The importance of giving and receiving constructive feedback to colleagues in the workplace
“Companies like Google have invested more in employee support and employee satisfaction has risen as a result. For Google, it rose by 37%, they know what they are talking about. Under scientifically controlled conditions, making workers happier really pays off.” – Professor Andrew Oswald, Department of Economics, University of Warwick.
Giving constructive feedback is vital within the workplace. It encourages staff to work in a positive manner, reaffirms that employees are working in the right direction and promotes development through learning. What’s more, it makes people feel good and when workers are happy they perform better. In fact, one study by the University of Warwick found that employees were up to 12% more productive when they are happy[1].
Providing positive feedback is a great way to make an individual or team feel appreciated, in turn inspiring them to complete the next task even better than the last. In addition, positive feedback helps to cement relationships within teams and on a personal level as well as showing colleagues that their good work hasn’t gone unnoticed.
At times, it’s likely a manager will have to give negative feedback. Provided that the negative feedback is given in a manner which is constructive so that the negative point can eventually be turned into a positive outcome. It should be provided in a way that helps the recipients learn how to improve and not in a way which leaves them feeling undervalued or embarrassed.
Receiving negative feedback can feel to the recipient that they are being criticised, which is why managers often shy away from providing feedback at all. However, delivered in the correct manner, feedback can actually be a supportive way to deal with under-performance in a constructive way, whilst helping to develop performance to a higher level[2].
Providing constructive feedback is an excellent way of increasing engagement within businesses. Through collaboration individuals and teams can be encouraged to communicate and managers who encourage constructive feedback will be able to learn more of what is required to ensure that a business benefits in a positive manner.
[1] https://www2.warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/new_study_shows/
[2] http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2014/03/five-reasons-feedback-may-important-skill/
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