Most companies use some version of an annual review to provide performance feedback to employees. One of people’s biggest frustrations with the feedback they get – right behind “Why did my manager wait until my review to tell me this?” – is, “This feedback isn’t actionable.”
Understandably, managers struggle to give actionable feedback in these situations. Most managers are spread thin, and the annual or semi-annual processes many companies use for reviews create a lot of work for managers. It’s not surprising that the feedback they give in these situations isn’t of the highest quality – and that it doesn’t lead to real improvement.
Looking at bad results, however, can provide valuable guidance for how to make things better. Based on my experiences and talking with others, I’ve identified four things managers can do to guarantee that their feedback causes the other person to think (or say), “That’s not actionable.”
Talk about Motivation, Attitude, or Mindset
The simplest way to ensure that your performance feedback isn’t actionable is to focus on the other person’s inner states – their thoughts, feelings, intentions, mindset, etc. Some examples:
- “You have to be more confident.”
- “You shouldn’t take things so personally.”
- “You need to develop a growth mindset.”
Feedback like this is unlikely to be actionable for several reasons. First, it’s based on assumptions that are likely incorrect. We can’t directly observe someone’s thoughts or intentions like we can observe their behavior. For example, when we talk about someone’s mindset, we almost always make assumptions based on how we interpret their behavior.
The second reason feedback like this isn’t actionable is that it’s entirely divorced from action. When you tell someone, “You need to be more confident,” that doesn’t tell them (a) what you’re observing that tells you that they lack confidence and (b) what you could observe that would tell you that they had developed confidence. Not telling them the behaviors you want to see makes it more challenging to take action on feedback.
Don’t Talk about What Good Looks Like
If you want to make it less likely that the other person will act on your feedback, don’t help them understand the outcome you’re looking for. When people have a concrete understanding of the standard you are asking them to meet, they have an easier time coming up with actions that will lead toward it.
For example, consider one of the statements from the prior section, “You shouldn’t take things so personally.” Giving this feedback by itself to someone may provoke a response like, “I’m doing the best I can, but people like you keep attacking me.” When you don’t say what you want them to do instead, you make it less likely that they will take effective action towards what you want.
On the other hand, this framing is not guaranteed to produce action but is more likely to: “I’ve noticed that sometimes when you get challenging feedback – feedback that’s critical in some way of you or your work – you respond by arguing with it or blaming others. What I’d like you to do instead when you get that kind of feedback is to ask clarifying questions and mirror back your understanding of what the other person is telling you – without arguing. You don’t have to agree with them, but I want them to know you understood what they said.”
Talk about Results without Behaviors
Another way to make performance feedback less actionable is to talk only about the results you want them to produce. Some examples:
- “The last two projects you managed were late, and I want you to deliver the next one on time.”
- “We’ve had too many outages recently caused by errors your team has introduced. You need to reduce the number and severity of incidents.”
- “You need to collaborate more with the rest of your team. I need to get fewer reports of you being argumentative and blocking progress.”
You might think that talking about the results you want someone to achieve will increase the chances that they will take action. Talking about goals increases that likelihood when you also talk about what you think the person needs to do to achieve them. But simply setting performance targets – without talking about the behaviors needed to make them happen – can lead to the same questions about, “But how do I do that?” as giving feedback on thoughts, motivation, or attitude.
A standard piece of advice for managers is to “Manage the What, Not the How.” Being flexible about the “How” – i.e., behaviors – is helpful. Ignoring them entirely and leaving them up to the other person to figure out is another way to ensure your feedback isn’t actionable.
Don’t Talk Together about a Plan
The last suggestion for making certain that your performance feedback doesn’t land well is to present it as a one-way directive, with no opportunity for dialog. A common term for this approach is “seagull management.” Swooping in with criticism, setting vague expectations, and then flying off again is an excellent way to provoke complaints about your performance feedback.
On the other hand, engaging in a two-way conversation about what you’d like to see the other person work on increases the likelihood of action. Sharing your theory of how the behavior you’re asking for will lead to the results you want allows the other person to agree with your logic or suggest better alternatives. When you agree and align on expectations, you make it more likely that they understand what they need to do to meet them.
Finally, if you want to torpedo the chances that your feedback will come across as actionable, do not ask what support you could provide. Thinking about what assistance would be helpful engages people in thinking about the actions they would need to take. Discussing how you can help them to make the changes you’re asking for makes it even less likely that they will take your feedback as non-actionable.
Four Ways to Make Performance Feedback More Actionable
The reality is that even the best managers fall into these traps, particularly when they’re overburdened, stressed, or just having a bad day. It’s perfectly reasonable to read the four suggestions above and think, “Ouch. I wasn’t that bad, but I’ve given performance feedback that looked at least a little like that.” Acknowledging our shortcomings can be painful, but it’s necessary if we want to improve.
Noticing how you – and others – have fallen short in the past can help prevent similar problems in the future. If you want your feedback to be more actionable:
- Don’t talk about motivation, attitude, or mindset.
- Do talk about what good looks like.
- Do talk about results and behaviors.
- Do talk together about a plan.
Using this checklist to prepare for a performance review can tell you when you’re about to give unactionable feedback and what you need to improve. Doing the things on this list – and doing them well – increases the likelihood that the person you’re giving feedback can – and will – take action.
