Sales Management Training - apps.enterprisegroup.net.ghapps.enterprisegroup.net.gh/bisystem/trainin/Training Materials... · The manger must create an environment conducive to

Training and Coaching

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Sales Management Training

Sanlam Developing Markets



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TRAINING & COACHING

In order for a sales manager to manage successfully he/she needs successful

intermediaries.

Developing intermediaries must therefore be a key function for every sales manager WHY DEVELOP INTERMEDIARIES?

To increase the effectiveness of the section, the region and the company.

To ensure that key knowledge, skills and habits of a successful intermediary are acquired,

applied and maintained.

To make intermediaries feel appreciated by assisting them to work towards achieving their

goals and aspirations.

To increase their competence and self-esteem.

To lessen the load on the manager.

To prepare for Succession Planning.

IMPORTANT NOTE :

Developing subordinates is a two-way process. It is important that subordinates

who want to be developed realise their responsibilities in the process


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YOUR ROLE AS MANAGER

In order that effective development of the intermediary takes place the manager must:

Become personally involved

The development of subordinates cannot be delegated to someone else. It is the

manager's responsibility to determine the subordinate's developmental needs, to set

developmental goals and to provide feedback.

Create a nurturing environment

The manger must create an environment conducive to learning.

People will learn when see the benefits of learning.

For example: The intermediary will attend a specialised training course on selling

techniques for instance if he see the economic rewards it will bring to him and his

family.

Ensure maintenance of performance

The manager's role in the maintenance of performance is that of an experienced and

trusted advisor. This pre-supposes that the manager has built sufficient credibility with his

subordinate. In his capacity as advisor he must ensure on-the-job reinforcement and

application of the knowledge and skills which the intermediary will have by specialist

trainers.


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DEVELOPMENT CYCLE

KEY TASK COMPONENTS Assess competency needs

Career aspirations

TRAINING

Formal

COACHING

Skills transfer

FEEDBACK

TASK ASSIGNMENT


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THE ROLE OF THE INTERMEDIARY The final responsibility for development rests with yourself

The individual needs to understand the following :

Being prepared to make the necessary effort both on the job and in his own personal time.

Having clear short and long-term career objectives.

Continually seeking opportunities to acquire new skills and knowledge.

Reading books and magazines to keep abreast of developments in his own and related

fields.

evelopment is an ongoing process where the manager assists the intermediary to extend

his competence by establishing personal goals, uncovering developmental needs,

creating growth opportunities, coaching performance, providing appropriate

feedback and giving recognition

KEY TASK COMPONENTS

It is important that both the manager and intermediary have a clear understanding of what the

intermediary's key tasks are for the intermediary to do his job effectively. This will greatly assist

in the management of performance.

Does your new recruit Know :

The purpose of the job - what the reason for the job is and what is to be achieved.

Task components - the key result areas of the job.

Critical components activities - these essential behaviours of results.

KEY FUNCTIONS OF THE INTERMEDIARY To deliver effective production at a reasonable cost.

To maintain and increase SDM’s market share.

To provide outstanding client service.


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KEY TASK COMPONENTS OF THE INTERMEDIARY

Prospecting

Qualifying prospects

Making appointments

Interviews

Data gathering

Making presentations

Closing the sale

Referrals

After sales service

Conservation

Record Keeping

Personal Development

ASSESS COMPETENCY NEEDS AND CAREER ASPIRATIONS

Determining competency needs and career aspirations are important starting blocks in the

development of the intermediary.

In these activities the manager and the intermediary work together to analyse and prioritise

developmental needs and develop plans to address the needs identified. It is at this stage that

decisions are made with regard to the skills and knowledge needed and how these will be

required.

CRITICAL STEPS

Determine competency needs and career aspirations.

Determine skills and knowledge needed for the intermediary to perform effectively in the

present job.

Determine the intermediary's career aspirations.

Determine the training and development needed to assist the intermediary achieve job

competency and career goals which are compatible with organisational needs.

The current level of performance of the intermediary is important. If he/she lacks the skill and

knowledge to perform effectively in his/her current position, the emphasis should be on

competency needs. Career aspirations may be discussed but it may make little sense to start

preparing the intermediary for a future position before he/she has mastered his/her current job.


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COMPETENCY NEED

Very low production, poor persistency, few prospects or appointments are all indications of a

competency need. These behaviours however are only visible manifestations of the actual

problem. It is the job of the manager to determine the actual problem before any corrective

action is taken.

