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At a sprawling corporate
campus, the general counsel prepares for the arrival of her associate
general counsel. The general counsel knows she needs to initiate a
conversation about the glitches in the most recent transaction the
associate general counsel handled. "This is the worst part of the
job," she thought.
In a major international
law firm, an associate is steeling himself for a meeting. The partner
had said they were going to talk about "things." He knew
what would happen. The grapevine was ripe with stories of these
"annual reviews." The partner would rant and rave about
mistakes made months ago or issues out of the associate's control.
"If I could change one thing about this firm," he thought,
"it would be reviews. How am I supposed to do what they want if
no one tells me what is expected?"
It is not always easy to sort out
straight goods from a good story when it comes to performance.
Unfortunately, many managers and supervisors fail to meet expectations
for providing supportive feedback. Crucial to steady improvement and
career success, useful feedback is sorely lacking in many law firms
and corporate legal departments. In particular, minority attorneys do
not always receive the same timely and constructive feedback as their
white counterparts. The same thing is equally applicable to many white
female attorneys.1 The net effect of a lack of feedback is
often recognized when it is too late to reverse: high turnover and
recruitment costs, and teams that do not meet clients' needs for
diversity and expertise.
Employees expect and need feedback for
steady improvement and career success. Dissatisfaction and uncertainty
build without meaningful feedback that is given on a regular basis.
Complaints also arise when the situation is handled inappropriately,
such as when comments are not useful or when feedback constitutes a
veiled attack. Supporting your team members means not only giving
feedback, but also helping employees understand how to apply it.
Fear Factor
Why do so many supervisors and managers
avoid giving feedback? Some people fear facing their own guilt or
embarrassment for not having set clear expectations up front. Others,
while they might not admit it, fear the employee won't like them if
they deliver bad news. Some fear the threat of a lawsuit if they
praise an employee and, down the road, the employee's advancement
expectations are disappointed. Or, they fear becoming stuck in a
circular argument about whether the feedback is accurate in the
employee's eyes. Still others fear being labeled "biased"
when giving less than positive feedback to a minority or female team
member. These are valid fears, but they are not valid reasons for
side-stepping this pivotal management function. Your human resources
professional can help you develop strategies and tactics for
overcoming these concerns.
SUPPORTive Feedback
In this issue of D&B
Briefs, we will introduce the SUPPORT Feedback Formula™ to be used
in conjunction with The Flourishing Process™. Use the SUPPORT
Feedback Formula to test your message and alleviate some of your fears
and concerns.
Specific
Cite explicit, concrete examples of
observable behavior. "Your work is sloppy," is vague. Is the
content wrong or incomplete? Is the grammar poor? Was a deadline
missed? Was this a one-time offense or a perpetual problem?
By being specific, you help the
receiver understand what was unacceptable and what is expected in the
future. For example, "Your last three research assignments were
late. As a result, the rest of the team had to do extra work to meet
the submission deadline."
Unemotional
Always deliver feedback when you are
calm, and avoid words that may convey judgment or personal criticism.
There is a fine line between evaluating someone's performance and
passing judgment on the person.
"You need to take more
initiative" could be interpreted by some as "You're
lazy." (And it's vague!) Using examples of specific observable
behavior will help neutralize emotion and judgment.
"It would help the team if you
were to take the lead occasionally on projects. For example, when we
were discussing how the changes in regulations would affect us, did
you notice how Jim immediately volunteered to research the changes?
We'd like to see you volunteer without being asked."
Periodic
There shouldn't be any surprises at an
annual review. It should simply recap what you both already know
happened—the great and the not-so-great. Associates or staff members
cannot change their behavior if they do not know there is a problem.
Periodic, informal feedback allows staff to correct problems—or
build on successes—right away, increasing the productivity of your
team.
Periodic feedback also reduces the
importance of any one interaction, alleviating anxiety for both you
and the receiver. At the same time, praising contributions that are on
target fosters stronger relationships and positively rewards desired
behavior. As a result, you will foster trust, collaboration, and a
belief you want to see your team succeed.
Plan based on the
feedback
The purpose of feedback is to improve
work results and eliminate surprises. It is not a dump-and-run
mission.
