutes), but you do need to note the employee’s development goals, new projects and tasks, and discuss any challenges they are having in meeting their goals and how you can support them. When you’re meeting and delivering feedback consistently, no employee should be surprised by your feedback during an official performance evaluation or annual review.
OK, so maybe you’re already doing this. You’re meeting with your staff, you’re keeping good notes, you’re in a rhythm. This is a critical first step; now let’s take it to the next level with “informal feedback.” In my own experience as a manager and my work with hundreds of supervisors, this is the piece that is often missed or dropped. It’s often one of the first things that gets pushed off a manager’s plate as she gets busier. But it’s a mistake to let it slide.
When I worked as a branch manager in the financial industry, I would take 15 to 30 minutes each week to “walk the floor.” I would literally leave my office to see my employees working in their element: to watch bankers opening accounts, observe tellers interacting with customers. The goal of informal feedback is not to find “gotcha moments,” but to connect with employees and show you care. It’s a time to have casual conversations, to point out things they did well. It’s also a time for you to observe and note workflow efficiencies or inefficiencies that you wouldn’t notice from behind your office door.
Rock S.T.A.R. Feedback
Now that we’ve established two forms of feedback (and you know you should be scheduling time on your calendar for both), what does effective feedback actually sound like? I follow the S.T.A.R. model, and I’ve seen it totally transform manager-employee interaction, making supervision sessions not just more efficient but more effective, too. Here’s how it works:
Situation or Task: Define the situation, problem, or task in detail. Or describe the task or behavior that was expected or set out in the employee’s goals.
Action: Describe the action that was taken. Be detailed!
Result: Describe the outcome of the action and explain why it was effective.
Here’s what the STAR model could look like in action: Say that as a branch manager at a bank, I was walking the floor (informal feedback time!) and noticed a customer getting upset about something that was not within my bank teller’s control. The customer got more and more escalated. The teller listened patiently, stayed calm, redirected the customer, and the customer eventually cooled down. Here’s what feedback with my teller sounds like:
Situation: “I noticed that you were faced with an angry customer yesterday.”
Action: “I saw you remain calm and offer the customer alternate options. You kept your composure and you made sure other customers were being served at other windows.”
Result: “That customer left feeling heard and satisfied. As a result, she is likely to continue to do business here.”
Can you see how this direct and specific feedback is so much more meaningful than, “Good job?”
This model can also be adapted for development or constructive feedback if your employee has opportunities or improvement. Here’s what that scenario sounds like:
Situation: “I noticed that you were faced with an angry customer yesterday.”
Action: “You seemed upset. You raised your voice a bit and you didn’t offer the customer alternate solutions.”
Result: “That customer left feeling unheard and dissatisfied. As a result, she is likely not to continue to do business here.”
When you’re trying to coach a behavior change, utilize the S.T.A.R. Plus model by prompting the employee to consider an alternative action. This is always phrased as a question, not a directive. “In the future, how might you handle an angry customer differently?” This approach encourages reflection and avoids a defense response. It helps the employee own the outcome.
MULTIGENERATIONAL WORKFORCES
In her March blog post, Anna wrote about the major differences in the ways various generations of workers engage in the workplace — and what they expect from their managers. From communication to authority to feedback style and tone, how you engage with a zoomer may be different than how you engage with a boomer. These differences are real; data and workplace behavioral science back them up.
The good news is that the feedback model above works for everyone, because it is highly specific and customized to the individual. It asks questions rather than issues orders. Rather than an authoritative approach, it involves employees in the conversation and the solutions.
Feedback is an ongoing process that requires dedication and intention. By integrating regular connection points — formal and informal — you create an environment where employees feel valued and heard. If you’re struggling to make feedback a consistent and effective part of your process, I encourage you to reach out. Together, we can cultivate a culture that empowers teams and drives success.