The Power of Positive Feedback
In a strictly transactional view of work, your paycheck is your company’s way of saying, “thanks, good job.” Only, it’s not really saying thanks…since paying you is an obligation given that you’ve agreed to trade some of your time for some of their money. It’s a transaction.
This dimension of work will never go away, but when it becomes the only way an employee knows they’re in good standing (“I guess I’m doing well…I still have a job.”) a critical opportunity to build engagement and morale has been missed. Yet, for many employees, this is all the “positive feedback” they usually get.
Why is positive feedback that important? Why is it an essential management skill? Why should leaders be both intentional and strategic about recognizing their employee’s good work? Here’s why…
Positive feedback tells me where I stand with you.
I might get my paycheck from ACME, Inc., but in real terms, this is a mostly abstract entity “somewhere out there.” The most important work relationship I have is with you, my boss. What do you really think about my work? What do you ultimately value? I know I’ll hear from you when things don’t go well…but what about when things do? Research is clear that my relationship with my immediate supervisor is by far the most consequential for how I perceive the organization as a whole. If you leave me guessing, there’s a chance I’ll assume the worst.
Positive feedback empowers me.
I have a deep existential question that I’m probably not aware I’m even asking: am I significant in this place? Does anything I do here make a positive difference? Am I valued in a tangible way? When I discover that I am significant (…because you’ve said so) and I begin to learn how in real terms, I’ll naturally put more of my energy into my work. Simply put, you will get a more engaged and enthusiastic version of me. Don’t assume that only people needing affirmation think this way. We all do…even you.
Positive feedback empowers me in the right direction.
Done well, positive feedback (just like corrective feedback) helps me establish boundaries. These boundaries, in turn, guide me in doing what I need to do in order to succeed as your employee. Corrective feedback tells me what you want me to change, while positive feedback tells me what you want me to do more of. Both are crucial. Think about the banks of a river; these “tell” the water where it can’t go, but also where it can go. Both are needed to have a functioning river. Remember, a river without banks is only a swamp…and nothing good ever comes from a swamp. Again, when you tell me what I’m good at, I’ll naturally want to invest more of my energy in that direction. In fact, it’s a management truism that you’ll get more of whatever you affirm.
Positive feedback builds your relational bank account with me.
As my boss, you’re going to have to disappoint me from time to time: I don’t get the time off I want; I get the less desirable work assignments; I don’t get the promotion I think I deserve; you need to give me corrective feedback. Or, I might have to be patient with you as you struggle with your own leadership. Whatever the case, things will happen, and these will challenge the good vibes between us. Positive feedback builds your account with me so that when you need to make those relational withdrawals (and you will), you don’t run a negative balance.
With positive feedback, you become my coach, not just my boss.
This isn’t just a semantic difference. A “boss” is focused on getting the current job done, while a “coach” wants this and to develop my future potential. Your conspicuous affirmation of my work signals to me that you’re interested in more than what you need from me today. When you have my long-term potential in mind…I’ll have your long-term success in mind. These always go hand in hand.
As a manager, you don’t want to underestimate the power you have to motivate through the words you speak. You have the power differential in your favor, after all, and everything you say is louder. This is both a privilege and a responsibility of having authority over others. In my next post, I’ll provide a strategy for how to give positive feedback that really hits home. It might seem simple, but there’s a bit more to it than simply saying, “thanks, good job.”
Next: How to Motivate through Positive Feedback