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Getting the team ready for feedback Manager’s Guide Pt1
Why I should start using Impraise How do I motivate high performance in my team? Why should I regularly keep track of my team’s performance? How will performance data improve my leadership skills?
Starting the feedback process How do I identify the competencies needed in my team? How can I lead by example? When should I share feedback with my team?
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How do I motivate high performance in my team? The way we view motivation is changing rapidly. While monetary rewards and promotions were once seen as the top motivation tools, today we truly see that money doesn’t buy everything. A number of thought leaders, researchers and studies have revealed the true keys to motivation: 1. Autonomy
1/3 MORE AUTONOMY RESULTS IN LESS TURNOVER
Giving your employees autonomy over their work creates a sense of ownership. This fosters a deeper sense of pride in accomplishments and encourages self-motivation to achieve the best results. In fact, many top companies such as Atlassian and Google are actually giving employees more autonomy over their work schedule to foster ingenuity. In a study conducted by Cornell University, companies that gave their employees more autonomy experienced four times faster growth and only one-third of the turnover of their traditional command and control counterparts. 2. Growth Research shows that motivation runs high when employees are developing skills that will help them meet their potential. Deloitte found that two-thirds of millennials believe it’s their manager’s responsibility to provide them with development opportunities. If your employee aspires to learn a new programming language or develop their video making skills, assign them projects in which they can practice these skills and provide coaching. This may sound like it conflicts with the idea of giving more independence, but checking in and giving feedback with the appropriate amount of space makes the difference between great mentoring and micromanagement. 3. Purpose Employees want to feel they’re doing something that matters. In his TEDTalk “What makes us feel good about our work”, behavioral economist Dan Ariely explains that motivation plummets when an employee doesn’t feel value in the work they’re doing. This can happen either when shifting goals cause projects to suddenly become unneeded, or when people don’t have a sense of how their work is contributing to the bigger picture. 4. Recognition
02 | Using feedback to motivate, engage and develop your team
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Providing recognition the right way will signal to your employee the importance and value of the work they’re doing. A simple “good job” won’t provide them with the feedback they need. Instead giving detailed feedback “The in-depth market research you conducted helped us to gain valuable insights on the direction of our product” will help them gain a sense of how their work is contributing to team and company wide goals.
Why should I regularly keep track of my team’s performance? keeping track of your team’s performance is beneficial for the team, individuals and you as their manager. Even if you’re already collecting performance information at your annual review, this is not enough to keep up with competition and employee engagement. Here are four ways regularly measuring performance will help your team: 1. Insights into team strengths
MANAGERS WHO KNOW THEIR EMPLOYEES’ STRENGTHS ARE
71%
MORE LIKELY TO HAVE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE ENGAGED AND ENERGIZED
Tracking each team member’s performance regularly will help you to better understand what your employees’ strengths are. This information will enable you to assign tasks more effectively and boost your team’s overall performance. According to a survey by Researcher and Applied Psychology expert Michelle McQuaid, Managers who know their employees’ strengths are 71% more likely to have employees who are engaged and energized. Helping your employees pinpoint and develop their strengths throughout the year will make your team unstoppable. 2. Identifying areas for improvement Based on performance data you can also assess where your team needs to improve. Are there obstacles holding you back? Who needs extra coaching? Rather than getting this information in once a year reviews, continuous feedback allows you to address issues immediately, multiplying your team’s agility and adaptability to industry changes. 3. More accurate results Having more performance data will make it easier to accurately track results and progress over time. Once a year data will give you a very narrow view of how your team’s doing. Continuous data will allow you to see how your employees perform before and after training, assess which assignments were most challenging, and plan for the future more effectively.
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4. Employee engagement
78%
MORE LIKELY TO FEEL THEIR WORK IS APPRECIATED
If goals and results are only set annually, your employees can easily lose sight or motivation mid year. Setting short-term goals throughout the year will keep them motivated to continue achieving results, especially if these goals are based on their individual strengths. Employees who have strengths discussions with their managers are 78% more likely to feel their work is appreciated and making a difference within the team. Measuring and celebrating success on a regular basis leads to higher employee engagement levels.
