4 steps when you as a leader need to give feedback

The art of giving feedback

Giving feedback that really helps an employee is not something you should do in passing, then there is a risk that the information will be a little unclear and unclear. This makes it difficult for the employee to accept it. And if you don’t take the time to listen and understand any obstacles, you’ll likely walk away from the conversation with different views of what happened and what will happen. Therefore, we have 4 steps that can help.

Set aside time

Give yourself and the employee the opportunity to prepare by booking a time to talk. Most people find it difficult to absorb feedback on tasks when they are in the middle of something else. A booked time for a talk therefore lays a good foundation. Also prepare beforehand what you want to say and what the goal of the feedback is.

Be clear

When it is time for your call, it is important that you are as clear as you can. Feel free to give examples of your expectations, what you see can be improved and what the employee does well.
When it comes to things that need to be improved or changed, it helps if there was a clear expectation before, an expectation that is communicated and you have checked that you are in agreement.

Ask about obstacles

This is also a good time to ask why something has not been delivered as expected. And don’t just ask, but listen to the answer.
Something may have happened to cause a delay in a delivery or the employee may have a different interpretation of what was expected. By listening and understanding the problem or obstacle, you can decide how to deal with it in the future. Your job is to ensure that your employees have the conditions to do their jobs. By really listening and understanding, it is easier for you as a leader to make decisions, because sometimes you have to make decisions that are not popular. But after listening and justifying why, it becomes clearer to the employee.

Summarize together

Conclude the meeting by summarizing what you have concluded and how you will proceed. Feel free to ask the employee to tell you in their own words so that you can ensure that you have the same picture. Sometimes a short email with a few summary points, which the employee can comment on, can be good to ensure you both have the same picture of the conversation.
Don’t forget to thank the employee for a good meeting and constructive conversation!