Positive feedback is crucial in the workplace, as happier employees are more likely to achieve success, according to a Haas School of Business study. While traditional workplace reviews have focused on what individuals should improve or do better, a 360 degree survey based on Leaderskill’s Leader/Manager Model™ is designed to promote the strengths and positives.
This is an important consideration in any organisation, as affirmative emotions have been proven to increase productivity and morale.
Benefits of positive emotions at work
A study from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley reveals that positive emotions in the workplace can result in three particular beneficial employee outcomes. With a focus on affirmative feedback, individuals are likely to experience increased work achievement, job enrichment and a “supportive social context”.
Essentially, this refers to an environment in which colleagues are more supportive of happier individuals, due to the mutually beneficial rewards of positivity.
Happiness and positive feedback is not only advantageous for the recipient, according to the Haas study. In fact, positivity can change the perceptions and relationships within a working environment. When one employee expresses positive emotions, others are more likely to look favourably upon that person.
Positivity builds morale
The person feeling happy is also likely to respond positively to their colleagues, increasing their willingness to help others and create social bonds.
This is not only likely to build morale and enthusiasm, but can also improve productivity due to “enhanced cognitive functioning”, the report explained. Furthermore, positive emotions often result in people feeling more optimistic about success, leading to improved outcomes due to the internal belief that achievements are possible.
Strengths based feedback offers a positive approach
With this in mind, it is easy to see why providing affirmative, strengths-based feedback is important. While employee reviews are a crucial part of any workplace environment, negativity and criticism often cause concern and upset among the individual recipients.
Fortunately, quality employee engagement outcomes can easily be achieved with a facilitated Leader/Manager 360 degree survey. By investing in this low-threat solution, employers can encourage workers to share strengths-based feedback that inspires positive emotions.
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Why positive psychology works
/in Leadership /by Dylan ForbesGiven its effects on human behaviour and motivation, there is strong reason to believe that positive psychology is a key to improving managerial performance.
Still a relatively new area of psychology – and certainly one that is yet to gain recognition in all circles – positive psychology is nonetheless growing in credibility as organisations around the world explore its merits. In an age where employee engagement at all levels is so crucial, the theory of positive psychology could hold the key to providing workplace feedback in a constructive way.
What does positive psychology achieve?
Pioneered by the University of Pennsylvania’s Martin Seligman, positive psychology does exactly what it says on the cover – espouse the notion that a positive approach focusing on strengths is most beneficial to the human psyche. In this light, employee feedback surveys that point out and draw attention to a manager’s flaws may actually be more harmful than beneficial, whereas a more positive way of providing feedback builds performance and morale.
Positive psychology isn’t just about papering over the cracks and making sure everyone is happy, however – rather, it’s about striking a more healthy balance between the good and the not-so-good. According to the University of Pennsylvania’s Positive Psychology Center – of which Martin Seligman is director – psychology from World War II onwards has focused on identifying and remedying psychological problems. While this worked in addressing issues on the surface and has progressed psychological research, it has focused far too little on “what makes life most worth living”.
Ensure strengths are highlighted
The purpose of positive psychology is to make sure strengths as well as weaknesses are highlighted, and constructive feedback is provided for improvement. Note that it doesn’t just brush away one’s weaknesses, as these are also crucial to development – instead, it focuses on the strengths and uses them as a springboard for personal improvement.
Adopting a positive psychology approach to 360 degree feedback
360 degree surveys that are based on the Leader/Manager model have positive psychology at its core, pinpointing a manager’s key strengths and using these to guide performance improvement. Instead of criticising their flaws, managers are informed on what to do more of and less of in order to develop into a better leader.
The value of happiness in the workplace
/in 360 degree feedback /by Dylan ForbesPositive feedback is crucial in the workplace, as happier employees are more likely to achieve success, according to a Haas School of Business study. While traditional workplace reviews have focused on what individuals should improve or do better, a 360 degree survey based on Leaderskill’s Leader/Manager Model™ is designed to promote the strengths and positives.
This is an important consideration in any organisation, as affirmative emotions have been proven to increase productivity and morale.
Benefits of positive emotions at work
A study from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley reveals that positive emotions in the workplace can result in three particular beneficial employee outcomes. With a focus on affirmative feedback, individuals are likely to experience increased work achievement, job enrichment and a “supportive social context”.
Essentially, this refers to an environment in which colleagues are more supportive of happier individuals, due to the mutually beneficial rewards of positivity.