If you want your staff to change
behavior, craft a plan together that includes specific action steps,
deadlines, and accountability measures to help the person succeed. If
you are delivering feedback as a cover-up mechanism for a personnel
decision that has already been made, you are being unfair both to that
person and to the organization.
Owned by the person
offering the feedback
Have the courage of your convictions.
Hiding behind your boss or a policy will discredit you and your
message. If you do not agree with the message you have been asked to
deliver, address it with the people whose message it is. As noted
above, if a decision affecting someone's career path has already been
made, be professional enough to say what really needs to be said.
Receiver-focused
As the messenger, it is your
responsibility to deliver the feedback in a way that allows the
receiver to understand it fully. This approach will take some
attention and consideration on your part. Think about the receiver.
What kind of expressions does this person use? Colorful, visual,
colloquial, formal? Without changing the essence of your message, use
the receiver's "language" to help get your point across.2
For most of us, being in the spotlight
of receiving feedback—whether positive or negative—is
uncomfortable. The receiver's anxiety will heighten the impact of your
words. Praise good work and offer empathy for difficult situations to
help the receiver be more open and less defensive.
Timely
Deliver feedback as close to the
occurrence of the observable behavior as possible. This reaction may
be the last thing you want to do, especially if the offending event
has caused a major headache for you. (Again, if you are emotional,
take time to calm down and collect your thoughts.) The best time to
correct behavior is immediately after the event. Feedback will be most
effective when the circumstances are fresh and relevant for both you
and the recipient.
To ensure your feedback provides
SUPPORT for the receiver, use The Flourishing Process to prepare for
delivering it. Think about someone on your staff to whom you'd like to
give feedback. These comments could be negative or positive. Positive
feedback is often considered unnecessary, yet offering it is one of
the most significant-and easiest-kinds of positive reinforcement you
can offer.
CLARITY
What specifically do you want to be different after giving
the feedback?
- What do you want the person to KNOW?
The impact of behavior? New policies?
- What do you want the person to DO?
Manage time better? Take on more responsibility?
- How do you want the person to FEEL?
Inspired? An appreciation for the gravity of the situation?
Double check to ensure you have
addressed all of the factors in the SUPPORT Feedback Formula. Resist
the temptation to simply fill in the blanks in your head. Writing down
your answers will help you separate fact from opinion and craft more
useful feedback.
Identify what could get in your way of delivering the feedback. Fear?
Lack of time? A potentially negative response from the recipient?
Before delivering the feedback, share
your thoughts with someone who is impartial, such as a member of HR or
the professional administrative staff. Using a sounding board will
help you identify potential landmines and overcome any barriers.
CHOICE
With your thoughts in one place, on the
paper in front of you, you have some choices to make.
What do you want to say?
When do you want to say it?
How do you want to say it?
What are the objective examples I'll reference?
ACTION
What action steps do you want your staff member to take?
While it is important that you and your
reports create a mutually beneficial plan, drafting a few ideas ahead
of time will help frame the conversation in a useful, forward-thinking
way.
If the reaction of the recipient is particularly explosive, know that
you can schedule a subsequent discussion to begin the action-planning
phase. Let the person absorb the feedback and cool down.
Will the Real
Supportive Manager Please Stand Up?
Providing useful feedback is not for
the faint of heart, yet it is key. Avoiding feedback is a disservice
to your employees, your organization, and yourself.
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Receiving Feedback
To make the most of your
annual review or any informal feedback your boss or
colleagues offer, consider the following:
- Listen openly
Be curious about the comments being offered. Being
defensive is going to throw the conversation off-track.
- Be active in the
process
Ask whatever questions you need to so that you fully
understand the points being offered.
- Take
responsibility for your own performance and career
development
Ask your mentors or coach for their perspectives or
ideas. While they are there to support you, they can't
do the job for you.
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NOTES
1. See, Creating Pathways to Diversity®: A Set of
Recommended Practices for Law Firms, p. 19.
2. See, "This Land was Made for You and Me," Diversity
& the Bar®, May/June 2004, p. 54.
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