Feedback Bad for Concerts-Good for Business

There’s a funny thing about feedback. When you’re in a band performing on stage, feedback can ruin your performance – not to mention the chances of you being invited back.

However, when it comes to leadership, feedback actually improves performance! Providing feedback is one of the most important things you can do for your band (team) members. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the skills that many managers lack. 

This past December, Gallup released a report predicting the top 7 workplace challenges of 2025. Number six on that list… Feedback and Recognition: Biggest Manager Blind Spots. 

Luckily for you, you are reading this article. Whether you’ve been giving feedback like a rockstar your entire career or are just dipping your toes into the feedback pool, you’re bound to learn something that will help you turn up the performance in your organization. 

Three Key Behaviors for Managers

The Gallup report cited three key behaviors where most managers thought they were crushing it… but employees disagreed.

1. Recognition for good work
2. Providing weekly feedback
3. Building a collaborative team

“For example, 50% of managers strongly agree they are giving feedback to their direct reports every week, while only 20% of individual contributors strongly agree their manager does so.”

The gap is wide, and it’s obvious that managers and leaders need to step up their feedback if they want employees to perform like rockstars.

How to Provide Feedback and Recognition Your Employees Will Appreciate

While you’re about to learn some best practices for giving feedback and providing recognition for your team members, it’s important to note that all employees are not alike. Some employees may feed off public recognition, while others will crawl under the nearest rock to avoid any public attention. Before giving feedback or recognizing employees for a job well done, get to know the people who work for you and understand what method will be best received by the individual. 

That being said, here are some tips you can incorporate into your business:

1. Provide feedback and recognition regularly. While you may be tempted to wait for annual or semi-annual reviews, employees will benefit from timely performance assessments.
2. Be specific and provide examples. Vague comments about “needing to do better work” or “not meeting goals” are unclear, purely subjective, and demotivating for many employees. Instead, note specific instances when issues occur so you can arrive to feedback conversations prepared.
3. Start on a positive note. Sure, your employee has room for improvement, but that doesn’t mean EVERYTHING they do is terrible. Begin feedback conversations by pointing out what your employee excels at and what they’ve accomplished recently or throughout their time with you. Once you’ve established that you see their value, you can discuss room for improvement.
4. Provide feedback and critiques privately and recognition publicly (sometimes). Very few people will flourish in an environment of being publicly criticized. Use this general rule: negative feedback should be delivered privately (though depending on the severity, you may want to have an HR representative present), while positive feedback can be delivered publicly. As a reminder, you may be dealing with a shy employee who will not enjoy any attention brought to them. For those individuals, deliver all feedback, good or bad, privately. 
5. Offer tools for improvement. “Do better,” even if it’s followed by a specific instance or example, doesn’t provide the employee with the skills they need to “do better” in the future. If you see an employee struggling to meet your expectations, have a training class, mentor, or other opportunity for growth lined up so they get the support they need. 
6. Focus on what they did, not who they are. Attacking an employee’s personality will never end well. Not only will they be offended, but they won’t know what behaviors to alter moving forward. Instead, focus on the specific actions they took (or didn’t take) and explain what needs to be done differently in the future. 
7. Be open to their response. Rather than dropping a feedback bomb and ushering the employee out of your office, allow them to ask follow-up questions, provide explanations, or clarify why something was done the way it was done. Here’s the really important part… listen! They may share something with you that could improve performance for them and the team as a whole.

Conclusion

This year, it’s time to turn up your feedback-delivery skills! Most employees truly want to do a good job and be a good “band member.” To do that, they need to hear from you regularly. Feedback is not an attack on your employees (when done properly) but a way for them to flourish in their roles, increase their productivity, and be satisfied with their jobs and the company. 

Ken Blanchard, legendary leadership development expert and author of “The One Minute Manager,” said, "Feedback is the breakfast of champions."

To learn more about rockstar leadership, visit https://marvellessmark.com/.