How will performance data improve my leadership skills? The performance data you receive from Impraise provides you with a roadmap for developing a highly effective team. Knowing how to use this data will put your team at a competitive advantage. Every great coach knows where each individual team member’s strengths lie and how to organize them in a way that allows the team to make full use of each person’s advantage on the field. How can you use Impraise’s performance data to lead your team forward? 1. Assess team strengths
12%
MORE PRODUCTIVE
The data you receive allows you to easily identify your team’s strengths. Having this information helps you assign tasks more accurately based on skill level, rather than intuition. Managers who know their employee’s strengths are 71% more likely to have employees who are engaged and energized. A Gallup study revealed that employees who use their strengths every day are six times more engaged and 8% more productive. Together, teams that use their strengths every day are 12% more productive. 2. Recognize star employees The best ways to retain top performers are by showing appreciation for their great work and allowing them to do what they do best. Gallup found that employees who get to use their strengths every day are 15% less likely to quit their job. Placing your employees into strategic roles based on these strengths will demonstrate your confidence in their skills and boost motivation. 3. Identify skill gaps Identifying the skills your team lacks will help you to either provide more targeted training or decide the best way to approach a chal-
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HIRING NEW EMPLOYEES COSTS A COMPANY BETWEEN $62,500 AND
$70,000
lenge. Hiring new employees costs a company between $62,500 and $70,000. Instead, training your existing talent is cost effective and boosts learning agility within your workforce. More and more companies are also realizing that coaching can help turn new hires with potential into top talent. According to CareerBuilder, 35% of employers trained low-skill workers and hired them for high-skill jobs in 2015, 33% plan to do the same this year. 4. Become a better coach Coaching your employees is not only cost effective, the millennial workforce expects to learn on the job. Accenture’s 2015 College Graduate Employment Study revealed that 77% of respondents expect their first employer to provide formal training, but only 53% received any. Part of becoming a great coach is being able to measure and encourage improvement over time. Being able to visually track your employee’s improvement based on feedback is a great way to motivate them to achieve more and teach them how to track their own progress in the future.
How do I identify the competencies needed in my team? One of the first things you’ll have to consider when using Impraise is what competencies are most important for your team. Though you have pre-set examples to chose from, it’s best not to overload the list with too many options. Instead, ensure the skills you set are most relevant to your team’s specific needs. Following these steps will help you through the selection process: 1. What makes your team successful? The best way to set competencies is to first evaluate what factors make your team most successful. Your meetings may be less ordered and more chaotic than that of other teams, with team members jumping in and adding ideas as they come. But if you see that brainstorming helps you come up with the most innovative ideas, then your team may have more need for skills that emphasize innovative thinking over order. For example, competencies such as ‘Challenges the accepted norms’ may be of more value to your team then ‘Keeps discussions relevant’. 2. Define your team’s goals Think about what you’d like your team to achieve in the long run. Would you like to accelerate the rate of sales calls you make or boost your lead generation? Based on your team’s yearly, quarterly and monthly goals, consider the skills your team will need to be successful.
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3. Align with company goals and values Remember to think about the bigger picture. Your team is one part of a wider organization and as such it’s important to line up your efforts with the overall direction of the company. Taking company values into consideration when setting competencies is a great way to infuse your company’s culture into your team’s daily tasks, creating a positive work atmosphere. GETTING UPWARD FEEDBACK
WILL HELP THEM ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS.
4. Check-in with your team Be sure to involve your team in the process. Getting upward feedback about the competencies needed in your team may provide new insights into what will help them achieve their goals.
