Tuesday, October 5, 2010

The "F- word" that you shouldn’t be afraid to use at work!


My 7 year old had been having some problem picking up Math in school recently. I knew that I needed to see her teacher about it, but somehow had been avoiding it. I was scared of what she would tell me. Would she comment on her ability or would she say that I hadn’t been helping her enough at home?  After days of hesitating I finally took an appointment to meet her. What happened at the meeting was quite a pleasant surprise. The teacher said that all the kids in the class seemed to be having a problem learning the new concept and she had decided to slow down her pace to help them understand it better. In fact my daughter was one of those who were doing much better than the others!
Sometimes we, at our workplaces too, shy from asking for feedback because we fear the worst. We imagine that our recent proposal was turned down because it wasn’t good enough or the other guy got promoted because our performance was not at par. Not seeking feedback proactively, can lead to a feeling of diminished self worth, and subsequently reduced motivation.
The reason behind this avoidance is simple. No one likes being under a scanner and everybody is sensitive to criticism. Also people find it difficult to separate the work and the person, while giving or receiving feedback. A deficiency in performance, if pointed out somewhat tactlessly by a manager, can be perceived as a personal attack by an employee. It is imperative therefore for the one giving the feedback, and also the one receiving it, that they perceive it as a tool that enables better improvement in organizational performance.
In most companies the only time that feedback is given is during the annual performance appraisal. Having been a part of the performance appraisal as an observer in some of my work roles made me realise that most people hesitate even during this formal setting to seek feedback on their performance. The sessions therefore are just reduced to passing of information regarding the next raise or promotion
One way to go about seeking feedback actively is to do it on a regular basis. Update your boss regularly about the progress in your current assignment- this will help you understand his expectations better. Also it is easier to both point out, and to acknowledge smaller mistakes; much before they snowball into larger issues.
 A study done at the University of Alabama, in fact shows, that people who expect to be told their results sooner do the tasks handed out to them much better than those who expect a larger time lag between the performance and the results. An anticipation of a quicker result, therefore, boosts performance.
 Sometimes when your efforts to seek feedback are in vain and you do not seem to elicit any response whatsoever from your boss, it is important that you do not allow “the silent treatment” to get to you. Instead of letting it build on your insecurities and stress you, you have to give him the benefit of doubt. It might be possible that he is busy or what you are seeking feedback about isn’t high on his priority list at that point in time. Be patient and then ask him again at an appropriate time.

No comments:

Post a Comment