Motivierende Mitarbeitergespräche - Vorlagen und praktische Tipps

We all know it. Annual performance reviews usually start out by highlighting the positives: a successful introduction of new KPIs, the presentation of the developments in the figures to the management. And then it inevitably comes - that one thing that could be done a little better. Adrenaline rises, vision narrows, the impulse to justify sets in.

Demotivating conversations cost time and money

Feedback conversations are not easy for either side - employees and managers. Often, both the feedback giver and the receiver lack experience and confidence in dealing with feedback, especially critical feedback.

On the manager's side, questions can arise such as: How do I identify a need for development? How do I communicate actionable feedback on this to my employees? And what do I offer as support?

For their part, employees may be uncertain about how to rank their assessment compared to other team members, what specific opportunities for advancement exist, or whether they are seen as having potential. If these questions remain unanswered (in the long term), motivation declines. If the assessment is perceived not only as vague or incomplete, but even as unfair, this puts a strain on the relationship with the manager. The risk of fluctuation increases.

The sandwich technique is not enough

For years, many companies considered the sandwich technique (or sandwich criticism) to be a suitable way to convey feedback. Here, the feedback giver packs a critical feedback between two positive messages.

More recently, however, the opinion has been gaining ground that the sandwich method primarily relieves the burden on the feedback giver and makes it easier for him or her to express criticism. It provides a clear framework and orientation.

However, according to the current discourse, the method offers no added value for the feedback recipient. Important feedback on one's own behavior is watered down and is not helpful for one's own further development. In addition, the scheme is quickly seen through and can give the team member the feeling of not being taken seriously. In addition, a kind of conditioning can even occur, so that employees immediately run for cover in panic after any well-intentioned praise in a conversation with their manager, because they have already internalized this message as an introduction to criticism.

Develop a guideline for employee appraisals

In order to set a framework for feedback discussions, guidelines for managers and employees are helpful. Exactly how these are designed depends very much on the culture of the particular organization. Companies that define clear career paths and live with pronounced hierarchies often rely on classic competency models that focus on an assessment of individual criteria, such as the employee's technical knowledge or ability to work in a team, by the manager along a performance scale (e.g., a scale from "expectations not met at all" to "expectations exceeded"). In some structures, the results of these assessments are also linked to monetary rewards in the form of bonuses or goal achievement payments.

Example of a classic competency model with self-assessment and external assessment:

When creating or selecting a competency model, it is important to carefully consider which messages or behavioral anchors are (implicitly) sent to employees with it. If a criterion reads, for example, "xy is never out of his depth," then this choice can lead to employees assuming that it is not okay to ask for help or support in a project, which can have a negative impact on the company's success.

Communicating corporate values in the feedback process 

Another type of feedback - less performance-oriented - is an assessment along the lines of corporate values. This approach focuses less on evaluations of performance and more on feedback on behavior and helps to anchor the values firmly(er) in the corporate culture and make them part of everyday work.

In the preparation of values-based feedback, statements are often formulated that reflect the respective corporate values and fill them with life. It is important to formulate these statements in a concise and appealing way so that employees can identify with them.

Example of values-based feedback with self-assessment and assessment by others:

Experience shows that companies tend to use an approval scale (e.g., 5 stars) rather than a traditional performance scale for this type of assessment. This changes the tone of the feedback and instead of a rating, employees receive more - or even less - approval of their behavior from their manager.

This less performance-based approach invites feedback at eye level, so that often the feedback-giving circle is expanded in the process and other team members besides the manager also give feedback as part of peer feedback.

Use and definition of bottom-up feedback 

In some companies, it is a natural part of the feedback process that employees not only receive feedback from their supervisors or teammates, but also provide feedback themselves to the employer and/or direct manager. The one-on-one meeting is an important instrument in this process.

However, not all companies (yet) have an open and trusting culture in which it is easy for employees to give critical feedback directly to their managers. However, it is precisely this feedback that is needed to increase leadership quality and, in the long term, employee loyalty.

Google is a well-known example of how regular anonymous feedback to managers can strengthen the skills of individuals, reduce blind spots and contribute to the company's success. At the tech company, anonymous manager feedback is conducted semi-annually. In the process, Google has developed various criteria along which employees can assess their manager. These include, for example, whether the manager supports the development of team members or sets clear priorities.

According to the American company, one success factor for employee participation in the voluntary manager feedback is whether managers discuss the feedback received and the resulting (behavioral) changes with their team after the survey. If so, employees would get the feeling that their feedback is taken seriously and remain motivated in the long term.

In the publicly available guide: "Give Managers Feedback" from Google, the details of the proven process and also the questionnaire can be viewed.

Promoting a feedback culture in the company 

Even the most well thought-out feedback process depends on how it is implemented in the company. In addition to introducing everyone involved to the contents of the chosen model and the scales used, if any, it is also important to talk about how helpful and actionable feedback can be achieved in practice.

Fruitful feedback requires not only an open attitude on the part of the person receiving the feedback, but also a shared understanding that feedback is always subjective. In most cases, the interpretation of observed behavior also reveals a great deal about the sender of the feedback, their values and basic attitudes. Unconscious thought patterns play a major role in interpreting the behavior of others.

People make presuppositions and conjecture conclusions that make it easier for them to make quick decisions. These heuristics are thus helpful methods for finding one's way in a confusing world. However, in professional life, they can also contribute to jumping to conclusions about other organizational members and to the prevalence of compartmentalized thinking.

If the willingness to reopen these pigeonholes or the attempt to become aware of unconscious thinking patterns fails, then this can have a negative impact on business success. For example, there is a danger that good ideas will not be taken up because they are brought in from an unexpected place, or that the potential of individuals will be underestimated and the innovative power of the company weakened as a result. For individual employees who feel unfairly evaluated or not seen, this can result in a drop in motivation - despite well thought-out feedback processes - and a consequent increase in the risk of fluctuation.

Strengthening dialog instead of formulating assessments 

So what can be done to prevent talent from being overlooked and not promoted or, in the worst case, from even leaving? Unconscious thought patterns can be unmasked through training in the organization and thus lose their limiting effect. Regular feedback with self-assessment and assessment by others, which is also linked to the naming of concretely observable examples, can help to sharpen and reflect on one's own perception.

In addition to the questions about content and scales discussed above, the development of a motivating feedback process also involves increasing the frequency and expanding the circle of feedback givers. The manager feedback from Google described above therefore seems to be a worthwhile addition to conventional top-down feedback processes and is specifically aimed at developing managers who are key players in the company's success.

If the Google questionnaire is too extensive or too focused on the leadership personality, you can start with operational feedback for managers. Here, questions are asked about the organization of the team's daily routine, which allow managers to react quickly and improve cooperation. You can read more about the topic and sample questions in our blog post "Why feedback needs to become operational".

In addition to improving collaboration, other benefits of multi-perspective feedback are obvious. First of all, one-sided feedback is avoided, because here the feedback comes not only from one's own manager, but also from colleagues, customers or even one's own employees. In addition, different perspectives help to develop talents and identify development potential.

Types of feedback in companies:

In some companies, it is already common for convened committees to decide on promotions and salary adjustments. This means that managers are no longer solely responsible for this, but make a recommendation which they may also have to defend. This indirectly separates monetary decisions from feedback and, in the long term, makes it easier to deal with critical feedback in particular. Furthermore, this starting position allows employees to be in the learning zone rather than the panic zone where they fear for their promotion and salary adjustment due to critical feedback.

Are you interested in developing the feedback processes in your organization? Then arrange a non-binding meeting and we will discuss together which steps you could take so that (critical) feedback in your company can be perceived as a gift for your own further development.