The Power of Feedback

Citation

Lucy Windsor (2015), "The Power of Feedback", Personnel Review, Vol. 44 No. 5, pp. 821-822. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-02-2015-0040

In the past, there was a clear hierarchy within a business. The manager ruled and what they said the subordinate did, with little opportunity to question or contribute an opinion. There were good leaders and bad leaders and many somewhere in between and the workers, in the main, just had to get on with it. Rank had the casting vote.

The post-war baby boomers began to change the status quo and subtle changes have evolved with each generation. Research shows that people respond well to good feedback and their performance improves as a result (e.g. Matsui et al., 1982). The characteristics of good feedback, however, are somewhat fluid. Today, we really value feedback and organisations invest billions in their quest for better performance.

But why is it one manager can make a positive difference to performance, when another seems to make the problem worse? Manuel London is the Dean of the College of Business at the State University of New York. He has a PhD in industrial and organisational psychology from the Ohio State University and is the director of the Center for Human Resource Management at Stony Brook. He has been researching employee management and development, including career motivation, performance evaluation, feedback and training for many years. This book is a follow up to his book Job Feedback, written in 2003.

When I first sat down to read this book, I wasn’t sure I was going to be interested enough in the book’s content. I was glad that I started however, because my attention was drawn from the first page.

This is a worthwhile book with a wealth of well-researched content, it is both enjoyable and absorbing.

A “must read” for both the manager and the managed, it is broken down into three sections: How People See Themselves and Others, Sources of Feedback Information and Support, Expanding the Power of Feedback.

The author guides the reader through the complexity of feedback, discussing the difference between feedback that works and feedback that has either limited or even a negative impact. The reader will gain insight not only in how to give feedback, but how to receive it too.

The author explains generational differences. Each generation has been brought up with different expectations. As leaders, we need to be mindful of the differences and adapt our behaviour accordingly. One size in this respect doesn’t fit all. The new Generation Z being a good example, as they have been brought up in the truly digital age and operate very differently from previous generations. London explains that they are used to physical and psychological distance in communication and work.

London covers in some detail the difference between constructive and destructive feedback. I was particularly struck by the section on abusive behaviour and the misuse of power. As with the rest of the book, the author deals with this thorny subject objectively, offering insight, understanding, impact and alternatives that deliver better results. Whilst he acknowledges his use of such an emotive word, he makes no apology, because the impact of such behaviour puts the receiver into an immediate state of fight or flight, affecting their ability to function well.

Most people are in a reactive state when receiving feedback. They respond intuitively to their emotion, and don’t understand what processing is going on in the background. In other words, they feel that the other person is the cause of their discomfort, shame or embarrassment. The chapter on how people evaluate themselves alone is worth the cover price of the book. How do you feel when receiving feedback? How are you processing what you hear and see in order to feel that way? In reading this book, the author makes a good case for both the giver and receiver of feedback to understand they have the power to create a positive outcome.

London goes on to discuss the merits of established methods organisations might use, including assessment and development centres and 360-degree feedback. He considers the value of feedback in a team environment, including both local and virtual teams. The right feedback, shared appropriately and acted upon does improve team performance and quality of work. He highlights the importance of having a shared goal as a key to improved task achievement and interpersonal behaviour. He is careful to address the issue of self-image and to explain the damage that can be caused to a relationship should this be misjudged.

This book is so comprehensive it is definitely one to have close at hand. It will help practitioners to prepare to give or receive feedback constructively and confidently, making performance improvement a more rewarding experience for all concerned. What I particularly enjoyed was that this book doesn’t just cover technique, it gives you the “why”.

About the reviewer

Lucy Windsor specializes in face-to-face communication. Her passion lies in helping people to improve their communication not only at work but at home too. Following a successful 15-year career in the IT industry, Lucy has spent the last two decades studying the way people communicate in order to harness the secret ingredients that determine success. In her first book, People Aren’t Widgets, she opens the door to a very different perspective. Lucy runs The Performance Business www.theperformance.biz with her husband Mike McNulty, a specialist in Personal Impact and their team. Lucy believes that the right face-to-face communication builds reputations, accelerates trust and creates wealth. Lucy Windsor can be contacted at: lucy@theperformance.biz