Communications of the ACM
The Feedback Gap
Credit: Tim's Strategy
According to a recent survey of 1,000 employees in the UK, many managers dislike giving feedback and when they do, it is often less than effective. Not only that, but the "feedback gap" between managers and employees is growing steadily wider each year. Fewer than half (45%) of employees with a line manager say that they receive helpful feedback from their line manager on a regular enough basis or that any feedback they do get helps them to do their job better. The research found that only around half (52%) of employees felt that their managers clearly described the performance standards that they expected and even fewer (42%) felt that the standards by which they were being evaluated had been communicated to them.
Senior managers in corporations across the UK should not assume that line managers are actively managing performance. Only half of respondents felt that their line manager was good at helping them to solve a problem if there were any obstacles to their performance; just 37% said that they were encouraged to talk about their strengths. If performance were better managed, employees would be more likely to commit additional discretionary effort to their work. Currently, only 11% of employees are prepared to commit this additional effort to their work.
There is a clear link between workers' motivation and the communication they enjoyed with their line manager. In the higher discretionary work group, 80% said their line manager was good at giving honest feedback and 70% said they received support and helpful training at work in how to give honest feedback to others. Unless organizations invest in training of their managers to have honest performance conversations, they are in danger of leaving staff feeling isolated, lacking in direction and de-motivated. Employees need to feel that they can address any issue and that their manager will support them.
From Management Issues
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