If you are a regular reader of our blog, you’ll have noticed that we’re big advocates of real-time performance feedback. We believe that the best way to help your employees develop, grow and lead your business into the future, is to have regular, empowering conversations with them – as soon as they need them. Another term for this approach is “just-in-time” feedback.
Just-in-time feedback: a more effective approach
“Just-in-time” is a common concept in the world of learning. Just-in-time learning is an approach that gives employees access to focused learning resources that they can easily access when they need them, rather than overloading them with large training modules once or twice a year.
Similarly, just-in-time performance feedback gives employees the encouragement, critique and guidance they need, as soon as they need it. The idea it is better to offer less guidance more often, than to conduct a huge performance review once a year.
The benefits of this approach include giving employees a better understanding of their role in the company’s success, and boosting morale by recognizing and rewarding good performance regularly.
These conversations are also less formal and should be viewed as two-way conversations. This gives employees space to share new ideas and give feedback back to their managers and the company. This type of open dialogue and collaboration is a great driver of innovation.
Principles for successful performance feedback
Of course, there is the risk that “just in time” turns into “all the time”. This extreme can cause some employees to feel nervous, anxious and stressed out about even small projects. It can also become a stressor for busy managers.
The key is to remember that the principles of a good performance review still hold:
- Provide feedback in a timely manner
- Be open and honest, but sensitive
- Use specific examples of good and bad behaviours
- Never attack the employee or their personality
- Pick your battles
- Set goals and targets for the future
- Ask your employee to give you feedback, too
Use technology to power your performance feedback process
Technology is what makes just-in-time feedback a more feasible process today than it was just a decade ago.
vi EVAL is our real-time performance management software module. It provides a foundational system for managing performance and aligning with organizational objectives.
- Engage your workforce in a more dynamic and meaningful way.
- Gain insights into top performers and trends.
- Equip your organization with the technology essential for cultivating a culture of the highest performance.