EXAMPLE

The intermediary is experiencing poor production (symptom). This can be due to

Lack of knowledge or skills

Poor planning

Poor prospecting

Any other activity in the sales process

Poor morale

Any other

The manager must therefore determine the real cause of the problem before prescribing any

corrective action. Merely dealing with the symptom and possibly the wrong cause will not solve

the problem and will cost the manager valuable time.

In this way the manager will prevent prescribing the "training pill", because not all

incompetence and poor performance are caused by lack of skills and knowledge.


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DETERMINING TRAINING NEEDS

It is a bad investment to give training simply because it is available. How can the manager

determine whether training is really necessary?

SUPERVISION

Supervision is one of the most effective methods used to determine training needs. The

manager sees and hears how the intermediary is behaving and can easily assess what

additional knowledge or skills are needed.

RECORDS

Provided the records are accurate and reliable, they can be a valuable aid in

determining training needs. A DIARY can indicate whether the person's planning is

adequate to produce one day's productive work.

The PRODUCTION RECORD gives a clear picture of the production level, type of

policy, premium size, retention of business, commission content and the quality of

the service. All these facts indicate whether additional training in product

knowledge, skills or procedures is necessary.

The COMMISSION STATEMENT gives an accurate picture of the actual income. If

this is not satisfactory all the other supervisory aids must be used to determine the

real reasons.

THE 25 POINT PLAN determines the intermediary's primary level of activity. We

already know that if the primary level of activity is adequate, the sales will rectify it.

This also gives a clear indication of where there are training needs.


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ROLE-PLAY

If the manager suspects that the intermediary has a knowledge or skills problem, he can

ask the intermediary to treat him (the manager) as the client and do an approach,

presentation or close. The fault can be corrected by giving immediate training and

coaching.

Role-play must be seen to be secondary to supervision. The reason for this is that during

a role-play the intermediary is under less pressure and will possibly not make the same

mistakes. However, it remains an effective training method.

INTERVIEWS

It may not always be possible to do supervision in the work area or to use a role-play to

determine training needs. During an ordinary interview with the intermediary a lot of

information about lack of knowledge or skills problems can be obtained.

This method must be viewed with great circumspection as the person may not have

enough insight into his task to identify problems. He may also feel threatened to talk about

his problems or does not want to admit that he has a problem.

CRITICAL STEPS

The manager must put the intermediary at ease by complimenting him on positive

performance, then point out areas where performance is not up to standard and

obtain agreement that there is a problem.

Make it clear that you do not want to blame the person, but that you want to correct

the faulty behaviour.

Concentrate on the problem and not on the person.

It is very important that the intermediary and not the manager should do the talking.

Ask open questions and try and obtain all the facts in an objective manner.

Never decide in advance what the problem is before obtaining all the facts. If the

intermediary is unsure of what is expected of him, the manager can ask probing

questions.

Never suggest what the answers ought to be.

Use silence to force the intermediary to talk.

Paraphrase the answers to make sure that there is no misunderstanding and this will

also encourage him to talk more.


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TRAINING

Here the intermediary receives all the technical knowledge and the basic skills to perform his

task. The benefits of training are that:

Everybody learns the same techniques and skills.

The training is given in a professional manner.

Nobody feels threatened in the training situation.

The material is regularly reviewed and updated.

Students get the opportunity to share ideas and concerns with the manager .

The manager should also bear in mind that:

The candidate is taught the basic skills only and this is no guarantee that he will be able to

act with confidence in the work situation or that he will be able to apply the skills.

There is not enough time for practising the skills and so they do not become established.

The working methods acquired during training are often not reinforced in the work area and

this creates confusion.

YOUR ROLE AS MANAGER

The manager is at all times ACCOUNTABLE for the development of his people.

Training focuses on the acquisition of knowledge and skills. It is the manager’s responsibility to

ensure that the knowledge and skills are re-in forced as soon as possible after the intermediary

returns to the field.

Another function that is to be fulfilled by the manager, is to give the training himself. If the

manager directly supervises the subordinate he will be responsible for that subordinate's

training.

Many managers try and shy away from this task because they are not trained trainers.

However, the manager is not expected to be a professional trainer, but as he is familiar with

the task carried out by the subordinate, these task skills can be put across by means of a

few simplified steps. These steps will be dealt with more fully in a later chapter.

