No matter how well-structured a disciplinary process is, or how faithfully a manager follows the four-step process and its five phases, performance improvement will not occur unless the employee receives quality feedback. It is the key that unlocks the door to positive behavioral changes.
What is quality feedback? To address this question, let’s look at feedback from the perspective of its helpfulness to others. By seeing when feedback is not helpful, we can better understand quality feedback—what it is, and what makes it helpful.
When Feedback Is Not Helpful—Poor Feedback
Universal statements are normally dangerous, but I think it’s safe to say that every manager has received feedback on his or her performance at one time or another. But has it always been solid, constructive feedback? Probably not. I frequently ask my students and business associates about feedback. Their responses, included in the list below, likely reflect the norm in today’s workplace.
Feedback is not helpful when….
• It deals with generalities; is not specific
• It neglects to offer possible solutions
• It is given in the presence of another employee
• It is dishonest
• The problem issue is treated with ambivalence or is driven by obsessive concern
• Feedback is sugarcoated or is presented as a bitter pill
• It is based on impossible-to-meet standards or expectations
• It is delivered with an authoritarian attitude
When Feedback Is Helpful—Quality Feedback
So what is quality feedback? Essentially …
Quality feedback is the clear communication of exactly what the performance problem is and what specific changes are needed to resolve the problem.
The bottom line is, people cannot modify a problem behavior unless they know precisely what that behavior is and how it needs to change.
Also, quality feedback is always grounded in …
• Well-supported, objective assessment of the performance issue
• The established standards and practical necessities of the workplace
• Reasonable concern about the issue and respect for the employee
• Good communication skills, including clear expression and even-tempered delivery
• Honesty without emphasis on the bitter or the sweet
• Willingness to coach the employee, and communication of that willingness
• The attitude that giving good feedback is part of one’s job
• The ability to be firm of purpose without being authoritarian in conveying that purpose
A BRIEF RECAP
We now know the basics of discipline, including the necessity for:
• A four-step process, to show due process
• The isolation of execution versus comprehension, to help us determine whether to use training or discipline
• A five-phase process within each step, to deliver consistency
• Good documentation and quality feedback, to track our progress and add definition to our expectations
The basics, by definition, are only the beginning. We will have to tie them together to facilitate the change we are after; we also will have to ground our actions to ensure consistency over time and from manager to manager. The next chapter, on the rules of administering discipline, will get us started in that direction.