Understanding Positive and Negative Feedback
You should be giving both
Think about the last time you drove a car - specifically, when you started the car. If the car is fairly recent, it probably went something like this:
When you started the car, the dashboard lit up - essentially illuminating every light.
A second or so later, each of those lights would disappear, except the ones that were critical for driving, such as the gas gauge and the speedometer.
If the car was having any issues, one of those lights would stay on to tell you that you were low on gas, a tire was low on air, it was time for an oil change, or any number of messages that modern cars can communicate with a driver.
As you drive, it will give you continual feedback - speed, if cars are in your blind spot, etc.
The car was giving you feedback. Most of the time, it provides positive feedback and lets you know that it is safe to drive. On occasion, the car provides you with negative feedback telling you to take action (get gas, etc.).
Definitions
Each type of feedback is critical - which is why cars are designed to provide it. Your employees need both types from you as well. Before we go any further, I want to define these two types of feedback.
Positive Feedback: Positive feedback focuses on what is being done well. It reinforces good behavior, skills, and attitudes, and can boost morale and motivation. The goal is to let the employee know what they should continue doing.
Negative Feedback: Negative feedback, on the other hand, highlights a behavior that can change and hopefully get better results. This is typically what people think about when you mention feedback - which is part of the problem.
Your job as manager is to ensure that you are providing both types of feedback to all employees. Returning to our original imagery - you are the dashboard and the employee is looking for you to provide the information they need to move forward.
Importance of Each
I’ve worked with and for plenty of managers who say things like “I don’t need to give positive feedback - my team knows no news is good news”. Wrong. If you don’t tell your team what they are doing right, they don’t know what to continue doing. Even worse, they will see the lack of communication and fill that vacuum with thoughts that may be harmful. Our minds fill in those empty areas of information for comfort - not always with positive thoughts.
Thinking again of our car example, why do all the lights on the dashboard light up when you start the car? Part of it is a natural booting of the electrical system, but another part is that it is showing the driver all the things it is checking. When all the lights go off, it is a positive communication that things were checked and ready to go. Imagine those lights didn’t go on. In some instances, you wouldn’t give it another thought. In others, it would create doubt and stress.
Negative feedback make more obvious sense. You want someone to change a behavior, you need to tell them. Like the car again, the employee has the choice on the next action of the feedback. I know lots of people who see the low gas light on and simply decide to risk it and not stop for gas right away. When you give negative feedback, understand that the individual receiving it has the option on what to do with that feedback.
The Ratio
One of the more common questions I get is how much feedback (positive and negative) should I give? There is lots of advice - all of it part right and part wrong.
There isn’t a set number for how much feedback you should give. For newer teams or employees, you will probably want to give more. For someone who has worked for you for awhile, they may need less.
As a general rule, I try to provide every employee 1 piece of feedback per day. How much you give is up to you (realize that you probably aren’t giving enough, though).
The ratio is more important than the amount.
The most important thing to know - you should always be giving more positive than negative feedback. Over the course of a day, your team does more right than wrong. If they don’t, you have a big problem. Knowing that, they should be hearing more positive things than negative things.
I tend to create my ratio based on the performance of the individual.
A-players, 90% positive.
B-players, 80% positive.
C-players, 70% positive
D- and F-players, 60% positive.
These are rough guidelines and are measured over time. For example, my A-player may be working on something challenging and for a few days get more negative than positive. Over time, these percentages should be correct.
NOTE: This is the one reason you should be tracking feedback - so you can confirm you are giving the right amounts and in the right ratio.
Conclusion.
Understanding how to give both types of feedback is vital. Positive feedback should be genuine and specific, while negative feedback should be framed in a way that is supportive and focused on improvement. Both types of feedback, when used appropriately, can lead to significant growth and development.
Do you give both positive and negative feedback? Do you track it and can you provide evidence on the ratio you provide?