Within each of the world’s most powerful leaders is the ability to deliver feedback that inspires others to perform to their potential. If you want to be a world-class leader, you need to know how to tell your team when they are making you proud and how to inspire them to do better when they are not meeting your expectations.
To get you started, here are my top four tips for giving the kind of effective feedback that inspires others and gets results:
Give your feedback immediately
Offer feedback as soon after the event as possible. If one of your employees did an outstanding job on a particular project, tell them right away. If someone really dropped the ball on an important assignment, schedule a private conversation as soon as possible to discuss what went wrong, and make a plan for how they can do better next time.
Be specific in your feedback
Stay away from vague comments like, “Great job!” and instead tell your employees precisely what they are doing right. That way, they can do it more often! Not only is this kind of feedback more effective, it also positions you as a sincere leader who cares.
Get your facts straight
If a mistake happened, it’s best to get the facts first before offering feedback. Schedule a private meeting and ask the individual questions like, “Why do you think this project went awry?” or “Please tell me your version of the events leading up to X?”
Offer recommendations with negative feedback
Always offer recommendations for improvement along with any negative feedback. During a private conversation, say something like, “This project did not go so well, but if you do X, Y and Z next time, you should have a better result.” Not only will this approach improve your employee’s morale, it will also increase the odds that they perform better next time.
