Giving feedback can be tough.
Believe it or not, HR business partners like TROIS Collective often train managers on how to give feedback effectively.
That’s why we wrote this post to help you understand the importance of training managers to give feedback with confidence.
Let’s get started!
In the workplace, communication really matters—it's not just some people saying things around.
When managers give feedback, it shows they care about helping their employees grow and get the job done right.
On the flip side, when employees voice their thoughts and managers react positively, it makes everyone feel more comfortable to speak up, ask questions, and share their ideas.
This shows that communication is a two-way street in any company and one of the best strategies.
However, not everyone knows how to give feedback confidently.
Confidence is key to how employees receive feedback. When managers give feedback with confidence, it boosts their credibility and makes employees more likely to pay attention.
But if feedback comes off as unsure or hesitant, it can create confusion, misunderstandings, and even some resentment.
Managers who find it hard to give good feedback can unintentionally hurt both how their employees perform and their overall morale.
When team members don’t get helpful input, they might feel undervalued or disconnected, which can really zap their motivation and engagement.
If employees don’t receive clear guidance on how to improve, they may keep making the same mistakes. This can slow their growth and hurt the company’s success and employer branding.
In the worst case, not giving feedback with confidence can make employees unhappy.
This can lead to higher turnover rates and extra costs for hiring and training new staff.
Feedback is a part of every step of an employee's journey, from orientation and onboarding to when they eventually decide to move on from the company.
Now that we understand the importance of training managers to give feedback with confidence, let's set up a plan to coach them on the right path.
Train your managers to understand that they need to know their goals before giving feedback.
Do they want to correct something specific, or do they want to teach as well?
This way, managers can change their mindset from being judgmental to focusing on growth by highlighting the helpful side of feedback.
Now that they know what to say and why, they will feel more confident giving feedback.
Managers can choose different feedback models based on the situation and what they feel comfortable with.
This model begins with the individual assessing their own performance. After that, the feedback provider shares their input.
The STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) technique organizes feedback by first explaining the context (Situation), outlining responsibilities (Task), describing what actions were taken (Action), and discussing the outcomes (Result).
The Situation-Behaviour-Impact (SBI) model provides clear and objective feedback.
It involves explaining the specific situation, detailing the observed behavior, and discussing its impact. This approach encourages clarity and constructive conversation.
Positive feedback is essential because it makes people feel valued.
Negative feedback is also necessary to correct mistakes.
A manager should be confident when handling both types of feedback with an employee.
They should follow a strategy like this: for every piece of negative feedback, give three positive ones.
This way, employees will feel assured about the feedback they receive, especially if managers want to keep their talent.
When you practice something regularly, the chances of feeling more confident increase.
This also holds true for managers giving feedback.
When feedback becomes a normal part of communication and an expectation within their team, managers are less likely to hesitate and feel more comfortable delivering it.
The importance of training managers to give feedback with confidence cannot be emphasized enough.
If you lack an HR department to equip your managers, consider partnering with us to deliver clear and effective training.
