HR MANAGEMENT - The Differences Between Negative Feedback & Positive Feedback Methods

The Differences Between Negative Feedback & Positive Feedback Methods

by Bridgette Redman, Demand Media

Feedback is an important managerial tool.

An important part of a manager's job is delivering feedback to employees. Feedback helps to improve performance, ensure standards are met and communicate important business objectives. Feedback is a form of ongoing training as it helps employees learn what it is they are supposed to do and how they are supposed to do it. Feedback comes in two primary forms, both of which can be helpful and productive. These forms are positive feedback and negative feedback.

Negative Feedback

Negative feedback is the process of pointing out what someone is doing poorly and telling him how to change it. It also can involve telling a person that the attitude he is displaying is inappropriate or that certain behaviors and habits are causing problems. A manager can deliver negative feedback whether the employee's actions are intentional or not. A 2009 Gallup poll found that employees receiving negative feedback were more than 20 times likely to be engaged than those who received no feedback at all.

Positive Feedback

Positive feedback works on the premise of building on a person's strengths. It tells an employee what he is doing well and praises him for good performance. The theory behind positive feedback is that if you a tell a person what he is doing well, that person will likely repeat the behavior to secure continued approval. Managers can give positive feedback in both a formal manner, such as in a performance evaluation, or informally, such as a comment made during the workday that praises work done. A 2009 Gallup poll found that employees receiving positive feedback were 30 times more likely to feel engaged than those receiving no feedback at all.

Appropriate Times for Each

Most experts encourage managers to use positive feedback more often than negative feedback. Managers who make a habit of dispensing positive feedback throughout the work week are likely to have more motivated employees who perform with confidence and autonomy. However, negative feedback is a highly effective tool for correcting problems or bad behaviors and attitudes. It is sometimes necessary to point out when something is being done incorrectly to give the employee the opportunity to fix it. When possible, give positive feedback in public and negative feedback in private.

Sandwich Method

The sandwich method of feedback suggests that managers sandwich negative comment between two pieces of positive feedback. Using this method, a manager would begin a conversation by telling the employee something that he is doing well or something that the manager appreciates about him. She then delivers the negative feedback and follows it up with additional positive feedback, such as expressing confidence in the employee's ability to change the source of the negative feedback. The drawback to habitual use of the sandwich method is that employees start to treat positive feedback suspiciously because they are waiting for the negative feedback that follows