Are your employees avoiding you? Managerial strategies for closing the feedback gap

Abstract

Executive Overview When employees perform poorly, they should seek feedback from managers. In return, managers should give constructive feedback to employees, so that they can improve their performance. However, this kind of meaningful exchange about employee performance is often precluded by managers themselves. Some managers have an overly supportive style and feel uncomfortable giving negative feedback. Other managers are intolerant of failure and react harshly to feedback-seeking from poor performers. This causes employees to stop asking for feedback or even to avoid discussing performance with their managers entirely. Some employees, such as those who generally fear negative feedback, will be more likely than others to avoid feedback from their managers, even though it might be helpful. Others will be reluctant to seek feedback because of the potential cost of being perceived as incompetent. These actions of employees and managers can mutually instigate and reinforce one another, creating a vacuum of meaningful exchanges about poor performance. We refer to this phenomenon as the feedback gap. We propose a get-well plan that offers concrete guidelines so that managers can narrow the feedback gap. Our prescription stimulates managers to view feedback about poor performance as a learning opportunity, rather than as a chance to blame others.