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FEEDBACK RESEARCH

 

 

Verbal Feedback

 

Action: Train managers to separate constructive feedback and positive reinforcement. Ditch the feedback sandwich (giving negative feedback surrounded by positive feedback).

 

• Source: Von Bergen, C. W., Bressler, M. S., & Campbell, K. (2014). The sandwich feedback method: Not very tasty. Journal of Behavioral Studies in Business, 7, 1.

• Main Claim: The feedback sandwich is ineffective and makes the giver of the feedback feel good, but confuses the receiver of the feedback because the negative behavior is diluted. 

 

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Action: To improve manager feedback, ensure managers keep track of their team members key performance episodes, projects, and milestones. 

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• Source: Varma, A., Denisi, A. S., & Peters, L. H. (1996). Interpersonal affect and performance appraisal: A field study. Personnel Psychology, 49(2), 341-360.

• Main Claim: When managers keep a journal of key performance episodes the quality of their feedback improves.

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Action: Train managers to give feedback immediately following a performance event. 

 

• Source: Pulakos, E. D., Hanson, R. M., Arad, S., & Moye, N. (2015). Performance management can be fixed: An on-the-job experiential learning approach for complex behavior change. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 8(01), 51-76.

• Main Claim: Feedback immediately following a performance event has the most impact on performance. 

 

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Action: Preface feedback with the following 19-word sentence to make your feedback 40% more effective: "I'm giving you these comments because I have very high expectations and I know that you can reach them."

 

• Source: Yeager, D. S., Purdie-Vaughns, V., Garcia, J., Apfel, N., Brzustoski, P., Master, A., ... & Cohen, G. L. (2014). Breaking the cycle of mistrust: Wise interventions to provide critical feedback across the racial divide. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 143(2), 804.

• Main Claim: Wise Feedback, feedback that signals social trust, belonging and high expectations, is highly effective. ​​

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Action: Create a culture of asking for feedback. Start the momentum by having all managers ask for feedback from their peers and team members during 1:1's. Then encourage all team members to ask for feedback closely following a workplace event (ex: a meeting, a presentation, etc...) from one or multiple peers. 

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• Source: Steelman, L. A., Levy, P. E., & Snell, A. F. (2004). The feedback environment scale: Construct definition, measurement, and validation. Educational and psychological measurement, 64(1), 165-184.

• Main Claim: Giving or receiving unsolicited feedback creates a threat response in the brain. Asking for feedback reduces the threat response in the brain for both the giver and the received and enables a growth mindset. 

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1:1's

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Action: Train managers to schedule, conduct and keep weekly 1:1's with each of their team members.  

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• Source: Boss, R. W. (1983). Team building and the problem of regression: The personal management interview as an intervention. The Journal of applied behavioral science, 19(1), 67-83.

• Main Claim: Effective managers have weekly 1:1 meetings with their employees. 

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Performance Management

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Action: [Inspired by Deloitte] At the end of every project, or once a quarter, ask managers 4 questions about their team members:

1. Given what I know of this person's performance, and if it were my money, I would award this person the highest possible compensation increase and bonus [Answer Option: Five-point scale from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree"].

2. Given what I know of this person's performance, I would always want him or her on my team [Answer Option: Five-point scale from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree"].

3. This person is at risk for low performance [Answer Option: Yes/No].

4. This person is ready for a promotion today [Answer Option: Yes/No].

After you've asked these 4 questions, validate this feedback with two objective performance measures. For example, for sales reps, measure calls and revenue. 

 

• Source: Scullen, S. E., Mount, M. K., & Goff, M. (2000). Understanding the latent structure of job performance ratings. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85(6), 956.

• Main Claim: The Idiosyncratic Rater Effect shows that ratings reveal far more about the person rating than the person being rated. In other words, if I rate someone, 62% of my rating is a reflection of me and only 21% of my rating accounts for actual performance. People rate others people's skills inconsistently but are highly consistent when rating their own feelings and intentions. Instead of rating skills, ask managers about their future actions with respect to their team members. 

 

 

Action: Learn from success and investigate the root causes of high performance. When a win is achieved, investigate what led to it with the same rigor that applies to understanding the causes of failure. 

 

• Source: Gino, F., & Pisano, G. P. (2011). Why leaders don’t learn from success. Harvard business review, 89(4), 68-74.

• Main Claim: To avoid the fundamental attribution error, overconfidence bias, and the failure-to-ask-why syndrome, investigate the root causes of both success and failure. 

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Goals

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Action: Set goals on Monday.

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• Source: Dai, H., Milkman, K. L., & Riis, J. (2014). The fresh start effect: Temporal landmarks motivate aspirational behavior. Management Science, 60(10), 2563-2582.

• Main Claim: Due to the fresh start effect, setting goals on Monday will increase the likelihood they will be achieved. 

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Action: Set SMART goals. Goals must be specific and challenging but realistic. 

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• Source: Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odyssey. American Psychologist, 57(9), 705-717.

• Main Claim: Setting SMART goals has a positive effect on performance.

 

 

Action: Goal monitoring is just as important as goal setting. Physically record and track progress to encourage goal monitoring. Make goals and progress public and visible. 

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• Source: Harkin, B., Webb, T. L., Chang, B. P., Prestwich, A., Conner, M., Kellar, I., ... & Sheeran, P. (2016). Does monitoring goal progress promote goal attainment? A meta-analysis of the experimental evidence.

• Main Claim: Goal setting is enhanced when it is combined with performance feedback and progress monitoring.