People like to know that you notice what they do. Kouzes & Posner report in their book Encouraging the Heart report that staff rated a simple thank-you for work well done as the most important non-financial reward. The book further states that 98% of staff say they perform at a higher level when they receive encouragement from their boss. The valuable role of positive feedback is a fundamental tenet of behavioural psychology, and its impact on staff is supported by the latest Gallup research.
However, the same research also shows that staff prefer receiving negative feedback to not being given any feedback at all. Furthermore, if you let people know that you have noticed and disapprove of their actions, they are far less likely to repeat that behaviour. On the other hand, if you do not let them know that you have noticed and disapprove of what they did, expecting them to change is nothing more than wishful thinking.
Done well, negative feedback shows that you care about what your staff are doing. Yet, leaders need to criticise with skill and finesse, and they need to know how to balance their negative feedback with genuine praise. Research shows that staff rank inept criticism by their boss as the number one cause of workplace conflict and stress[1. Baron, R. (1990), Countering the Effects of Destructive Criticism, Journal of Applied Psychology, 75, 3, 235-246.].
You can learn to give negative feedback well. As with any skill, developing your ability to give negative feedback involves knowing what to do, lots of practice and ongoing adjustments in your approach. It is not something you master by reading alone.
