While remote work and leading from a distance is certainly nothing new, many business leaders and entrepreneurs are experiencing this way of working for the first time, along with all of the challenges managing a team remotely can bring. And when it comes to time to deliver feedback, many are left wondering how to go about it the right way.
No matter what your current work situation is, being able to deliver effective feedback and recognition is key to maintaining your organization’s OKRs, or objectives and key results. Simply put, objectives are where you’d like to go, while key results show how you and your team will get there. In this article, I’ll touch on a few best practices leaders should implement to make the most out of their feedback sessions, whether they’re in person or over Zoom.
Practice good listening
One of the biggest keys to giving any kind of feedback is being a good listener. It may sound counterintuitive – after all, aren’t you the one that’s supposed to be doing most of the talking? But like all good conversations, your feedback sessions should be bidirectional, meaning you allow employees to offer their own feedback as well.
Leaders should practice good listening by not only letting employees know that they’re open to receiving feedback, but also acknowledging and reflecting back on what they’ve heard.
Lean into tough conversations
No one likes initiating tough conversations, and especially not over digital platforms like Slack or Zoom. But having the ability to do this can often make the difference between sparking better performance and just getting by with potentially disengaged employees.
Especially right now, employees might be feeling disengaged and unproductive as they struggle to adjust to working from home. Catching this early on and prompting a 1-on-1 conversation can make all the difference. Just make sure to get the timing right. No one wants to have a performance review on short notice or in the midst of a big project.
Embrace recognition
Oftentimes when we talk about feedback, we neglect the role positive recognition can have in bolstering employee performance. According to Engage2Excel’s report, consistent, performance-based recognition can have a “strategic role in creating a high performance culture”.
Everyone wants to know when they’re doing well, and in tough times like these, feeling recognized for a job well done can go a long way for overall performance and employee well-being.
Be Great…Today!!!
Brandon Brazeel, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Chief People Officer