Keep in mind that the manager is at all times responsible for his subordinates’ development.

It may also happen that he himself cannot for some reason or other, be involved in training.

If he cannot do the training himself, he can instruct somebody else to do so.


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DELEGATING TRAINING

The manager can entrust the responsibility of training to somebody else, but not the

accountability thereof.

Why will the manager delegate the training function to somebody else?

From a practical point of view the manager cannot train all his intermediaries himself.

The manager may also develop one of his management candidates by delegating certain

training tasks to that person.

It is always advisable to choose an experienced or knowledgeable person in a specific field

to train others in that skill.

The manager must never use the delegation of training as an excuse to evade his training task.

Through training you will realise how well or how badly you know a task. In addition to the fact

that the training of others will improve your own task, interaction and communication skills, you

will derive the most satisfaction from the success you helped somebody else to achieve

REMEMBER

People learn better if they are motivated to learn

Adult students are motivated to learn when they have a need to do so and when they have

a job-related problem to solve. The training will be perceived to be meaningful if it is linked

to a definite benefit or advantage to be gained. The person who has been thoroughly

"prepared" for training, is usually a motivated learner.

People learn better when they are trained in the way in which the task must be

performed

Adults relate new learning to previous knowledge and their existing experience. Learning

is speeded up when they can make connections between new knowledge and that which

they already know. The intermediary should therefore be trained with the same

documentation, manuals and systems that will be used on the job. Everything that may

cause confusion should thus be eliminated.


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People learn better if they are actively involved in the learning process

To passively listen to or watch somebody else telling or showing how a task is performed,

is no guarantee that that person is learning anything. Adults want immediate, hands-on

exercises and activities to practise and apply their new knowledge in typical, real-life

situations. Practice increases the rate of learning and retention much more effectively

than lectures. The training itself must therefore consist of practical exercises,

demonstrations, skills practices, etc.

People learn better if they are aware of their progress

Everybody yearns for recognition and everybody wants to be noticed. Adults need to

know if and how well they are progressing. Feedback and praise from the trainer is more

valuable than grades or written evaluations. By giving students feedback on their

progress, mistakes are corrected immediately and do not become work habits, the

feedback causes the person to become skilled and achieve success sooner and success

leads to further success.

People learn better if they can see the rationale and benefits of applied skills

Throughout the training, the practical applications and benefits of the new skills/knowledge

should be stressed. By providing the students with opportunities during the training to

apply the new skills/knowledge to their own job problems, they will be in a position to

experience the benefits. Job aids will also help them to plan and execute future

applications.

It is imperative that the trainer, whether it is the manager or an intermediary, is well

prepared.

Training without preparation fails!


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COACHING

Where training deals mainly with the acquisition of knowledge and skills,

Coaching and Skills practices deal with the application or the transfer of knowledge and

skills to the work situation.

The purpose of coaching is to reinforce and master those skills acquired in training so that the

intermediary can become more effective and confident in his/her job.

Coaching and skills practices do not take place in isolation and cannot be separated from

training and feedback. Without feedback, coaching and skills practices cannot take place and

without coaching and skills practices, the transfer of training has little chance of success.

To ensure the success and effectiveness of coaching the manager should use the PESOS

method of coaching.

Step 1 : Prepare (the intermediary)

Put the intermediary at ease - ensure that the intermediary feels at ease and is not

threatened by the situation.

State the learning objective - tell the intermediary which skills will be coached.

Negotiate mutual expectations - discuss and negotiate the outcomes that you expect and

the goals that the intermediary will have as a result of this session.

Discuss existing competency - discuss the skills required and identify the competency gap.


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Generate interest/benefits - allow the intermediary to identify the benefits the coaching holds

for him/her.

Obtain commitment - get the intermediary's commitment to the effort required to close the

competency gap.

Step 2: Explain

Explain the steps - give a full explanation of each step, the sequence of the steps and make

sure that the intermediary understands by asking him/her to explain each step to you.

Emphasise the rationale - discuss the reason for each step and what is achieved by it.

Elaborate on key points - ensure that the intermediary understands why a step is carried out

in a certain way.

Step 3 : Show

Demonstrate the steps - here the manager shows, step by step, how the skill is applied in

practice. The demonstration must correspond exactly with what has been explained to the

intermediary.

