Why Is Effective Feedback So Important in Performance?
Feedback plays an extremely important role in performance. When done well it has a positive impact on employee’s perceptions of management, leadership and their motivation; as well as on their actual performance.
However, giving feedback is not enough in itself to gain these positive impacts.
In fact, our research shows that ineffective feedback is worse than giving no feedback at all, as it can have a detrimental effect on motivation as well as performance.
How Do We Define Effective Performance Feedback?
Performance feedback is information about an employee's past behaviors and results compared to expected standards.
When effective, it improves both individual and team performance while enhancing employee engagement, motivation, and job satisfaction. (Aguinis, 2009)
We know from best practice and research that the following four characteristics can make feedback more effective:
Objective: focus on what was observed and its impact, rather than personal judgments
Specific: be descriptive rather than general
Suggests action: include forward-looking suggestions for improvement
Impact: explain what resulted from the action or behavior
Detailed Explanation of the Feedback Characteristics
Feedback characteristic / quality | Definition | Why it's important |
Objective | Focus on what was observed and its impact, rather than personal judgments |
|
Specific | Be descriptive rather than general |
|
Suggests Action | Include forward-looking suggestions for improvement |
|
Impact | Explain what resulted from the action or behavior |
|
How Does Suggest Improvements Support Managers in Giving Effective Feedback in Performance Reviews? What Are the Benefits?
Suggest Improvements acts as a guide that helps managers write more effective performance reviews.
When managers enter their feedback they can choose to analyze the text and receive specific suggestions to make it more actionable, specific, objective, while clearly describing the impact.
Benefits:
Builds manager confidence and capability. Managers receive guidance when they need it to improve their feedback, helping them develop stronger feedback skills over time, while saving them time with targeted suggestions.
Supports employee performance. By ensuring feedback is specific, actionable, objective and shows impact, employees get the clear direction they need.
Creates consistency across the organization. All managers have access to the same evidence-based guidance, supporting fairer and more equitable performance reviews.
Reduces potential for bias and subjectivity by prompting managers to focus on observable behaviors and specific impacts, leading to more objective and fair assessments.
How Do We Recommend Managers Use Suggest Improvements?
Write your feedback as you normally would.
Review the suggestions: see what the tool recommends to make your feedback more effective.
Choose what works: take the suggestions that make sense for your situation.
Refine and repeat: make changes and run it again if needed to fine-tune your feedback.
When Coach becomes available (coming soon!):
Culture Amp’s AI Coach is available for more in-depth support if you need it. For example:
For complex or tricky feedback. If you need to write more nuanced feedback that requires careful consideration of context or tone.
To prepare for a difficult conversation. When you're delivering challenging feedback and want to practice your approach.
To develop your skills. If you'd like to roleplay the actual conversation or get coaching on delivering the feedback.
Related pages:
💬 Need help? Just reply with "Ask a Person" in a support conversation to speak with a Product Support Specialist.