Feedback And Behavior Change

Do you recognize the good work that your team is doing?

Much more than an emotional boost, reinforcing feedback can influence behavior change. It’s feedback you give when you see something that meets or exceeds your expectations. It’s almost impossible to give too much, as long as it’s genuine. To do it:

1. Identify the specific behavior you want to reinforce. For instance, if giving feedback on a report, don’t just say, “Great job!” Instead say, “The executive summary of your report was particularly helpful.”
2. Share the impact of the behavior. For example, “The summary really helped clients understand the issue before our meeting.”
3. Connect the impact of the behavior to what motivates the team member, such as, “I’d like to share your report in the next team meeting as an example of great work. Is that ok?”

If you regularly recognize people for meeting or exceeding expectations, you’re much more likely to see that behavior continue.

Leading a team requires a different skillset than working as an individual contributor. To succeed in the face of new challenges, first-level leaders need to shift how they think and act. Download our latest guide and develop your people into a high-performing team. 

About the Author

Kory Kogon is FranklinCovey's Vice President of Field Development. Kory's focus is to help strengthen the capacity of the field teams to be highly consultative, while driving revenue and renewal within FranklinCovey's new and exciting subscription model, the All Access Pass. Kory is also one of the authors of the Wall Street Journal bestseller "The 5 Choices: The Path to Extraordinary Productivity", in addition to "Project Management Essentials for the Unofficial Project Manager" and "Presentation Advantage". She has over 25 years of business expertise from front line positions to an executive team member. Prior to FranklinCovey, Kory spent six years as the Executive Vice President of Worldwide Operations for AlphaGraphics, Inc.

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