Different Forms of Positive Feedback

Domain: Relationships - Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Feedback is a word that is often used interchangeably with other terms like praise and recognition. Even coaching, which is something entirely different, sometimes gets thrown in the mix.

While I don't enjoy arguing semantics, I do think it's important that leaders understand the nuances of the various ways that positive performance is communicated. I'm less concerned with how leaders define these terms and more concerned that they have an understanding of when and how each can be used most effectively.

Before we get into any of it, let me say that most leaders don't acknowledge positive performance nearly enough. As you'll read, this is something I recommend to be a daily habit. I've worked with leaders who think they are great at feedback only to hear from their team that the manager doesn't provide enough or that the feedback they do receive is not very helpful.

Surveys show that a majority of employees want more feedback. Unfortunately, the manager who is providing sufficient valuable feedback is the exception, not the rule. Understanding when to use different types of positive performance communication will help address that.

Feedback

The most obvious difference with feedback is that it can be either positive or constructive. Since we're focused on positive performance communications in this article, I'm only going to focus on positive feedback.

Positive feedback alone carries another important distinction. Of the three, positive feedback is both the most specific and future-oriented.

Consider the technical origins of the phrase feedback. It refers to a system in which outputs are routed back to the system as inputs in order to form a (feedback) loop. In the professional setting input is provided to the employee based on their prior output in order to positively affect future outputs.

For this reason, feedback should be specific and actionable. Name the specific behavior you observed, highlight the corresponding impact it has, and thank them.

I recommend making feedback the foundation of your positive performance communications. It should be something you are doing every single day. Many managers will argue they don't have time for this but the more frequently you do it the more natural and effortless it becomes. And the benefits your team will realize from consistent and frequent feedback far outweighs the little bit of time it will take.

Recognition

Recognition and positive feedback can be very similar and even overlap. Where feedback focuses on observed behaviors and their impacts, recognition focuses more on the achievement and/or result. In this way, it is more oriented towards the past, even though it might help to motivate future behavior.

Recognition is also communicated in different forms. You can recognize someone verbally or in-writing. However, awards, raises, bonuses and promotions are also forms of recognition. Whatever the form, the organization has communicated that they appreciate ones positive contribution. This makes recognition useful for promoting a result-focused culture.

I recommend using recognition to celebrate larger achievements and exceptional results. Because recognition is more results-focused, it's a nice compliment to feedback. You provide ongoing positive feedback on a daily basis to reinforce strong behaviors and then recognition to acknowledge the desired outcomes of those accumulative behaviors.

Praise

Praise is the most misused form of performance communication because. It is vague and therefore easier to provide which leaves it far overused. This is what managers often mean when they say "I give plenty of feedback". It’s the "atta boy". It may feel good in the moment and might even help to boost morale or self-esteem but the effects are often fleeting. Most instances of praise would be much more effective if the leader opted for positive feedback instead.

If it's used too frequently, praise can also backfire. This is because it's often not specific enough to acknowledge an individual's contributions and value.

With that said, praise can be a useful acknowledgement tool when positive emotions are high. Think of someone who just stepped-off stage after crushing a speech. They are likely to be riding such a high that they are not going to be in a frame of mind to process positive feedback. It's also probably too early for recognition. This is a good opportunity for praise. You are celebrating them by appropriately matching their energy.

Thank you for reading. My hope is always that you've found something helpful and easy to implement. If you have feedback, suggestions or questions, please reply to this email.

If you are interested in exploring one-on-one coaching to transform your leadership, email me at [email protected] and we’ll coordinate a free, one-hour discovery session.

This week’s action items:

1. This week, focus on giving specific, behavior-based feedback on a daily basis.

2. Use recognition to emphasize key results and outcomes.

3. Use praise to acknowledge high-energy wins in the moment.