The Importance of Providing Timely Feedback
As a leader our role is to provide positive and constructive feedback to our employees. When we have to deliver constructive feedback, we can procrastinate on giving feedback, due to the fear of upsetting the employee or lack of confidence on communicating the feedback.
Avoiding giving feedback can result in escalation of the problem, damaging the relationship between you and the employee and not allowing the employee to realise their full potential. When you put yourself in the employee’s shoes, how would you feel if your manager withheld feedback from you, that could help you develop in your role? No-one is perfect and I am sure we’ve all had times where we have avoided providing feedback, only for the issue to escalate and we have had to have a difficult conversation.
An example is early in my career my manager saved the feedback for the annual performance review and used an example from 6 months ago. I couldn’t remember the example that my manager used during the performance review and therefore couldn’t rectify the problem.
There are many reasons why it is important to provide timely feedback including:
Opportunity to Improve or Rectify the Issue: When feedback is given promptly, employees can address issues or make improvements while the relevant work or behaviour is still fresh in their minds. The employee can learn from their mistake.
Prevents Issues from Escalating: Providing feedback soon after an error or issue is identified helps prevent minor problems from escalating into major ones. It allows for corrections to be made before they become ingrained or more difficult to address.
Motivation and Engagement: Timely feedback can boost motivation and engagement. People often appreciate knowing how they’re doing in real time, which can encourage them to stay focused and invested in their tasks. When you’ve built a trusting relationship with your employees, it can assist with providing and the employee receiving feedback.
Enhances Learning and Development: For skill development and learning, timely feedback is essential. It helps individuals understand what they’re doing well and where they need to improve, leading to faster and more effective learning.
Strengthens Relationships: Timely feedback shows that you are attentive and invested in your employee’s growth or success. This can build trust and strengthen relationships.
Clarity and Accuracy: The sooner feedback is given, the more likely it is to be relevant and accurate. Delayed feedback might be based on a distorted memory of the situation or lack the context needed for effective guidance.
In summary, prepare for your constructive feedback conversations, ensure you are calm and in control of your emotions, remember that you are helping the employee to develop and realise their full potential and deliver the feedback as soon as possible.