The feedback of higher authorities plays a crucial role in maintaining a good work ambiance. Honest feedback is always the best feedback. However, there are times when managers cannot give honest feedback to their staff.
What happens when managers cannot give honest feedback to their staff?
We all like to receive positive feedback. Receiving positive feedback makes us more loyal, attentive which enhances productivity while keeping us motivated to do better. Hence, the manager, as well as the staff, enjoy the rewards. Such feedback offers pleasure to both as it decreases the psychological tension to a great extent.
However, giving and receiving positive feedback all the time is often done to experience pleasure and avoid any kind of pain. Avoiding conflict and getting influenced by these pleasure feedback conversations unconsciously may not always be totally honest with you or your employee.. Moreover, it won't be effective in enhancing individual as well as team performance. When such giving and receiving of only positive feedback continues, you may end up with numerous inadvertent consequences. For instance, the manager may more likely blame a particular individual staff or their entire team for deficiencies in the performance instead of analyzing their contribution to the issue. So it is always advised to be honest and transparent with your feedback rather than enjoying the pleasure and avoiding the conflict or pain. From our years of experience, we can say that it can be difficult for managers to offer less than positive feedback. But one can give the feedback in a constructive manner to which the staff will respond constructively.
Think about what you want to say ahead of time. Possibly bounce your ideas off a peer. Approach the situation with a positive attitude to help. Suspend your judgment and don’t blame. Rather focus on the problem. Be inquisitive. Be open. Ask open ended questions. Then work together to determine what we can do together going forward into the future. The key words here are “we” and “future”. After all we are a team and we want to progress positively going forward even when providing negative feedback. Turn it into an opportunity rather than a “gotcha” moment. You may be very surprised at the results.
Long-Term Gains with Short-Term Discomforts
Honest feedback may create short-term discomfort but offers long-term gains which bring pleasure and happiness in the long run. Hence, when the manager and the staff member realize that making minor improvements in performance can be a pleasurable and satisfying experience, they will be able to cope up with any short-term discomfort efficiently and work for long-term gains. Such an approach requires a good amount of conversation which can be achieved only and only if the manager and the staff member are willing to do so. To initiate a fruitful conversation and resolve any sort of conflict, mediation plays a vital role. And when it comes to mediation and conflict resolution, no one can beat Mike Gregory, an experienced mediator and negotiator, who knows how to handle crucial situations in the workplace. Mediation and conflict resolution are the forte of Michael Gregory.
For mediation, you can opt for one to one or facilitated team meetings. When an unbiased mediator is involved in the process of conflict resolution, it becomes easier for both parties to understand each other's perspectives regarding the situation. Moreover, a mediator individually approaches each party before organizing a meeting.
So if you are facing conflicts at your workplace and want to get it resolved efficiently? Then try our mediation and conflict resolution approach at Michael Gregory Consulting, LLC today. For more information contact us.