The information received about a previous behavior, action, or word is known as feedback. It is used to communicate with another person, group or team about what was received, in a bid to improve, adjust, or correct present or future behavior.
Feedback is said to have taken place whenever an environment reacts to a prior action or behavior. For example, client/customer feedback is regarded as the reaction of the customers to using or purchasing a company’s services, products, or policies. Meanwhile, employee performance feedback is regarded as the reaction of the employee to feedback offered by their manager. Feedback is usually based on the performance expected and the performance presented.
Feedback is a very powerful tool that employees, supervisors, and managers must employ to drive organizational growth. There are plenty of benefits to effective feedback. Principal among them is the ability to enhance and improve individuals, groups, team members and the organization at large. Feedback allows people to make informed and better decisions on future events, tasks, or projects. It also promotes effective communication with others in the workplace and fosters a better working experience.
Let’s take a detailed look at the benefits of the feedback below.
Key Benefits of Feedback to Employees, Managers and Supervisors in An Organization
1. Feedback promotes change and enhances growth
With feedback, people have the opportunity to examine themselves from another perspective. It allows them to see themselves, how their behavior and method of working impacts others in the organization or their team. This is especially valuable to leaders because it allows them to analyze better ways of inspiring their team to perform better.
In addition, everyone loves to succeed in what they do, this is why most people are open to constructive feedback. A lot of people record improved performance when they get constructive feedback from their managers. In fact, research has proven that constructive feedback has more effect on employee performance than recognition and praise.
Even if they could initially feel disconnected from it, constructive feedback might trigger them to improve and enable them to become even better employees and individuals.
2. Feedback facilitates a sense of purpose in people
Humans are naturally built to desire recognition, appreciation, and a sense of belonging not only in the workplace but in our everyday lives. This feeling gives a sense of purpose and adds value to what we do, which helps us to perform better at tasks. Knowing that we are useful and valued gives off a sense of purpose. It entails that people believe in us and appreciates what we do. When managers and supervisors give their employees regular feedback, they send a message to them that they are useful, valued, and appreciated.
3. Feedback enhances employee engagement
Employees thrive on the feedback and when they don’t get the feedback, they are likely to become actively disengaged from work and the managers. Meanwhile, employees who receive regular feedback are twice as likely to be more engaged and productive at work.
4. Feedback promotes workplace relationship
Appropriate feedback in the workplace promotes open communication between employees in the workplace. This ensures conflicts and tensions are kept at bay and whenever any arises it is promptly resolved so they don’t get out of hand. This in turn promotes a better workplace relationship as issues are identified and resolved before they escalate.
5. Feedback serves as motivation for better performance
This is another benefit of feedback and another reason why managers and employees should always provide feedback. It serves as a motivation for employees to perform better. When employees received feedback, they feel valued and appreciated and they can use it to make better business decisions.
6. Feedback helps to improve workplace performance
Without proper feedback, it is difficult for employees to perform at their maximum. Feedback must be constructed so as not to be mistaken for criticism. Criticism can have the opposite effect of constructive feedback. Constructive feedback brings back the best out of employees and leads to improved performance.
7. Feedback serves as a tool for continued learning
Feedback to peers is not just about receiving information about a prior task, project, or behavior, it also provides an avenue for people to learn and keep learning. It allows the entire organization to keep its goals aligned, develop strategies, and develop groundbreaking products and services.
Conclusions
The importance of feedback in an organization cannot be overemphasized. While employees can use it to learn from their mistakes and make better decisions in the future, managers and supervisors can use it to drive engagement, connect with their employees, motivate them and promote a better workplace culture.