How can I lead by example? 70%
OF ALL CHANGE INITIATIVES FAIL
Most companies begin integrating feedback into their company culture by starting with manager reviews. Leading new processes within your team is an essential part of your role as a manager. If leadership fails to support and usher in new changes, they won’t become integrated into your company’s culture. A study by Meliorate found that 70% of all change initiatives fail. They attributed 33% of this to management behavior that does not support the change and 39% to employee resistance to change. It’s clear that your actions will influence the rest of the team. To introduce continuous feedback successfully, start leading by example: 1. Provide information Thoroughly explain to your employees why your company is introducing continuous feedback, what the benefits are and how it will affect them. If they’re not used to giving feedback, your employee may not know where to start. Be sure to offer extra coaching and materials on how to give and receive feedback effectively. Answer any questions or concerns they might have. 2. Ask for more feedback After you’ve explained how to do it, start the process by asking for more feedback regularly. Once you set the pace they’ll get a better idea of when and how often they should be asking for feedback. 3. Demonstrate your willingness to take feedback on board When you do receive feedback, go out of your way to either demonstrate the changes you’re making or explain why it might not be possible at that time. For example, if one of your employee’s says they want you to give them more responsibility, suggest that
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they take the lead on the next project. If they’re not ready for this yet, explain what skills they need to develop first and help them set goals to reach this point.
When should I share feedback with my team? One of the most common questions managers who are new to continuous feedback have is when the team should be sharing feedback. Too much and people may become overwhelmed, too little and the process may not take off within the team. These three situations can help serve as a guideline: 1. Upon completion of an assignment Each time your team completes a project it’s important to get everyone to share feedback so each individual can learn what worked best and what could be improved for the next time. One of the most important benefits of continuous feedback is that it builds your team’s learning agility, allowing you to meet goals quickly and efficiently, and helps your employees to grow their professional skills. Unlike during annual reviews, the advantage of continuous feedback is that it can be given straight away, when an event is still fresh in people’s minds. 2. When there’s an issue in the team Still, you shouldn’t hold back if you have advice that would be helpful in the moment. Some feedback may be more critical while a project is underway, especially if it impacts relations within the team. For example, if a conflict arises because one employee isn’t pulling their weight, the situation needs to be addressed immediately. As a manager, feedback is a tool that you must use to help your team work effectively together. 3. Recognition for great work
83%
RECOGNITION MORE IMPORTANT THAN REWARDS OR GIFTS
Every time your team or an individual employee reaches a milestone, or goes above and beyond, their work should be recognized with positive feedback. Showing your appreciation for a job well done motivates employees to continue giving their best. A study by Make Their Day and Badgeville found that 83% of employees see recognition for contributions to be more fulfilling than rewards and gifts. Recognition between peers is also greatly beneficial in building a sense of team spirit. Here at Impraise we give everyone the chance to recognize one star performer every week. In an employee survey, peers and camaraderie were cited as the number 1 reason employees go the extra mile, not money. For more in-depth info on how to give positive feedback to your team see here.
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How will giving more feedback help my team? Manager’s Guide Pt2
Receiving Feedback How to accept upward feedback well How do I encourage upward feedback from my team?
Giving Feedback What’s the best way to balance positive and constructive feedback? How do I deal with emotional responses to feedback? What’s the best way to praise my top performers?
Peer Feedback How do I encourage my employees to give each other feedback? What you need to know about anonymous and 1-on-1 feedback How to handle a situation in which negative feedback was given
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How to accept upward feedback well You’ve just started using Impraise and it’s time to start receiving feedback from your employees. You understand the benefits of implementing a feedback culture and why you as a manager need to begin leading by example. Even so, it can still be challenging to become comfortable receiving constructive feedback from your reports. Initially, you may have a tendency to reject feedback or become emotional. Keep in mind that this is a natural reaction triggered by our brain’s ‘fight or flight’ response to danger. However, it is possible to rewire your mindset towards feedback.
