The feedback I’m talking about here isn’t some sort of
formalised appraisal that takes place with your team members
every month, or every six months or once a year. This
feedback happens continually and it happens when you see or
hear something you want to give feedback on. The trick is –
keep it simple.
If you see or hear something you do like – you tell the team
member about it. If you see or hear something you don’t like
or feel could be done better – you tell the team member
about it and you coach them.
Confirming Feedback is about giving the good news. It’s
about confirming to your team member that you approve of
whatever it is you’ve seen them do or heard them say. It’s a
compliment or a thank you.
It also seems to be something that some managers have great
difficulty with. They take the attitude that – “why tell
people that you’re pleased with them when they’re only doing
what they’re paid to do in the first place.”
A great deal of this attitude stems from managers believing
they having to be big and tough and macho. And managers
don’t do all that touchy-feely stuff, saying thank you is
for wimps.
If you still feel a bit like that, think for a moment how
you felt if a manager ever gave you a genuine compliment or
a thank you for a job well done. I bet you felt pretty good
and probably motivated to do even better. I’m also sure you
didn’t think your boss was a big softy or that he lacked
courage; probably the opposite.
Successful managers realise that almost everyone reacts
positively to Confirming Feedback. They feel better about
themselves and they feel motivated to repeat the behaviour.
There is a saying that says –
“You get more of what you reward.”
Michael LeBoeuf tells this fable in his book ‘The Greatest
Management Principle in the World.’ –
A man went fishing one day. He looked over the side of his
boat and saw a snake with a frog in its mouth. Feeling sorry
for the frog, he reached down, gently took the frog from the
snake and set the frog free. But then he felt sorry for the
snake. He looked around the boat, but he had no food. All he
had was a bottle of whisky; so he opened the bottle and gave
the snake a few shots. The snake want off happy, the frog
was happy and the man was happy to have performed such a
good deed. He thought everything was fine until about ten
minutes passed and he heard something knock against the side
of the boat. With stunned disbelief, the fisherman looked
down and saw the snake was back with two frogs!
So if you tell one of your team that you like the way they
have completed some aspect of their work, then you’ll find
that they continue to do that work in the same way or
probably even better.
However, your feedback must be genuine.
Sometimes on a seminar, I ask the group – “Who likes
receiving compliments?” Often only a minority will put up
their hand. I then ask them – “Who likes receiving a genuine
compliment?” This time almost everyone puts up their hand.
People often feel that a compliment isn’t really meant and
they sometimes feel a bit patronised. That’s why it’s
important that your Confirming Feedback is genuine and it
sounds genuine. Don’t say it if you don’t mean it!
Sam Walton the founder of Wal-Mart once said –
“Nothing else can substitute for a few well chosen, well
timed, sincere words of praise. They’re absolutely free and
worth a fortune.”
Confirming Feedback is worth a fortune to you in terms of
motivating your team and achieving your goals and targets.
Discover how you can generate more business by motivating
your team!
Alan Fairweather is the author of “How to get More Sales
by Motivating Your Team” This book is packed with practical
things you can do to get the best out of your people .
Click here now
