Feedback is a real key to intrinsic motivation and performance management. And most organizations can make big improvements in how people can self-maintain and self-improve if they just stepped back from things and looked at them differently.
Many years ago, we polished up and used a simple 14-point checklist that seemed to hit on the most important aspects of people getting the feedback they need to improve or maintain the highest levels of performance. To some degree, many of the items are a bit unrealistic or idealistic, but they also represent possibilities and reframes and potential things that might be addressed or improved or designed.
Some of the items on the list are below.
You can click here to download the pdf file of the checklist and explanations.
1. Information on performance is based on actual measured accomplishment and not on estimates or opinions about how results were accomplished. | Some people may appear to be very busy or doing a good job, especially if you are there watching them. Others may work at a slower pace and not appear to work as hard. Personalities differ and opinions about accomplishments may not reflect actual results. Good measures of results need to be implemented. |
2. Information highlights areas of performance that have quantifiable value to the organization rather than more general areas of preference | Be concerned with results that produce bottom-line impacts. Sometimes, we get focused on issues of little or no importance to profits or quality or revenue. While a poor producer may chew gum and come in late, it is better to focus on the productivity than on the gum or lateness. Feedback should focus on more critical issues. |
3. Performance information routinely goes to the people who do the work, rather than mostly to management.People see summarized results. | People need performance data, not just feedback from management. In the absence of specific information, people will often assume that all is okay. Alternatively, some managers may only say something when results are not good, missing on the opportunity to comment positively. Information on results provides balanced feedback. |
Some of other items are:
13. Data is expressed in a positive way. This means “results achieved” and accomplishments rather than failures, complaints or errors. | Regular negative information (such as error reports) has a tendency to be ignored or debunked and thus become ineffective motivators over time. People tend to learn ways to avoid the negative as opposed to improving the positive. |
14. Information is summarized to interested levels of management to insure recognition of achievement and continued positive involvement of others. | Without the observable support of top management, few feedback and performance improvement programs are maintained. Top management will not support programs in the absence of reliable and actionable information. Top managers are generally unlikely to continually request and review information that is not positive and current, reflecting issues of performance related to bottom-line impacts. |
In playing with this in workshops over the years, few managers would say that they attained even 8 or 9 of the 14 possibilities, but they were always impacted to consider ways that they could improve the feedback systems, even to go toward developing simple checklists or other things on a random basis — like a post-customer-contact call list to self-assess if customers were called by name and asked if they had any other questions and if they said they were satisfied with the contact. Stuff like that can be a powerful reminder of things to do and can be intermittent, if need be.
Feedback needs to be focused on performance expectations and attainable goals. People not meeting the performance goals, with good feedback may simply need some training or coaching. People not meeting performance goals might simply be incapable of performing in that workplace and might be better off with a job with different requirements. Be sure to keep the good people!
In the workplace, we have higher performing individuals and average and poor performers. If we make the performance a bit more obvious, and make the tools that are used (best practices) better-known and understood, we should be able to create these same kinds of gaps in actual and desired results, lending to better intrinsic motivation and self-directed improvement.
I believe managers and co-workers can help everyone perform better, build teamwork
and esprit de corps, and make the workplace a more engaging place for everyone.
You might also find this article on Managing Flow to be of interest: high_performance_team_flow
For the FUN of It!
Dr. Scott Simmerman is a designer of team building games and organization improvement tools.
Managing Partner of Performance Management Company since 1984, he is an experienced presenter and consultant who is trying to retire!! He now lives in Cuenca, Ecuador.
You can reach Scott at scott@squarewheels.com
Learn more about Scott at his LinkedIn site.
PMC has released our virtual version of The Search for The Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine, a powerful and elegant team building program first released as a board game in 1993 and played worldwide. You can go to our website for a more complete explanation of its operations.
Here is a short overview video about the exercise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE6gDtZymwk
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