START BY OPENING YOURSELF UP
Start by opening yourself up to what Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck calls a “growth mindset”. Rather than seeing feedback as a personal attack, look at it as a valuable opportunity to reassess and hone your skills. As a leader it’s especially important to be aware of how others perceive and are affected by your actions and decisions. The best way to get comfortable with a new habit is to create a checklist of actions. When you receive constructive feedback: 1. Ask questions Asking the right questions shows that you’re listening and at the same time helps you glean further information. If your employees say that sometimes you’re too critical when things go wrong, ask them if they could elaborate further with an example. 2. Thank them Don’t forget to thank them for sharing their feedback with you. It’s particularly important to do this when you’re first introducing a feedback culture and employees are still getting used to giving you feedback. 3. Analyze your feedback objectively How objective is it? Is it based on facts and observations, or opinions? Rather than considering whether the feedback is justified, consider the impact it has. Would making a change impact your relationship with your team or an individual? Compare it with feedback you’ve received in the past. Do you see any patterns? 4. Integrate it into your development plan Consider what skills you need to improve in this area. If you were told employees don’t find you approachable, make a commitment to work on your communication skills. Take action by setting up more regular 1-on-1s with your reports so you can practice these skills and demonstrate your willingness to take their feedback on board. After you’ve begun implementing your plan continue to ask for feedback on these skills.
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How do I encourage upward feedback from my team? ESTABLISHING
TRUST
You’re not the only one who will have to get comfortable receiving upward feedback. If you’ve never had manager reviews before, employees may also be hesitant to give you honest feedback at first. It’s natural that they may initially lack the confidence to speak their mind and worry about unwanted consequences if their feedback is not the right thing to say or not welcomed all together. In this case you’re more likely to receive guarded feedback that won’t give you the insights you need. Establishing trust in the process will encourage your employees to begin giving you valuable feedback that will help you boost your performance. 1. Explain Especially if this is new for your team, it’s important that you let your employees know you’re going to be asking for their feedback. Be sure to explain why you’re asking for it and what you’re going to do with it. For example, “Having your input will help me get a better idea of which strategies are most effective in helping our team move forward.” 2. Start asking for feedback regularly Your employees may not start giving you feedback on their own initiative. When this happens you should initiate the process yourself by asking for feedback via Impraise and face to face during 1-on-1s. 3. Act on your feedback In the initial phase it’s particularly important to demonstrate that you’ve listened and taken their feedback into account. If one of your employees tells you they don’t feel you encourage them to speak up in meetings, make a point to ask for people’s opinion at each meeting. Even if their idea runs contrary to your plan, open it up for debate within the team. 4. Follow-up
ASKING FOR FEEDBACK ON YOUR
PROGRESS
After enough time has passed for you to clearly demonstrate your commitment to making a change, check in with them again. Asking for feedback on your progress demonstrates your commitment to take their comments seriously and will clearly show that giving feedback will have a positive impact on your interaction with the team and the individual.
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What’s the best way to balance positive and constructive feedback? SANDWICH FEEDBACK TECHNIQUE
POSITIVE CONSTRUCTIVE POSITIVE
This is a question many managers grapple with. Some people prefer to balance constructive feedback by giving it in between two pieces of positive feedback, commonly called the “feedback sandwich”. Others argue that this actually undermines the purpose of giving feedback, either by diluting the positive or constructive aspects of the information you’re providing. Some people instead prefer to give constructive feedback directly, or choose a combination of giving one before the other. There is no ideal ratio of positive to negative feedback, this is completely dependent on your own leadership style, the culture in your company and who you’re giving feedback to. There are, however, a few guidelines which should be followed no matter which approach you chose: 1. Ask for their thoughts Start off by asking your employee how they feel things are going. More often than not your employee may already sense there’s a problem. Of course there are cases in which they won’t realize the impact, or extent of the impact, their behavior is having on the team or on an individual, but this is more rare than you might expect. Letting them speak first can open up the conversation and also allow you to view the situation from their perspective. 2. Don’t make things personal However, sometimes your employees may not realize an error they’ve made, particularly when it comes to interactions with others. For example, if you have one employee that has great ideas, but tends to talk over or dominate meetings to get their point across, they may not realize that their actions block others from contributing. Be cautious with the way you phrase your feedback. If you say “You would be more effective if...”, it implies a personal trait. Instead it would be better to say, “Your contributions to the group would be even more effective if you also leave space for others to share their ideas and comments.” An easy way to remember is to avoid using adjectives and instead stick to verbs. 3. Be specific Instead of saying, “you’re a great communicator”, give them more
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information by mentioning specific actions or times in which they demonstrated this trait. For example, “I really like how you expressed your proposal in the last meeting and then opened up the floor for people to share their thoughts and discuss the best steps forward for the team.” 4. Drop “but”, “however” and “although” Avoid using words like “but”, “however” and “although” to link your positive and constructive feedback. Saying, “I like the way you communicate with others but…” will signal to them that your positive feedback may not be sincere.
