“Negative feedback can be good for your productivity”

Research points out that novices seek positive feedback for motivational purposes, whereas experts seek and respond to negative feedback in order to understand what they are doing wrong. Hema Parikh, Director HR, Ajuba Solutions gives some tips on providing negative, but constructive criticism to employees

How do you think negative feedback plays a role in enhancing efficiency?
Negative feedback is never easy, yet it is something that is required to bring out the best in employees, while ensuring that they stay focused in their goals and targets. It is a necessary evil and is critical to a brand’s performance because when the message is clearly communicated, it helps them to pull their act together and stay ahead of the race.
Negative feedback needs to be dealt with carefully. What are the things employers should keep in mind to keep the criticism on the constructive side?
Yes, negative feedbacks must be provided with utmost caution, and the need for providing one arises when

• Employees fail to prioritise their work depending on the criticality
• There is a failure in their working model to deliver the assigned target on time

While dealing with negative feedback, we must take care that we do not lose out on the actual message to be conveyed. A lost message is a lost cause.

• Make it occasional: In an industry where delivering critical task with the highest quality is not an option but a necessity, it becomes evident that criticism must be offered only on occasions when absolutely necessary and not be rampant in an organisation. We must avoid demotivating the employees by constant negative feedback. A feedback discussion on a one-on-one basis is welcomed where we discuss the points of improvement while appreciating their plus points. The process must entail positive reinforcement and clear communication.
• Keep it strictly objective: It is essential that we do not bring in any personal vendetta against the employees. By offering an unbiased and a strictly professional and job-specific feedback, we ensure that the professional relationship with the employee is not hampered. This kind of professional maturity is linked to the employee’s as well as the organisation’s goals.
• Diminish insecurities: The standard response to any negative feedback is defense. An employee tends to get defensive and the psychological impact is not same as a positive feedback. At such instances, we must remove any inhibitions or insecurities from the employee’s mind. As a direct result, the employee becomes open to criticisms and feedbacks with an open mind.
• Say it the proper way: One of the most important attributes of delivering constructive criticism is communicating the message correctly, and that includes
  • Sharing the reason for the negative feedback
  • Maintaining the criticism specific to the job without a digression of any sort
  • Suggesting corrective measures to recover from their faults.

By doing the above, we ensure that the feedback is implemented and at the same time, the morale of the employee is not affected negatively.
What could be the possible demerits of negative feedback?
Negative feedback can go wrong if

• It is not communicated right
• If the employee is not open to criticism, even if it is constructive

One of the biggest demerits of negative feedback is the strain in employer-employee relationship. If it is not taken in the right sense or if it not implemented correctly, it becomes a futile effort to bring out the best in an employee. At Ajuba, the higher management and the leaders have been successful in discussing drawbacks with the employees to deliver an efficient working model, keeping in mind the volatility of the situation and the sensitivity of the employee.