Transcript FEEDBACK - Florida International University

Reactions To Performance Feedback
Juan I. Sanchez, Ph.D.
• Emotion
– Evaluator
– Worker
• Managing Emotional Reactions
– Evaluator
– Worker
Feedback & Emotion
Delivering Feedback
– Evaluating performance & delivering feedback
may seem like a nonaffective task, but there are
numerous reasons why emotional reactions can
occur.
– Emotions can range from temporary anxiety to
questioning of self confidence and altering
evaluations & feedback.
Delivering Feedback: Some Bases for
Emotion
1. Will the worker agree with the feedback?
2. Will the worker accept the feedback?
3. Will the worker question the evaluations?
4. Will the worker disagree with the diagnoses and
recommendations?
5. Will the worker react rationally or emotionally?
6. If the worker disagrees, will I be able to justify my
evaluation and be able to stand firm with my feedback?
7. What if the worker succeeds in changing the evaluation?
Will I lose power and credibility?
8. How will I manage this worker if they react negatively?
9. Will the worker file a grievance?
10. If a grievance is filed, would my case be strong enough to
win it?
11. Are there things I have missed that should have been
included in the evaluation and feedback?
12. Am I being fair, or could I somehow be biased about this
worker?
The cost of emotions influencing evaluations
& feedback?
– Evaluations & feedback no longer useful for
development & administrative purposes.
– Will raise issues of fairness.
Ways in which evaluator affect can influence
feedback
Evaluator
Affect
Worker
Performance:
Behavior
Results
Observation
Diagnosis
Evaluation
Feedback
Steps for Managing the Possible
Influence of Evaluator Affect
– Clear Criteria
• Ambiguous criteria open door for affect or for perception
that affect is an influence
– Common Standards
• Developing common standards (such as thorough FOR
training) signals that performance should be the focus
– Performance Record
• Regular documentation of worker performance can increase
the focus on behavior & results
– Voice System
• Knowing that a grievance may have to be dealt with can
direct evaluators away from nonperformance issues
– Self Awareness
• Being aware of possible influences on the judgment
process can help evaluators avoid error & bias
– Evaluation
• Holding evaluators accountable for their feedback &
development efforts can make the issue real & important
Conceptual Framework for Understanding &
Influencing Evaluator Affect
Focus
Relevant
Increase
Direction
Decrease
Irrelevant
Clear Criterion
Bias
Common Standards
Error
Perf. Record
Deficient
Voice System
Self Awareness
Evaluation
Receiving Feedback
Receiving feedback isn’t necessarily a nonaffective task a variety of emotional reactions are possible.
Examples of Emotional Reactions
to Feedback
• Surprise - The feedback was better than you expected
• Defensiveness - You need to defend yourself
• Shock - You can't believe how poor the ratings and feedback are
• Anger - The evaluation isn't fair
• Rejection - The feedback must not be accurate
Managing Possible Emotional Reactions to
Performance Feedback
Evaluator Perspective
The focus here is on the emotional reaction of the
worker, but there is much the evaluator can do
to prevent the occurrence of emotional
reactions or to lessen the severity.
• Evaluator Approaches
– Performance focus
• Focus on performance, not the person
Cont.
– Relevance
• Stick to relevant performance characteristics. Including
factors perceived by worker to be irrelevant may result in
anger & rejection.
– Distinction between relevant & irrelevant can sometimes be
difficult.
• Let worker define relevance
• Know limits of your expertise
– No Surprises
• It is the responsibility of the evaluator to make the worker
aware of performance deficiencies before the formal
performance review session
– Be Engaged
• How a message is delivered can sometimes be as
important as the content of the message
Exhibit 6.5 - Engagement Characteristics
• Body Language
– Orient toward the worker
– Lean forward
– Maintain eye contact
• Feedback Process
– Ask open-ended questions
– Actively listen
Worker Perspective
While some things can & should be done by the
evaluator to manage the possibility of an emotional
reaction, the emotions are, in the end, the worker’s.
Tactics for Workers
– Separate yourself from your performance
• Recognize that our performance is not who we are as people.
– Be realistic in your performance expectations
• Do not expect to achieve an unattainable goal & then be
emotionally distraught when feedback is less than perfect.
– Be future oriented
• Use performance feedback as a basis for planning future
performance. Use the feedback to move ahead, not to
dwell on the past.
– Don’t be surprised
• Make sure you are receiving informal feedback
– Recognize your emotional tendencies
• It will help you to better frame the feedback & recognize
your emotional tendencies if they begin to occur
Class Exercises
1. Do you know of an example in which
feedback that was too focused on the
person? What was the reaction? How
could the feedback have been presented or
framed to avoid a defensive reaction?
2. Consider a worker with whom you are familiar.
The person can be a typical, outstanding, or
poor performer.
•
•
Generate summary statements about the person. That is,
what are your inferences, conclusions, or trait descriptions
of the person? (For ex., you might infer that the worker is
lazy & deceitful. Or energetic & honest)
For each inference, conclusion, or trait term you generated
above - how could that person inference be transformed into
feedback that would lessen the chances for a defensive
reaction?