Offering feedback is critical for managers, but it can also seem stressful. On Tuesday, January 28, during the Women’s Alliance Business Leaders Series, Dr. George Benson from the University of Texas at Arlington shared his insight on how management can create a culture that values and effectively uses feedback.
Dr. Benson discussed three different performance evaluation systems, annual reviews, constant coaching and a feedback rating system for employees.
“Feedback leads to engagement, which then leads to higher performance on the job,” Benson said.
How you communicate feedback is essential. Feedback alone does not improve performance; Feedback reactions improve performance, stressed Dr. Benson.
“When giving feedback, do not make it threatening. That way, you receive a positive performance from your employee,” Dr. Benson advised.
During the discussion, Dr. Benson looked to the future of performance evaluation in corporate America. He strongly emphasized constant coaching, performance monitoring and prioritizing development. 
CONSTANT COACHING – “Constant coaching created a culture in which managers are expected to provide frequent, developmental and future-oriented feedback.” Constant coaching establishes a culture where employees expect to hear and act upon frequent, developmental and future-oriented feedback.
PERFORMANCE MONITORING – With new technology, employees can have a real-time rating of their performance. If you work in an industry where you rely on customers taking a survey at the end of a phone call or meeting, it gives the employee a rating and a way to gauge their performance.
EMPHASIS ON DEVELOPMENT – The best feedback is done for developmental purposes and includes employee participation. Developmental feedback is forward-looking. When managers invest in the development of their employees, they thrive.
Dr. Benson wrapped up the conversation by discussing how to keep yourself and your employees safe psychologically at work. He quoted Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson’s definition of psychological safety in a team culture as “shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.” Meaning that a member of the team is not embarrassed or put down for having independent thoughts, feelings, or behavior when it comes to the job.
Thank you, Dr. George Benson, for a thought-provoking presentation on the importance of creating a performance feedback culture in the workplace. For more about creating a performance feedback culture, contact Dr. Benson at benson@uta.edu.
You don’t want to miss another opportunity to develop as a leader and a professional. Make sure to come to our next Business Leaders Series at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 25, at the Chamber.
