Why is it so hard to give constructive feedback?
mately as the word “constructive” implies, the intention of the feedback is to rebuild and strengthen. While there are various ways of detailing a plan of supportive action, many resort to drafting a performance improvement plan, or PIP as it is sometimes referred to in short. This document essentially details specifically what it is that the employee is being asked to improve, whether the employee will require any specific training or coaching and how much time will be given for the performance, attitude or behaviour to improve. A PIP would also ascertain when follow-up meetings would take place, how progress would be assessed and also what the consequences would be if there is no such progress.
What this means, is that the moment managers choose to offer regular constructive feedback, they have also committed themselves to assisting their employees to grow and to be there to assist in their development. The reality is that everyone can criticise and point at what is wrong. It takes very little skill to carry out a performance appraisal by checking off boxes and bundling a year’s worth of “this could have been done better” in one meeting. The hard part of providing feedback is in ensuring that the issues or perspective provided, are discussed in a manner that can be utilised constructively by the employee and then following through after the feedback has been given to coach and monitor progress. Constructive feedback, therefore, does not stop with that one-toone or appraisal meeting, but is a constant journey and commitment in the career and personal growth of team members.
This article has been authored by Dr Elaine Dutton, CSB
Group’s head of Human Resources and Employment
Advisory Services. She is focused on developing and implementing the Group’s HR strategy and also assists a portfolio of clients with the setting up of the HR function
within an organisation, mentoring of HR personnel, performance management, drafting of contracts and other HR documentation, consultancy on disciplinary action and more. Dr Dutton may be
contacted on info@csbgroup.com