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Do you think a boss should give positive feedback to its manager as often as the manager should do? I had a debate on this and I'm still not convinced!

AManagerTool's picture

Could you clear that question up a bit? Not trying to criticise at all, I just don't understand.

EricGagnon's picture

Let's put it this way:

Should a persons who's managing managers should give them (managers) positive feedback often?

HMac's picture

Yes.

The positive impact of giving reinforcing feedback is effective regardless of the person's level in the company. Direct reports respond favorably to positive feedback from their boss, even if that's a company President receiving positive feedback from the CEO.

Much of what M/M talk about - maybe all - is about effective relationships among humans in the workplace. There really aren't many times I can think of where they say about a technique: "This works great at the lower levels of the organization; you really shouldn't do it once you're higher up the corporate ranks."

-Hugh

EricGagnon's picture

That's what I was thinking. The main argument against this was that "a higher level manager don't have to give feedback to managers above him" and "if he gives positive feedback too often, he'll lose his credibility".

BTW, theses are not MY thoughts... but what you think of them?

scm2423's picture

I am confused. Are you asking if I should be giving my boss/manager/supervisor feedback?

I would think that this is much too close to trying to manage your boss. Not a good idea.

If they have done something helpful, I would say thanks rather than trying to use the feedback model with them.

SCM

EricGagnon's picture

I'm sorry. I'm not so good at english. I'll draw what I mean this time :P

CEO -> Manager A -> Manager B -> employees

I understand that Manager B have to give feedback to employees. But does Manager A have to give POSITIVE feedback to Manager B as often as Manager B gives it to employees?

Is there a chance that doing so could ruin Manager A's credibility? By giving too often positive feedback to Manager B?

Is it in the nature of Higher levels manager to just complain about everything?

ashdenver's picture

CEO can - and should be - giving positive feedback (as appropriate) to Manager A on a regular basis.

Manager A can - and should be - giving positive feedback (as appropriate) to Manager B on a regular basis.

Manager B can - and should be - giving positive feedback (as appropriate) to the Employees on a regular basis.

SIMILARLY ...

CEO can - and should be - giving corrective feedback (as appropriate) to Manager A in a timely fashion.

Manager A can - and should be - giving positive feedback (as appropriate) to Manager B in a timely fashion.

Manager B can - and should be - giving positive feedback (as appropriate) to the Employees in a timely fashion.

Credibility is built through honesty and follow-through. By withholding feedback of any sort until a specific point in time (like the annual review) is an effective way to catch someone off-guard. Once you take someone by surprise like that, they lose trust in you because they no longer believe that you'll be honest and direct with them 'in the moment', that you're hoarding information to be shared only when it suits your purposes.

The key, I think, is to make sure that the feedback is GENUINE. If *anyone* just blithely spits out "Way to go, attaboy!" at every turn without giving specifics, then yes - I could see that person losing credibility because it sounds phony / fake / insincere.

If, however, the more senior person is genuine and specific with their feedback in accordance with the MT Model, I think that can only serve to increase credibility.

galway's picture

Is it in the nature of Higher levels (ineffective) manager to just complain about everything?

I'd say yes!

Right now I'm reading In Search of Excellence, by Peters and Waterman in which the authors argue that it is not the frequency of feedback that ruins the effect, but the predictability. If positive feedback is simply a knee-jerk reaction received every time a routine task is completed, the incentive will be lost. When positive reinforcement (or feedback) is distributed unpredictably, but frequently, the human mind will create an array of positive associations with their related behaviors. The theory was taken from Beyond Freedom and Dignity by B. F. Skinner.

I'm wrestling with my agreement with some of the book's concepts myself, so I submit the above to you for consideration. I do recommend the book, however. At worst it is very thought provoking, laden with fantastic nuggets of wisdom interlaced with some more arguable concepts.

EricGagnon's picture

Thanks a lot for your answers. Really appreciated :)

Davis Staedtler's picture

Quality over quantity rules here. We live and work in a sea behaviors. Feedback is for just that. Behaviors that have a positive or negative impact on your business, organization or people. It should go all ways and not be restricted by role or position.

-Davis