Dear Friends,

Receiving feedback is essential to improving performance. To do this well, a manager must be able to communicate properly with people and explain the rationale behind his or her actions.

• A leader needs to be able to encourage people to follow, so it is important to cultivate a management style that is accepted and respected by people within the organization.

• A leader can offer feedback regularly to his or her people in one-to-one meetings every month.

• leader should also ask their direct reports for feedback on their own behavior, making sure to explain the reasons behind any of their actions where necessary. •As a leader, you must learn to communicate well with people and respect them, their talents and their time.

• Your job as a leader is not to do your people's job for them; it is to make sure you give them the tools, training, equipment and insight that they need to do their jobs on behalf of their ultimate customers.

Action Plan

• Don't wait a full year before giving your team feedback that could improve their performance. Set up regular meetings with them individually to discuss their progress.

• Ask your team for feedback on your leadership skills in the reviews, to see if they are getting what they need from you.

• If a specific problem arises, don't wait until the next review date; call a meeting sooner to talk about it.

• When giving feedback, always start with a positive point before coming to the main problem so that your team members are more receptive to what you have to say.

Source: Erroll Davis Jnr, Alliant Energy Corporation

Regards,

Shawn