Happiness and positive feedback is not only advantageous for the recipient, according to the Haas study. In fact, positivity can change the perceptions and relationships within a working environment. When one employee expresses positive emotions, others are more likely to look favourably upon that person.
Positivity builds morale
The person feeling happy is also likely to respond positively to their colleagues, increasing their willingness to help others and create social bonds.
This is not only likely to build morale and enthusiasm, but can also improve productivity due to “enhanced cognitive functioning”, the report explained. Furthermore, positive emotions often result in people feeling more optimistic about success, leading to improved outcomes due to the internal belief that achievements are possible.
Strengths based feedback offers a positive approach
With this in mind, it is easy to see why providing affirmative, strengths-based feedback is important. While employee reviews are a crucial part of any workplace environment, negativity and criticism often cause concern and upset among the individual recipients.
Fortunately, quality employee engagement outcomes can easily be achieved with a facilitated Leader/Manager 360 degree survey. By investing in this low-threat solution, employers can encourage workers to share strengths-based feedback that inspires positive emotions.
The importance of receiving positive feedback
/in 360 degree feedback /by Dylan ForbesPositive employee feedback is a vital consideration for any business environment, as managers and workers can benefit from increased confidence.
Businesses require the right conditions to thrive in the increasingly competitive corporate world. Having a confident team at the helm is one of the defining factors to growth and success.
Leader behaviour is reflected in employees
Employees often reflect their managers in their work, experiencing similar levels of motivation, productivity and sentiment. It is therefore beneficial to ensure that the leaders in the workplace are supported and maintain high levels of confidence and self-esteem.
In the working environment, it is easy for negatives to be blown out of proportion. As mistakes and negligence often have a more significant impact on operations, feedback relating to these incidents is often the loudest.
Negativity erodes confidence
However, the worker is more likely to lose confidence when the majority of feedback offered to an individual is negative, according to a recent article from Forbes. Additionally, this could influence a drop in creativity and innovation as the person prefers to stick with the status quo, rather than to try something new and fail.
Positive feedback is crucial
With this in mind, it is simple to see why positive feedback is crucial in a business setting. Not only will acknowledgement of an individual’s strengths promote self-confidence, but this can also boost the team dynamic in a number of other ways, including:
Of course, it can be difficult to encourage employees to offer feedback on their managers and workplace leaders. That is why a Leader/Manager 360 degree survey is so beneficial, as this is one form of feedback that not only supports employees in providing the feedback, but it also gives immediately actionable feedback to the manager for his/her development.
Successful 360 degree feedback using Appreciative Inquiry
/0 Comments/in 360 degree feedback, Frontpage Article /by Dylan ForbesAppreciative Inquiry (AI) is at the core of 360 degree surveys that are based on Leaderskill’s Leader/Manager Model™. In essence, AI revolves around the belief that what you focus on is what grows – if you highlight and draw attention to someone’s strengths, they are likely to develop.
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The benefits of honest feedback
/0 Comments/in 360 degree feedback, Frontpage Article, Organisational Surveys, Uncategorized /by Dylan ForbesFeedback has long been considered one of the most powerful motivational tools, helping to push recipients towards achieving more and improving performance in the workplace.
Despite this, businesses fail to understand the importance of managerial feedback – that is, feedback given by workers.
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Why drive employee engagement?
/0 Comments/in 360 degree feedback, Frontpage Article, Organisational Surveys /by Dylan ForbesEmployee engagement across a workforce can often seem like an unattainable objective, but it’s one that businesses need to consider in order to stay productive and keep employees motivated.
Staff who aren’t engaged often waste time, resources and effort as they’re not concerned with the wellbeing of the company. It is the engaged staff who are more willing to fix problems, and address concerns raised by managers and help fellow employees.
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Take care when giving negative feedback
/0 Comments/in 360 degree feedback /by Dylan ForbesThere is a long-held belief in the management world that negative performance feedback – ‘constructive criticism’, for want of a better term – can help employees correct their flaws and improve their output at work. After all, won’t pointing out what someone is doing wrong help them to identify their shortcomings and make steps toward improvement?
A recent study based in the US strongly suggests that this is far from the case, and even if they are conducted with the best of intentions, performance reviews that highlight the negatives can be incredibly damaging. The research, led by Kansas State University’s Satoris Culbertson, shows a critical assessment of job performance can harm employees at any level.
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