Page 146 - Anne Bruce - Building A HIgh Morale Workplace (2002)

126 Building a High Morale Workplace

this equipment can take some time. Let me show you some of
the shortcuts I learned when I started here.” Or, “You seem to
be struggling with this computer program, Louise. I think it

would be good to partner with Ben for a few days. He’s got a
real knack with this stuff and has coached several of our peo-
ple, like Mike for instance.” Corrective and helpful feedback
gives employees the opportunity to learn and feel comfortable

not knowing all the moves or having all the answers.

Type 4: Empathetic and Sensitive. Giving feedback can be
awkward when someone is extra sensitive to the input or has
other challenges. It’s your job as the manager to gauge when
it’s appropriate to give empathetic and sensitive feedback to

someone. Here are some hints:

• Don’t negate your feedback by adding something like
“Well, it’s about time.”
• Don’t leave anyone in the group out when you’re giving
feedback to everyone else. You might be thinking, “Oh

this doesn’t apply to her,” but that’s not the point. If you’re
addressing the group, don’t exclude anyone. This can
really affect an employee’s feelings negatively.
• Never—even jokingly—embarrass or put someone down
in order to make a point about your feedback.

• Most of all, be empathetic with employees when giving
them feedback. What do you think it must feel like to
them? Put yourself in their shoes first and remember the
advice of Stephen R. Covey, from his best-selling book The

7 Habits of Highly Effective People (New York: Fireside,
1989): “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

When asked, most people will say that they sincerely wel-
come feedback because it helps them to improve. The issue,
however, is not the feedback itself, but the environment in which

the feedback comes and how it’s delivered. As manager, it’s
your responsibility to help establish a safe and respectful work-
place for giving and receiving feedback of all kinds. High
morale workplaces are noted for this.