Improve Employee Performance Idea 96 – July 7, 2009: Make Feedback Meaningful

OK.  So you know you are supposed to give “meaningful” feedback to your employees.  But what does that mean?   Meaningful means that you clearly tell employees the value of their contributions.  Consider the following examples:

1. The fact that you completed this report on time means our department will be able to meet our deadlines for presenting the monthly customer service statistics.

2. Since you agreed to work on the project, we will have the expertise we need to solve problems that will inevitably occur with the installation. 

3. Because you always let customers know where you are in working on their computer problems, they rarely complain about delays.

KEY REMINDER:  To improve employee performance, you have to conduct effective performance discussions, give effective performance feedback, reinforce employee performance, and use effective performance phrases to write effective performance appraisals. 
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Barbara Brown, Ph.D. shows managers how to improve employee performance by linking performance to results. She publishes handbooks that contain phrases for discussing performance and for writing appraisals. Dr. Brown also provides training and consulting. Visit www.LinkToResults.net.