We have all heard the saying that a little positivity goes a long way. It may sound cliché, but it is not. We all want to hear that we are doing things well.  Negative feedback and criticism are given out like candy, just look how fast people are to post a negative review online. Positive reviews are much less frequent.

Many times, managers will give out negative feedback and constructive criticism, but not let their employees know when they are doing well. Most of us have had jobs, where we wonder how we are doing and what our boss thinks of our work, or if we are always doing things wrong. Far too many times,  people do not find out how they are doing until their annual reviews. Annual reviews should not be filled with surprises, the employee should walk in with a general idea of what to expect. If you want your employees to do their best all time, you need to give them feedback throughout the year.

Think about a bad day that you had at work where things were going really wrong and your boss was constantly on you about everything. It feels really bad. You go home and feel upset and deflated. What if the next day, your manager said, “I know yesterday this went wrong, but you did a really good job fixing it and I really appreciate all of the extra effort”? Instead of feeling bad all day or like you are walking on egg shells around your boss, you would feel at ease and probably do a better job.

I am not suggesting that people do not need to be corrected or be given negative feedback, but that cannot the primary feedback we are giving. If you are looking for an easy way to fit in some positive feedback, instead of just letting your employees know a project is approved, let them know they did a good job. If your team has worked really hard on something, let them know that you see how hard they worked and appreciate it, maybe take them to lunch or bring them in donuts. Little things go a long way.

I taught undergraduate courses for a local college that trained all of their instructors on a method they called the sandwich method. This is where you put the negative feedback in between two positive feedback statements. This allows you to address the issues, but also not make the person feel alienated and like everything they do is wrong.

I have been in a leadership position for many years. The way I lead my teams is the way I would want to be led. I have had my share of very bad bosses and in many cases, they were the reason I moved on to another job. However, I feel blessed for the the many lessons I learned as a result of these experiences. I make sure my team has attainable goals, knows what they are doing well, where they need to improve and make sure they know they can always come to me with an issue. We acknowledge the smalls wins and celebrate the big ones. We have team lunches, I buy them birthday gifts and holiday gifts.  As a result they work hard for me and respect me as a boss, even when I have to give them negative feedback.

We are all human and want to hear when we are doing well, as it t makes us more productive and sets us up for success and fulfillment. This starts from the time we come into this world. Next time you give someone feedback, think of how it is going to impact them.  As my Great Grandfather always said, “It’s nice to be nice.”