How do I deal with emotional responses to feedback? Not everyone will react well to feedback. It will take time for some people to open their mindset to the benefits it can bring. During this transition you may encounter situations in which an employee may get angry or emotional after receiving feedback. Here are five steps to help you react appropriately and lead your employee towards the right feedback mindset: 1. Sympathize Emotional reactions can sometimes trigger emotional responses in return. Avoid letting your emotions respond for you by remembering the psychological factors that make people fear feedback. 2. Help them see it from a different perspective Your employee may only be seeing their actions from their perspective. Help them to look at the wider context by explaining how their actions impact the team as a whole. For example, “your teammates feel they can’t express their opinions when you interrupt them during meetings.” 3. Explain why change will help them The key thing they need to understand is that they may have their own way of doing things but getting work done as a team requires you to communicate effectively, deliver things on time and compromise when needed. Having an employee who can work well in a team is even more valuable than someone who is highly skilled but can’t combine their skills with others. 4. Come up with a plan together
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To really get them to change their behavior, the next steps must come from both of you. Come up with a plan together. Start off by asking your employee what they think they could do to change or improve. This will give them ownership and encourage them to think about their professional development with a growth mindset. 5. Encourage Express your confidence in their ability to improve if they follow the action steps you came up with together. Be sure to follow-up regularly and recognize improvements.
What’s the best way to praise my top performers? You know praising your employees is important. Gallup reported that the number one reason Americans leave their jobs is because they don’t feel appreciated at work. Other studies have shown that regular recognition results in 31% lower turnover and 60% higher engagement. Make your employees truly feel appreciated: 1. No more saying “great work!” An important part of praise is encouraging the rights sorts of behaviors. To do this effectively it’s important to be specific about what it was that you liked about their performance so it can then be emulated. No more saying “Great work!” Instead saying, “Your follow-ups and quick response time helped us land this new client,” provides much more information for your employee and others to follow. 2. Challenge them The best way to praise your top performers is by offering them new challenges which allow them to use their strengths or develop new skills. Offering stretch assignments or the opportunity to lead a project is a great way to demonstrate your confidence in their abilities. Each time you offer them a new opportunity explain which skills they will be developing and why you think they’re the right person to take on the assignment. 3. Teach them how to become future leaders One mistake many managers make is that they focus most of their coaching on low performers. Don’t neglect your star employees because they’re doing well. Instead it’s never too early to start training new leaders. According to Deloitte’s 2016 study on millen13 | Using feedback to motivate, engage and develop your team
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nials, only 24% saw leadership as one of their strongest skills upon graduation. Yet, 63% feel their leadership skills are not being fully developed in the workplace. As Generation X exits the workplace, companies may face a major management gap if they fail to develop their future leaders. What’s more, Deloitte reported that 71% of employees who were likely to leave their jobs in the next two years were unsatisfied with how their leadership skills were being developed. 4. Discuss their future goals Top performers are more likely to stay with companies where managers take a genuine interest in helping them advance their career. Have a 1-on-1 with your star employees to discuss what their goals are for the future and how you can help them along the way.
