Skip to main content

Delivering effective performance feedback: The strengths-based approach

Herman Aguinis, Ryan K. Gottfredson, Harry Joo

SciVerse Science Direct - April 2012

This is an external source we use to inform our thinking.

Overview​

Performance feedback has significant potential to benefit employees in terms of individual and team performance. Moreover, effective performance feedback has the potential to enhance employee engagement, motivation, and job satisfaction. However, managers often are not comfortable giving performance feedback and such feedback, if improperly relayed, causes more harm than good. In this installment of HUMAN PERFORMANCE, we describe a shift from traditional weaknesses-based feedback (which relies on negative commentary focused on employees’ shortcomings) to the more constructive approach of strengths-based feedback (which relies on employee affirmation and encouragement). We explain why a strengths-based approach to performance feedback is superior to the weaknesses-centered approach, and offer nine research-based recommendations on how to deliver effective performance feedback employing a strengths-based method.

Key ideas​

  • Performance feedback is central to performance management because it helps align individual, team, and organizational performance.
  • The paper contrasts two feedback styles: a weaknesses-based approach that focuses on shortcomings, and a strengths-based approach that identifies what people do well and helps them use those strengths more deliberately.
  • Weakness-centered feedback can create defensiveness, reduce motivation, and harm the relationship when it dominates the conversation.
  • Strengths-based feedback is positioned as the stronger default because it affirms effective behavior, supports confidence, and gives employees clearer paths for repeating success.
  • The authors offer nine research-based recommendations for delivering performance feedback through a strengths-based lens.
  • The overall purpose of feedback is not just evaluation. Done well, it can improve performance, engagement, motivation, and job satisfaction.

Practical use​

  • Lead feedback conversations from strengths first: identify what is working, why it is working, and how the person can use that strength more deliberately.
  • Use corrective feedback carefully. The paper argues that weakness-centered feedback can do harm when it dominates the conversation.
  • Make feedback frequent, specific, and tied to behavior so it supports performance, engagement, motivation, and job satisfaction.

Original research: Open publisher page