Ask for feedback - give the intermediary an opportunity to voice concerns or feelings he/she

might have regarding the application of the skill.

Summarise key points - briefly emphasise the key points to ensure complete understanding

and clarity.

Test for understanding - check for insight in order to clarify misunderstandings.

Step 4 : Observe

Explain intermediary's role - the fact that he/she is at ease, has a clear comprehension of

the steps and has watched how it is done, is no guarantee that he/she will be able to

perform the task. Explain that the role will be reversed and that he/she will now get the

opportunity to practise the skill.


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Intermediary practises the skill - and the manager observes.

Take notes - whilst observing, the manager should take notes to facilitate feedback, e.g.

most effective behaviours.

Facilitate meaningful feedback - feedback is extremely important, for without it the

intermediary will not know whether the correct behavioural patterns were followed and if

progress was made.

Correct if required - ask the intermediary how the behaviour can be more effective and

acceptable and obtain agreement on alternative behaviour. Give him/her the opportunity to

practise it until the intermediary can perform the skill effectively.

Reinforce benefits - stress again the benefits the intermediary will derive from applying the

practised skills on the job.

Step 5 : Supervise

Agree to responsibility - the manager and subordinate should agree on who is going to do

what, e.g. the subordinate will use the skills on the job and the manager will observe him/her

and give feedback.

Provide support and assistance - to ensure success the manager should make him/herself

available as a resource by providing ongoing support and assistance, as and when needed.

Clarify concerns and barriers - ask the subordinate what concerns he/she might have about

applying the skills and if there are any barriers that may prevent him/her from using the

skills.

Ensure compliance - set clear objectives with standards such as deadlines or number of

policies sold by a certain time, for the application of the knowledge and skills acquired.

Manage the ongoing performance - supervise the subordinate while the skill is applied in

practice and if it is not applied correctly, give immediate coaching and feedback. If it is

indeed successful, give the necessary recognition and encouragement.


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COACHING GUIDE

KEY AREAS PERFORMANCE CRITERIA NOTES

Prepare

1. Put learner at ease

2. State learning objective

3. Negotiate mutual expectations

4. Discuss existing competency

5. Generate interest/benefits

6. Obtain commitment

Explain 7. Explain steps

8. Emphasise rationale

9. Elaborate on key points

Show

10. Demonstrate steps

11. Give opportunity for feedback

12. Summarise key points

13. Briefly test understanding

Observe

14. Explain learner’s role

15. Learner practises skills

16. Take notes

17. Facilitate meaningful feedback

18. Correct if required

19. Reinforce benefits/rationale

Supervise

20. Agree to responsibility

21. Provide support and assistance

22. Clarify concerns and barriers

23. Ensure compliance

24. Manage ongoing performance


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GROUP TRAINING

The larger the manager's work unit, the more important it becomes to give group training.

Group training is very effective when information must be given to a fairly large group of people.

It is not always feasible to give information to people on an individual basis. Here we have in

mind product knowledge, changes to system, procedures etc.

MEETINGS

Most managers regularly hold meetings with their subordinates. An effective meeting should

make provision for at least three aspects, namely inspiration, information and instruction

(training).

Inspiration is the recognition given to top producers or winners of competitions. This may

also be an inspiring speech by an experienced salesman, or a film, or video.

Information is the transfer of general data that is important for the sales unit. This may

involve the changing of systems, methods or procedures. It may contain information on

competitions, functions or anything else that is of value to the sales unit.

Instruction is about training that is of interest to the larger group. A knowledgeable person

can give a lecture on prospecting, legal aspects, calculation methods or new products etc.

Skills training can be given even during a meeting. The only condition is that only people who

have common problems must be involved in the training. The big risk with group training is that

you may involve people in training who are already fully skilled. The manager may ask for such

people's assistance or nominate only those people who really need training.


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COACHING CLINICS

We know that people visiting a clinic are usually ill. The purpose of the Coaching clinic is to

help all the people in the sales unit who have a problem. While a doctor can treat different

diseases in the same clinic, the Coaching clinic is more specialised. All the people in this clinic

have a common problem.

The manager will for example group all the intermediaries with a prospecting problem, closing

problem, planning problem, or poor product knowledge together and give training to solve the

problem. This requires a considerable amount of skill of a person who undertakes to hold a

clinic. If he is not properly prepared, it can degenerate into a farce.