How do I encourage my employees to give each other feedback? Your employees may be hesitant to give each other feedback at first because they don’t want to risk tainting their relationships with co-workers. They may feel giving feedback is the sole responsibility of their manager. Tackle these concerns head on by listing the benefits of giving great peer feedback: 1. Help teammates develop their skills Rather than sparing their feelings, failing to provide feedback actually blocks your team’s professional development. When you’re working as a team, the further your peer develops their professional skills the further the team goes as a whole, boosting your team’s productivity. 2. Avoiding office drama Giving peer feedback allows employees to get out the little things that are bothering them before they become a big problem. If you have an open work environment, you can feel secure in the knowledge that your workmate won’t be offended if you tell them they need to meet their deadlines more often so that you can complete your assignments. Diffuse office tensions before they become conflicts with feedback. 3. Building a great work environment Recognizing your peers achievements is just as important as giving
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constructive feedback. When you celebrate team successes you boost the positive vibe in the work atmosphere.
What you need to know about anonymous and 1-on-1 feedback Remaining anonymous may make feedback easier for some people, while others may benefit from an open environment. Impraise lets you decide which feedback environment suits you best. The ultimate goal is to create a culture of honesty and trust. In order to achieve this follow these steps: 1. Anonymity breaks the ice Anonymous feedback can ease people who are new to giving feedback into the process. This is especially helpful when employees are giving upward feedback for the first time. Anonymity encourages people to give more honest feedback rather than passing on the opportunity or heavily diluting it with praise. Starting with a private environment will encourage your employees to have honest conversations. This will gradually assist everybody in becoming comfortable with face-to-face feedback. 2. Encourage the right practices In the initial stages it’s important that you emphasize the right way to give feedback. Holding short training sessions or giving presentations will help your people formulate their feedback appropriately. In the unlikely event that feedback is deemed inappropriate, users can easily flag feedback and managers can clarify misunderstandings immediately. So far less than 2% of the feedback submitted to us has been flagged. 3. Create a culture of honesty and trust The main benefit of giving in-anonymous feedback is that it gives the receiver a chance to ask questions and better understand which situations the feedback giver is referring to. Knowing who the feedback is coming from helps you recall specific situations in which you acted in a certain way. However, if you decide your team is not ready for this, with Impraise you can also respond to feedback that was given anonymously and get further information. Ultimately, you want to create a culture of honesty and trust where employees are actually eager to give each other feedback. 15 | Using feedback to motivate, engage and develop your team
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How to handle a situation in which negative feedback was given You’ve started the feedback process and someone on your team gives some pretty nasty feedback to a peer. Tensions escalate and you have a conflict on your hands. What do you do now? 1. Talk Have a 1-on-1 with the person who gave the feedback. Allow them to explain the situation from their perspective: what happened and the impact it had on them. Explain why negative feedback is ineffective in altering the other person’s behavior and could in fact worsen the situation. Then together go through how their feedback could have been formulated more effectively. 2. Provide extra training Have a session with your team on the right way to give feedback. Teach them to look for signs that their feedback might be negative or unhelpful. Does it state facts or make judgments? Is it directed at the person or their actions? Does it provide specific examples? For further information see this blogpost. 3. Sleep on it
Z ZZ
Additionally, you can provide some advice on what to do when you want to send feedback but you’re angry about the situation. Giving feedback when angry is never a good idea. Before pressing send, advise your employees to sleep on it. In the morning they can have a fresh look at what they wrote the day before.
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Following-up After a Review Manager’s Guide Pt3
How Do I Use the Data I Receive? Should I always act on the feedback I receive? How to identify strengths & top performers within the team
Why should I follow up after a review? What’s the best way to have great coaching 1-on-1s after 360 reviews? How to have 1-on-1s with remote team members
Becoming a mentor How frequently should I have coaching conversations with my team members? How do I coach a low performer?
