Hello Everyone,
I have a good one for you all and would love to get the community's opinion.
I manage a group of sales representatives (10 total) and I conduct feedback sessions where I am absent. These sessions are for those folks who are not comfortable speaking up with management in the room (think 360 feedback, but not just on the manager, also relative to the organization).
Coming out of the most recent session I received some feedback that "some people on the team feel like you give too much feedback, both positive and negative." It was really interesting. The feel from some people on my team was that they are always being evaluated. Feedback, including positive, was contributing to this feeling.
I found it rather interesting. I don't have immediate plans to take action, but would love the opinion of the community members. Do you do anything with this / change anything or is this a good sign that people are acknowledging the feedback?
Look forward to getting some opinions.
Jason
Sounds like you're doing it right.
I seem to recall M&M saying that the feedback system as a whole is really a proxy for the behavior of constantly evaluating your directs and encouraging improved future behavior. This is what the most effective executives do. It sounds like you're doing it right!
If I had to guess (warning: non-behavior comment coming), I'd say that your directs, used to being in jobs where they are not pushed, feel a bit out of their comfort zone knowing that their performance is always being evaluated. I think this is a good thing. Assuming, of course, that you use positive feedback as well, which it sounds like you're doing.
Keep up the good work!
-db
Don't change
Don't change anything. They've had lousy bosses before, and what you're doing is new. They'll get over it. Good people want more feedback.
Two caveats: sometimes I'm surpised by the process by which feedback to you in forums such as this is moderated. Do you know how many people have to say something for it to be noted? Are they really stretching for negatives? You may be able to discount it that way...or at least validate that you can trust the input (or the messenger).
And, maybe the feedback you're giving is off-track. I've seen some managers give really trivial feedback for a long time, and not addressing real strengths or real challenges. Make sure that you're not just patronizing, but actually sharing things that can make folks better.
That said, my sense is you're fine.
Mark
Consider the type of feedback you're giving
I know this response is 4 years too late--but I just discovered this post as I was searching through some posts. Here's another thought to consider based on a new book, Thanks for the Feedback. One of the concepts the books suggests is that there are really 3 reasons we all want feedback. The 3 reason are:
- to let us know where we stand. That's evaluative feedback.
- to help us grow. That's developmental feedback.
- to feel valued. That's appreciative feedback.
The first 2, developmental and evaluative could be positive or constructive. Clearly--the appreciative feedback is only positive. A point they make that resonates with me is that sometimes I might be getting feedback intended to help me grow (maybe even for such a great reason as that someone thinks I have great potential and wants to help me accelerate), but without context, I might interpret the feedback as lots of evaluation, and feel like some of your employees described.
I think it's valuable to either be transparent about which type you intend, or be sure to give it in a way that makes it clear which type it is.
Hope this late-in-the-game comment adds value to someone :-)