If you ask a group of poeple how much they like giving performance feedback you're likely to get a fairly unenthusiastic response.

Interestingly, if you ask that same group how much they like getting feedback about how they are doing, it's usually quite a different response.

Most people want feedback on their performance.

Feedback helps with direction, with engagement and with general job satisfaction.

It's not the performance management system that determines how effective performance management is, it's the quality and frequency of the communication. People often equate a really snappy and well-designed performance management system with effective performance feedback.  But it's only when people engage in helpful, frequent and clear two-way communication that performance management really works.

Psychology at Work can help by taking the fear out of giving feedback.  We offer:

• Workshops to help with the performance management conversation.  This means understanding the barriers to communication, finding ways to manage the difficult conversations, knowing the questions to ask, learning the strategies to set goals and develop action plans.
• Individual and one-on-one coaching to develop either general feedback skills, or identify strategies for dealing with specific situations, sensitive issues or difficult people.
• Training needs analysis around the skills in communicating, setting goals, monitoring outcomes and identifying ways to improve current performance feedback.