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Should I always act on the feedback I receive? You may not always agree with the feedback you get. At the same time you don’t want to give your team the impression that feedback will be a one way street. Here are a few tips to help you recognize when it’s ok to pass on the feedback you receive: 1. Is it based on opinions or facts? Sometimes when you receive feedback, especially about your own performance, it’s hard to decipher whether you disagree because you’re struggling with a fixed mindset view of the situation or because it’s really something you don’t think will benefit your or the team’s performance. The first thing you should do is assess whether the feedback is based on opinions or facts. To look at your feedback more objectively ask yourself: Do they provide examples? Does the feedback make judgments or describe actions? If this is the case ask for more information, including specific examples, then reassess. 2. What kind of impact will it have? Maybe changing your behavior or a process within the team will have a positive impact on one of your employees but this doesn’t mean it’ll work for everyone. If one of your reports prefers having more autonomy over their work, it doesn’t mean everyone in the team is ready for this. Consider your employees individually. Will giving more autonomy to everyone benefit the team or one employee in particular? Consider either implementing a trial run to see how it works or set benchmarks for one individual in particular to see if they’re ready to take on more responsibility. 3. Consider getting a vote from the team If you just can’t find a reason why you shouldn’t implement this change but aren’t sure what the impact will be, consider opening up the matter to the rest of the team. If your employee wants everyone in the team to start using Slack for communicating in the office but you’re worried that it may provide more distraction or less face to face communication, ask the rest of the team what they think.
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How to identify strengths & skill gaps within the team After the review is complete, using the data reports to assess your team’s skills and identify top performers is simple. Follow these steps to get the most out of your 360 reports: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Log into your Impraise account Click on the events tab at the top Go to your most recent event Click on feedback insights on the right hand side
This report will show you the skills your team scored highest in:
Below this you’ll be able to see who your top performer is in each category:
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What’s the best way to have great coaching 1-on-1s after 360 reviews? You may assume getting feedback is straightforward, but the follow up can be just as or even more important than the review itself. If your team isn’t used to receiving constructive feedback their morale might be low after the first few reviews. As discussed previously, the key to helping your reports open up to feedback is encouraging a growth mindset. It’s once they learn how to look at feedback with a growth mindset and turn the results into an action plan that they will be able to truly reap the benefits of 360s. The more they begin to see feedback as helpful to their own development, the better they’ll take it in the future. 1. Gauge their experience Gather their opinions about the 360 review. If they found it helpful, try to understand what helps them exactly. If they consider it a waste of time, you want to know which part was most time-consuming. Did they find the feedback unclear or unfair? Who in the team did they find it easier/harder to give feedback to? This information will be valuable input for the success of other 360 reviews in the future. However, it’s very important to respect the privacy of both the feedback givers and recipients. Stay objective and do not share the feedback with anybody else without permission. 2. Don’t focus only on constructive feedback Remember that 360-degree reviews are not just about learning where an employee can improve. They’re also very helpful in gathering information about a person’s strengths. There is a tendency to focus on weaknesses rather than strengths when giving 360-degree feedback. Many people think of growth as correcting your mistakes and improving your weaknesses. However, learning how to maximize and leverage your strengths at work is the best way to get the most out of your feedback. 3. Teach them how to analyze their own reports and help them set goals Based on the feedback they receive, help your employee come up with their own development plan and next action steps. Remember the most effective plan will come from a joint effort. Rather than dictating the next steps for them, give them ownership of their development plan. To help you reach this balance encourage them to think about their professional goals by asking the right questions.
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For more information about how to help your employees maximize their strengths see here.