The model used plays an important role, because if a faulty model is shown, the participants will

be inclined to follow the faulty model.

It is to the manager's advantage to involve knowledgeable and experienced people in training,

so that a positive model can be created and the necessary discipline can be maintained.

The training method will be mainly lectures or discussions for knowledge input and role-plays for

skills. It is therefore important that we take a closer look at both these methods.

ROLE-PLAYS

Many people fear role-plays apparently because they don't like to make mistakes in front of

other people. However, they lose sight of the fact that it is less risky to make a mistake in front

of colleagues than in front of a client. The purpose of role-plays is therefore to acquire and

master certain skills so that the person can act with more confidence in front of clients.

In order to ensure that the role-play is a success, the following critical steps must be followed. CRITICAL STEPS

STEP 1 EXPLAIN CLEARLY WHAT MUST BE DONE AND WHY STEP 2 SAYS WHAT RULES WILL APPLY:

- The role-plays may not deviate from the roles assigned to them - be realistic - take it seriously.


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- Only use the available information that is applicable to the exercise.

STEP 3 MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO AVOID POSSIBLE INTERRUPTIONS STEP 4 GIVES THE PERSON THE OPPORTUNITY TO PREPARE STEP 5 DON'T TELL THE PERSON WHAT TO DO DURING THE ROLE-PLAY STEP 6 GIVE FEEDBACK TO THE ROLE-PLAYER - In respect of the content (what has been done) - In respect of the presentation (how it has been done) STEP 7 FIRST COMPLIMENT BEFORE YOU CRITICISE SPARINGLY STEP 8 USE PERFORMANCES AS A BASIS FOR FURTHER TRAINING

THE APPLICATION OF EACH STEP

STEP 1 EXPLAIN CLEARLY WHAT MUST BE DONE AND WHY

One of the most important reasons why role-plays fail is that the person does not

know what is expected of him.

Sketch clearly the objective and lay particular emphasis on the terminal behaviour

expected of the person.

Together with the objective, the method to be followed is also very important. The

person must therefore understand his "role" in the exercise, who are the other

persons who will take part in the role-play and which "role" will each of them play.

Explain the critical steps that are to be followed and why it is important they

carried out in the prescribed order.

Allow for sufficient time for the person to ask questions and ensure that he is

completely "au fait" with what must be done.


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TEP 2 SAY WHAT RULES WILL APPLY

Role-plays will only succeed if certain rules are followed. Let's take a closer look at

these rules:

The role-player may not deviate from the roles assigned to them – be realistic – take it

seriously.

If more than one person is taking part in the role-play, you must not

indiscriminately change from one role to another. The intermediary must continue

to be the intermediary throughout. The client and the manager must not interfere

or try to correct him. This should only be done during feedback at the end of the

session.

Ask the role-players to act as naturally as possible and to try not to "play" a role.

Keep the behaviour as close as possible to what it would be in real life.

By "taking it seriously" we mean that the role-players should not treat it as a joke.

The exercise will only be a success if each participant tries to make it succeed.

The person who is to acquire the critical steps must concentrate and try to

internalise it as soon as possible. The supervising manager must therefore

prevent the role-play from turning into a farce.

Only use the available information that is applicable to the exercise.

The manager must sketch the full details of the role-play to the participants. Only

the information given may be used in the role-play situation.

Initially it is important for the person to master the critical steps. If unfamiliar

additional information is added, this will create confusion and the person will not

be able to concentrate on the steps to be acquired.

Once the steps have been completely mastered, additional information can be

added, as this will teach the person to think on his feet and adjust quickly.


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STEP 3 MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO AVOID POSSIBLE INTERRUPTIONS

It has already been said that the role-player must first master the critical steps and

this requires a considerable amount of concentration on his part. Any interruption

will harm the procedure and should be eliminated as far as possible.

Make sure that nobody enters the room or venue to talk about other matters

during the exercise. Also see to it that the switchboard does not put through any

calls, but takes messages.

Also place the role-player in such a position that he will not be distracted by

anything outside the office or venue.

STEP 4 GIVES THE PERSON THE OPPORTUNITY TO PREPARE

The person must be given the opportunity to become familiar with his role before

attempting the role-play.

Give ample opportunity for studying the critical steps as well as the situation and

allow him to ask questions.

If the role-play goes wrong because of insufficient preparation, there is little

chance that the skill will be successfully acquired.

