Managers making time for feedback

Managers are so overwhelmed with demands that having regular feedback conversations with employees can be hard to fit in. Here we look at how attitudes can be changed to ensure managers make time for feedback.

The demands of senior leaders and direct reports (and everything in between) makes the life of a line manager difficult, and extremely busy.

With so much going on, not all responsibilities can be met, and most often it is these vital feedback meetings that are pushed aside. Encouraging more feedback conversations is the end goal. By finding a solution for lack of time and emphasising the importance of people management in the organisations are the initial steps towards this.

Organisations need to offer more support in this area and recognise that providing effective feedback is a specific skill that requires training, time and dedication to get right.

What can be done?

By ensuring that feedback is clear and simple, and using online systems to eliminate laborious paperwork, the lack of time can be tackled, and will allow for a dependable approach by the business.

As many may feel uncomfortable at first in face-to-face conversations, tips and guidelines may be offered, enabling managers to feel more comfortable in this area of their job. It will also highlight the importance of feedback in their role, and the expectation that it should be done thoroughly and consistently.

Providing training for managers in this area will also help to highlight its importance. By presenting it as a crucial component of the job, it will no longer be pushed aside as managers face their increasing list of duties. In integrating it as part of routine, it shows that it is a fundamental part in their role.

Encouraging a constructive ethos

By providing regular feedback and catch-up meetings will promote an open and honest atmosphere.

The three key components for creating this environment are as follows:

Trust – feedback should be seen as a constructive tool, rather than criticism.

Honesty – feedback should be fair and relevant as to allow both sides to feel they can be honest.

Objectivity – feedback should come from a range of sources to give effective, unbiased views.

There are four key features to remember in order to give effective feedback:

Be purposeful – provide useful context to avoid it feeling like a criticism

Be specific – identifying and acknowledging exactly the issue will ensure the employee knows what the feedback relates to.

Be timely – timing is key, providing it closer to the time of the event is more useful.

Be regular – ‘little and often’ is more effective, and avoids context being lost. It makes the employee feel more in touch.

By presenting their importance, and through regular practice, feedback meetings can be integrated with little friction. A misfunctioning feedback system may make it harder to retain and attract the best new talent.

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