How to have 1-on1s with remote team members Don’t forget your remote workers! Having regular 1-on-1s, especially after a 360-degree review, is particularly important to building and maintaining a virtual work environment. Follow these tips to help you run them effectively, despite the distance. 1. Use video You may use various forms of communication to speak with your remote employees, but when it comes to follow ups, video is a must. Even if typing via slack or chatting over the phone is easier, especially when it comes to discussing constructive feedback, speaking face to face will give you deeper insights into their feelings towards the review. While the tone of your voice may say one thing, facial expressions provide signals that you may not be aware of. If you ask, “how did the review go?” Your employee may reply, “fine” but their face may tell a different story. During your follow up it’s essential to be open and understanding, but without physical signs you may not be able to pick up on their underlying feelings towards the review. 2. Turn off notifications Just like when speaking in person, your remote 1-on-1s should be held in an environment free of distractions: both physical and virtual. Before your discussion make sure to turn off any notifications. If you see an alert for a new message from a client, you may be tempted to have a glance during your conversation. Even a quick glance will signal to the other person that you’re not fully invested in the discussion. 3. Schedule your next 1-on-1 Take advantage of already being in front of your computer and immediately schedule your next meeting. In person 1-on-1s can already be challenging to to keep up with. Looming deadlines, important calls, etc. make it tempting to put them off. The fact that you don’t physically see your remote employees everyday in person makes it even easier to forget. Immediately agreeing on a date and putting it in your calendar will help keep things consistent and get you both into the habit. For more advice on how to manage remote teams see here.
21 | Using feedback to motivate, engage and develop your team
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How frequently should I have coaching conversations with my team members? The frequency of your coaching conversations will vary depending on your employee and their needs. There are a few rules you can follow to help you better assess when you’re going overboard and when you’re too absent. 1. Milestones The most straightforward time to check-in is when your employee has reached a benchmark in their improvement. During your goal planning session with them you should have come up with SMART goals which can be tracked and measured. It’s important that you recognize this with encouragement. 2. When results are due Even if your employee didn’t reach the benchmarks you set together, when results are due it’s time to discuss what they did do and what they could have done differently in order to reach their objective. 3. Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly? It all depends on the type of work your employees are doing. Are their assignments more long or short term? A weekly check in is ideal in most cases but make sure you give your reports time to show improvement. At the same time, if you notice something they’re doing that may hinder their progress it’s always ok to jump in and send them some helpful advice. For example, if your employee is trying to improve their teamwork skills but you notice they have trouble voicing their opinions during meetings, offer some tips that will help them the next time. 4. Ask them The easiest way is to ask them. After initially setting up goals with them ask your employee how often they would like you to check in. Would they like you to set up a standing appointment with them once a week or would they like some space to implement changes and check-in in 2-3 weeks when they can produce some results? They may or may not have an idea of how often they want to be coached but asking the question demonstrates your willingness to provide advice when they need it.
22 | Using feedback to motivate, engage and develop your team
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How do I coach a low performer? Some managers dread having the post-review discussion with their lowest performer. Instead you should look at it as an opportunity to pinpoint underlying issues and really help them reach their potential. Follow these steps: 1. Find out what the source of the problem is Low performance doesn’t necessarily mean your employee isn’t cut out for the work. Often there is something deeper that’s keeping your employee from performing at their full potential. For example, they may feel the assignments they’ve been given are unclear and are having trouble figuring out the best way to carry them out. Alternatively, they may feel their skills aren’t sufficient to handle a new task they’ve been given. There are two ways you can gather clues. First start off by asking them how they feel they’re doing. More often than not low performers will already feel they’re facing an obstacle in their performance. Beginning your 1-on-1 by going over their self-assessment will also help start the conversation. Ask them why they rated themselves lower in a particular skill and higher in others. 2. How can you help? Find out what you can do to help them. Whether it’s providing extra training, giving clearer instructions or making more work optimization tools available, make an effort to first understand what they feel would help them most and then offer suggestions. 3. Help them get back on track Help them set SMART (specific, measureable, attainable, relevant and timely) goals for the next month or quarter to track their progress. For example, if they set goals which are too ambitious they may lose confidence when they don’t reach their goal. Alternatively, if their goals are too easy they may not be challenged enough to improve.
23 | Using feedback to motivate, engage and develop your team