STEP 5 DON'T TELL THE PERSON WHAT TO DO DURING THE ROLE-PLAY

If the exercise is continually interrupted for corrective action, the role-player will

lose concentration and will not be able to see how the steps follow each other

logically.

It is important for corrective action to be taken, but then only during the feedback

session after the exercise. The role-player must also be tested frequently to

determine whether there are not better alternative behaviours.


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STEP 6 GIVE FEEDBACK TO THE ROLE-PLAYER

In respect of the content (what has been done?)

We have already pointed out the importance of feedback and correction. Firstly

concentrate on what has been done. Here we have in mind the manner in which

the steps were applied. Were they carried out in the correct order and was each

step performed properly.

In respect of the presentation (how it has been done).

The fact that the critical steps were performed in the prescribed manner does not

necessarily mean that the exercise was a success. The "client" must indicate

whether he would have complied with the role-player's request on the basis of the

role-play.

Was the role-player too aggressive or reserved or did he talk over the client's

head? The manner in which a person acts during a role-play will not differ much

from reality. There may also be irritating habits or faulty information of which the

role-player is not aware.

Without feedback role-plays are meaningless.


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STEP 7 FIRST COMPLIMENT BEFORE YOU CRITICISE SPARINGLY

We have already pointed out the value of positive feedback and the consequences of

negative or no feedback.

First look for specific examples of things that were done well and compliment the

role-player on these.

Never make generalisations or vague references.

Make sure that all your examples are concrete and to the point.

If there are any mistakes, they should not be hushed up. If the mistakes are not

pointed out, the person will not be able to correct them.

Instead of always prescribing corrective action, it may be more effective to ask the

role-player how the faulty behaviour can be improved. This forces the person to

look at his own behaviour more critically and he becomes dependent on his own

feedback sooner.

STEP 8 USE PERFORMANCE AS THE BASIS FOR FURTHER TRAINING

After the role-play has been completed and the manager is satisfied that the role-

player has mastered the skill, the skill must be applied in the work situation.

It is important that the application should not be put off for too long, as the skill

may deteriorate.

By supervision in the field you can observe whether further training and coaching

in the particular skill is needed and whether there are other areas which require

further training.

Actual performance is a much more reliable means of determining training needs

than mere supposition.


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WHY ROLE-PLAYS FAIL

A result of inadequate preparation on the part of the role-player.

Because of the absence of critical steps.

The role-player does not really know what is expected of him and what he is supposed to

do.

Not enough opportunity is given to practise, in other words the role-player never masters the

skill.

No or very little behaviour-related feedback is given.

The role-play is held in an unsuitable venue.

No increasing level of difficulty was built into the role-play.

The skill is not immediately applied in the field.

There may be various other reasons why role-play could fail. However, in most cases this is not due to the training method, but to the people involved in the training. The manner in which the manager and the person who is being trained approach the process will determine whether it will be a success or not.


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ASSIGNING TASKS

The logical step to follow coaching and ensuring the transfer of learning is to assign tasks. The

purpose of coaching is to enable the employee to perform any task that may be assigned to

him/her.

One of the best ways to ensure transfer and the application of learning gained in a formal

training programme is to assign the employee a task that requires the application of the

learning.

Task assignments can also be learning experiences in themselves especially for employees

who have mastered the basics of their jobs. When used independently from coaching and

efforts designed to ensure transfer, developmental task assignments should be challenging but

achievable. They should stretch the employee's abilities but not to be so overwhelming as to be

defeating from the start.

In giving a developmental assignment, the manager should:

clearly define the nature and scope of the subordinate's responsibilities relevant to the task;

describe the specific results to be achieved along with deadlines and timetables if

appropriate, and

check for understanding and acceptance.

If development is to result from task assignments, it is essential to provide an atmosphere that encourages self-development and minimises fear of failure. Any challenge involves risking failure. The manager must take and accept that risk in giving a developmental assignment.


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FEEDBACK

WHY FEEDBACK IS CRUCIAL

Feedback is an essential element in developing any skill. A subordinate will not know how

well he/she is performing or applying a new skill unless feedback is received. The person

who does not receive any feedback may feel that the manager does not care and can revert

to the original ineffective behavioural patterns or, even worse, to even more undesirable

behavioural patterns.

