Most organizations require annual employee evaluations, which are often tied to how an employee is rated and influence future promotions and salary adjustment. For many employees, that’s the only formal feedback they receive about their performance. But that’s no longer thought to be the most effective way to manage and develop staff.

Beyond the traditional employee evaluation model.

In “The Art of Giving Feedback” (free until October 1) in AJN‘s September issue, author Rose Sherman describes the other types of feedback that managers should be doing routinely:

  • appreciation feedback, which acknowledges an employee’s work and effort
  • coaching feedback, which focuses on performance and developing employee skills

It’s easy to give feedback to a stellar employee, the one who consistently exceeds expectations. It can get uncomfortable for many managers when they need to give feedback to employees who need to improve in some areas. Some managers let things go, hoping the employee will improve over time or work around the issues.

The costs of avoidance.

But avoiding the issue can have consequences for everyone, according to Sherman:

“ . . . when problematic behavior is not addressed, it lowers the morale of the team and erodes trust in the leader. A failure to address performance issues on your team can have serious ramifications. When poor practices are engaged in repeatedly and nothing is done about them, staff begin to accept a lower standard of care, and the behaviors can become normalized.”

Consistent feedback, constructively given.

The key, says Sherman, is frequent and consistent feedback that is done in a positive way—and yes, negative feedback can be done in a constructive way that focuses on growth. Frequent honest feedback—pointing out good work, sometimes also acknowledging areas that might be improved—builds trust.

I couldn’t agree more. My first manager when I was a new nurse was a stickler for details. She had no problem taking staff to task when they neglected to do something or didn’t follow procedure. But she was quick to say, “Nice work.” Sometimes after a harrowing day she’d get everyone together and thank us. She also would ask, “What do you need? What can I do to help.” Morale in that unit was the best I ever experienced because we knew our manager was, well, managing—we felt she knew our capabilities and helped us to succeed.

Tips for handling tough feedback situations.

Not all feedback sessions will go easily, and Sherman’s article provides some guidance for dealing with those, too. It offers practical content that’s immediately actionable. You can also see more articles on this topic in our Professional Development, Leadership and Scholarship article collection. (Note: some articles in the collection may require a subscription.)