Slovakia
Would you like to guide your employees to better performance, help them better manage stress or pressure at work? We have prepared a guide on how to create a safe work environment in which employees can accept feedback without feeling defeated or humiliated.
One of the most difficult management tasks in any company is finding a way to effectively communicate feedback. The goal is not to find nicer words, but to make employees understand that your intention is to improve their work performance, psychological well-being, and satisfaction with the company.
The foundation of effective communication is an environment where both parties feel respected. If you tend to blow up, lack patience, or are not in the habit of praising good performance – start with that. There are workshops and trainings available for managers, CEOs, and HR that teach how to communicate with people, manage stress, and build habits of fair feedback. You can also embark on this journey with employees: ask them in anonymous questionnaires what changes in management they would welcome, what they miss in their work, and what bothers them. When they see that you are open to changes, they will be more relaxed – and they will not perceive feedback as an attack.
Tip: Try setting up informal meetings outside the office. Take your employees out for coffee and talk about what they think the ideal collaboration would look like. Maybe your employees lack an effective benefits setup that makes them feel like being an employee at your company is worthwhile. Try employee benefits from Edenred which will provide your employees with numerous benefits - shopping in more than 100 e-shops (Benefits card), entrance to cultural events, special promotions (Edenred Extra benefits) and much more!
Teach your team that respectful criticism is not a threat, but a normal part of the job. A good practice is to first praise an employee for a good idea or performance, and then suggest a specific way to improve—with a practical example. People will listen more attentively and understand that you notice their contributions and room for growth.
Tip: Introduce regular praise and criticism into your weekly calendar. Set a goal to praise each employee once a week for something and offer them one specific step to improve their performance.
The best feedback is timely, specific, and private. Waiting for a semi-annual review is a mistake – it is much more effective to provide brief, regular feedback on their strengths and weaknesses. For more intense, negative feedback, prioritize a one-on-one meeting in private, where you can see body language and adjust your tone. Conversely, praise a lot and often – even publicly. This builds trust and reduces the tendency to hide workplace problems.
Tip: In meetings, regularly praise and point out moments that were key to the company's good results on the part of employees.
Feedback should be about what we will do differently next time. Instead of finding the culprit, propose a solution – ideally together with the employee. Define a common goal, ask for two suggestions on how to effectively achieve this goal, and together choose 1–2 steps to try in the coming week. Employees will see you as a leader who wants to help them.
Tip: Agree on specific steps that will make your work more efficient and bring a better result - for example, preparing for a call a few days in advance or a morning "to-do" list in a shared chat so that it is clear who has what to do and nothing is forgotten.
How will you know if these steps have helped you better accept feedback? Try a monthly test: implement the changes and see if work efficiency has improved, stress has decreased, people are handling tasks more calmly, and they are more likely to come up with questions or suggestions for improvement.
