Confused About Work From Home vs. Work From Office? Don’t Let This Distraction Delay Giving Feedback

Some companies are opening their offices. Some already did. Some decided to let everyone work from home until January. Some for a few months more. Some haven’t decided. If you lead or are a key player on a team, don’t wait until January to help people improve.

What you’ve been thinking

Since the pandemic caused a dramatic change in work conditions, many like you have tried your darndest to help people adjust and overcome any barriers they have to getting the work done. Although most enjoy not commuting to the office, many workers are lacking information they used to get formally or informally about how things are doing in the business, and you’ve helped bridge these gaps. You regularly convey the status of projects and guide people in their next steps.

You’ve held back on feedback

So you’ve held back on giving day-to-day feedback on a timely basis. You’ve let things go because you didn’t want to stress things further, especially for newer employees, but also for anyone who’s shy about contacting people when they need more information. You have had to step into the void and find what people need to move along. You feel their frustration and you understand that things with their customers and suppliers are also different these days. with more confusion coming about where everybody’s gonna work.

Set the expectation that you will initiate feedback conversations with everyone.

In every one-on-one or team meeting, tell people that you will start up two-way feedback conversations in which you will:

• Review the person and the team’s goals

• Provide examples of your observations of their work

• Explain the impact of their action on team goals

• Make suggestions for improvement and/or ask them to mentor others

• Ask them for their feedback to you

Follow up on each of these conversations

The next time you meet with each person, do a two-way review of what they did after the last conversation and ask for more feedback on your actions. Also at every team meeting, thank them for having these conversations and share one or two things you are working on, based on their collective suggestions to you.

Don’t stop

This will be a permanent habit in your leadership style and part of the culture you are starting with your team!

Read Best Seller The Feedback Imperative for more tips and strategies for leading remotely.