Real-Time Feedback: Why It’s Critical as a Leader

Feb 22

If you want to be an effective leader, you need to be able to give real-time feedback—and that means knowing how and when to do so.

Here are some tips on how best to give (and receive) this type of feedback:

Real-time feedback is the key to improving performance and employee engagement.

It's not just about performance, though. It's also about motivation. With annual reviews, you have time to think about your strengths and weaknesses, but when something happens in real time--like a missed deadline or a mistake on an assignment--you're forced to react immediately because there's no time for reflection.

In this way, real-time feedback can help employees improve their skills much faster than if they waited until their next annual review date came around (which may be months away).

Timely feedback is more effective than annual reviews for another reason: It gives managers more opportunities throughout the year to recognize accomplishments as well as areas where employees need improvement--and then provide them with guidance on how best to address those issues going forward.

What it isn't.

A real-time feedback session is not a one-time event. It's not a formal review process, nor is it an annual performance review.

A real-time feedback conversation happens weekly or at least multiple times a month when you see that their skills need to be strengthened and areas for improvement are apparent.

Real-time feedback is about helping someone grow as fast as possible so they can start contributing right away--not holding them back until they're ready to move up in rank or title.

Why you need it.

Feedback is a powerful tool for growth and development. It helps employees understand their strengths and weaknesses, giving them the opportunity to improve their performance at work.

It also provides an opportunity for you as the leader to let your team know how they're doing--and what they can do better.

Feedback should not be something you give once or twice a year; rather, it should become an integral part of your everyday interactions with employees so that they know exactly where they stand in relation to each other and their goals.

The ability to give real-time feedback is crucial to being an effective leader.

Real-time feedback is one of the most important skills for leaders. It's also one of the most challenging to master. Real-time feedback can be challenging because it requires us to give our honest opinions about someone else's work and to do so in a way where the recipient does not become defensive or closed to the suggestions.

How to do it.

The next time you see something positive from a team member that you want them to continue to do, stop and tell them noting why that approach or that task makes a difference to the larger team’s goals.

When you see someone miss the mark on an expectation you have for them, pause, consider the facts of what you saw and the specific action that they can improve upon. Then, pull the employee aside into a private conversation and state what you observed - “Just now, I saw you doing _____ when my expectation is for you to do _______.” Then, ask a question to partner with them on a solution. “What do you think led to you doing _____? Is there an obstacle that needs to be removed for you to meet the expectation? What could you do different next time to make sure _____ happens?”

These open-ended questions get the employee involved and thinking critically about the issue. If you are able to coach in this way on a small infraction, employees will trust you more and ultimately start bringing challenges to you so you don’t always have to spot them.

The ability to give real-time feedback is one of the most important qualities you can develop as a leader because it build stronger relationships and improves workplace morale simultaneously.

Andrea Beilke