Managers are inclined to accept matters that are running smoothly as the norm. As soon as

things start taking a turn for the worse, they react quickly. This can be prevented if the

progress is continuously managed and feedback given to the subordinate.

Progress feedback is concerned specifically with analysing and improving job performance

or assigned tasks. The feedback can be either formal or informal.

Formal feedback is defined here, as feedback that is part of the organisation's mandated

system, e.g. performance appraisals.

Informal feedback includes all job-related feedback given to the subordinate that is not part

of the formal process. It is an ongoing, "as needed" process which may occur weekly, daily,

or many times each day.

PRINCIPLES FOR EFFECTIVE INFORMAL FEEDBACK

It must be behaviour orientated - give feedback about the person's behaviour,

performance, or work, not about personal qualities. Try to avoid vague assumptions and

generalisations and give specific feedback in terms of the behaviour/performance that needs

to be changed or repeated.

Feedback must be immediate - it should be given immediately while it is still fresh in the

intermediary's mind. There will then be no misunderstanding as to what the feedback is

about. If someone receives feedback immediately and knows that the behaviour was

correct, or that a mistake can be corrected immediately, it will serve as a strong motivating

factor.


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It must lead to further development - merely telling a person that behaviour was not

correct, will not solve the problem. It must be followed up with further training, skills

exercises or coaching.

Feedback must address positive and negative behaviours - we are all inclined to

concentrate on poor performance but not on jobs done well. Many times this is because

poor performance requires an urgent reaction and the manager is forced to act immediately.

When the subordinate does something right it may be important, but it is not urgent. The

manager should be aware of the negative effects this imbalance may have on the

subordinate and try to give praise immediately as well as giving criticism.

It must be directed at the problem - it has already been said that especially negative

feedback, should be directed at the problem and not the person.

Don't accuse the subordinate of laziness, uselessness or lack of interest because this will

lead to defensiveness. If you can assure the subordinate that you are unhappy with the

problem and not with the person, there should be a better inclination to co-operate.

It must be sincere - a sure way to lose the respect of your subordinates is to give feedback

for the sake of giving feedback. To avoid this happening, always link feedback to actual

performance. Ensure that it justifies praise or revision . Undeserved praise is of no value

to the recipient and only lowers your credibility as a manager.

Do not link negative performance to positive performance - praising a person or giving

recognition for performance usually has a motivational effect and makes one feel good. If it

is directly followed by criticism or a negative comment, the value of the positive feedback is

lost.

The same happens if positive feedback is followed by but or however as these two words

are usually followed by criticism. If a person previously did well and was praised but is not

performing well at present, it is acceptable to draw attention to this. However, never link

detached items when giving feedback.


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CRITICAL STEPS IN GIVING FEEDBACK

To ensure that the maximum benefit is obtained from feedback, every manager must try to

formalise his feedback skills.

The purpose of feedback is developmental. It tells individuals what they should keep on doing

or what behaviour/performance they should correct. The following steps can be used to give

either positive or corrective feedback.

Clarify the purpose of the interaction

Tell the subordinate what the discussion is about and why it is important. Be factual and

ensure that the subordinate understands what performance/ behaviour you are referring

to.

Listen to and share information

Ask for the other person's input. Ask how the positive performance was achieved or why

the unsatisfactory behaviour/performance exists. Discuss openly and ask the appropriate

questions. Check and confirm your own understanding of the reasons. Summarise the

key points elicited.

The normal tendency is to give solutions instead of asking for solutions. In giving

positive feedback, the manager and subordinates should explore alternatives to

ensure that the acquired standard will be maintained or improved upon.

When giving corrective feedback the manager should ask for alternatives and if

necessary present his own solutions. You should look at all the solutions and

possibilities and suspend judgement.

Agree actions and next steps

Of all the solutions generated, the manager and subordinate can now evaluate the

solutions in terms of urgency, risk, time, effort and cost involved. A low-risk solution

is not always the most appropriate one. The criterion should always be what will

solve the problem in the most effective way and prevent it from recurring in the


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future.

Try to use one of the solutions given by the subordinate. Agree on what is going to

be done and how. You must ensure that all the details are tied down and that the

subordinate is committed to action. Care must be taken not to do all the work on

behalf of the subordinate.

Review and close the discussion

Summarize the agreed action plan to ensure that there is no misunderstanding. Set

follow-up dates if appropriate. Express your appreciation of the subordinate's participation

and support.

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