Mastering the Art of Giving Feedback: A Key Skill for Managers

Giving effective feedback is one of the most important skills you can develop as a manager. Without it, your team’s growth stagnates. When given poorly, feedback can cause resentment, misunderstandings, or worse... drive employees away.

Feedback typically comes in two forms:

• Motivational feedback: Praising or congratulating a team member for a job well done.
• Developmental feedback: Highlighting areas for improvement to help someone grow.

The key to successful feedback lies in balancing these two types and delivering them in a way that encourages, rather than discourages, your team.

Common Mistakes Managers Make When Giving Feedback

1. Focusing Too Much on One Type of Feedback

Some managers overemphasise developmental feedback, leaving their team feeling like their efforts are only noticed when things go wrong. This often happens because the manager values developmental feedback personally or because they’ve never experienced regular motivational feedback from their own managers.

On the other hand, some managers focus too heavily on motivational feedback, neglecting the development of their team. Without constructive criticism, employees can’t improve their skills or performance.

2. Avoiding Developmental Feedback

Many managers simply don’t know how to give effective developmental feedback, so they avoid it altogether. This leaves team members unaware of their mistakes and prevents them from making meaningful improvements.

3. Fear of Upsetting the Employee

Some managers fear that developmental feedback will upset their employees, so they avoid it. Unfortunately, this only leads to stagnation as the team misses out on opportunities to grow and develop their skills.

4. Not Managing Reactions to Feedback

When an employee reacts defensively, emotionally, or even angrily to feedback, the situation can quickly escalate if not managed properly. Employees may justify their behaviour or deny there’s an issue, leaving the conversation unresolved and ineffective.

How to Avoid These Feedback Pitfalls

1. Pick the Right Time

Avoid creating unnecessary tension by scheduling feedback meetings without long delays. If too much time passes between the request for a meeting and the actual discussion, it can cause unnecessary stress for both parties.

2. Provide Specific Examples

General feedback like, “Your performance has dropped,” is unhelpful. Instead, provide specific examples of the behaviour or performance issues you’ve observed. Start with one or two strong examples, but be prepared with more if the employee denies the issue or fails to see it.

3. Explain the Impact on the Team

Employees may not realise how their actions affect others. Show them how their behaviour, whether it’s missing deadlines or arriving late, impacts team productivity, morale, or workload. This makes the feedback more relatable and actionable.

4. Avoid Relying on Third-Party Input

Only give feedback on behaviour you’ve personally observed. If a team member brings an issue to your attention, assess the situation yourself before addressing it with the employee. Avoid creating tension between colleagues by involving third parties in the feedback process.

5. Give Feedback Regularly

Don’t save all your feedback for yearly performance appraisals. Regular feedback, both positive and developmental, helps resolve issues early and fosters a culture of open communication, reducing the stress of annual reviews.

6. Ask for Their Perspective

Encourage the employee to share their side of the story. Ask them what areas they feel they could improve and how you can help. This approach makes the feedback process more collaborative and can lead to more positive outcomes.

7. Follow Up

Don’t assume that giving feedback once is enough. Check in regularly to ensure the employee is making progress. Following up shows that you’re invested in their development and helps prevent the same issues from resurfacing.

Balancing Feedback for Greater Success

Managers often favour one type of feedback over another or avoid giving feedback altogether. This leads to misunderstandings, feelings of being underappreciated, and ultimately, disengagement. However, by learning to balance motivational and developmental feedback, you can create a workplace culture that promotes growth, trust, and high performance.