If you want to take your staff to the next level, you need to critique their work with solution-oriented language, carefully coaching them to their potential.

By Sheri Jeavons

Sheri Jeavons is the founder of Power Presentations, Inc., a company that specializes in presentation and communication skill training programs. She has successfully trained more than 10,000 professionals across America and was selected as one of the "Top Ten Women Business Owners" by the National Association of Women Business Owners. For more information, visit: www.power-presentations.com.

It seems simple enough. You’d like a staff member to perform a task differently, so you point out what they’re doing wrong, how to alter their approach, and why this change is important. You cross that off your to-do list and look forward to seeing this employee be more productive.

A week later, you notice the task is still being performed the wrong way. You wonder: Were your instructions not clear? Is the employee a poor listener? Is he or she trying to challenge your authority?

In most cases, it’s none of the above. The problem is that adult learners typically don’t improve from negative feedback. In fact, the natural tendency for most people is to defend their existing behavior, no matter how disruptive or self-sabotaging it is.

What seems simple—providing some needed constructive criticism—actually isn’t. If you really want to motivate someone to improve, you have to do so with positive, solution-oriented language.

Yes, this takes more time than plainly telling someone how to do something. But if you want to push your staff to a higher level, you have to inspire them to improve from within. Here are some techniques:

No Negatives
The first step in this process is a backward one. Before you talk to an employee about their behavior, take a step back and identify what you want that person to achieve. What is it you want them to learn that will improve not only this one task, but everything they do? Taking the time to answer this question allows you to determine the skill sets that can move the person toward the desired outcome.

For example, let’s say you have a new assistant athletic director who is responsible for selling signage around your stadium. Eager to make a sale, he spends a lot of time with the potential buyer talking about the success of the athletic department and all the reasons why someone should purchase an ad. In the midst of all his talking, he neglects to ask the prospect open-ended questions that prompt dialogue and encourage them to reveal their wants and needs.

To get this person to change his approach, a typical athletic director might say, "In that last call, I noticed that you did most of the talking and then ran out of time to ask questions. Do you really feel you know what the prospect needs? Next time, ask some questions and see if you can get them talking." This kind of feedback focuses on the negative first, which can result in the staff member shutting down before they hear your suggestions. It also leaves little room for the employee to discover how to improve himself.

Instead, try this opening line: "For the next call, let’s talk about how we can facilitate more discussion with the client." See the difference? Instead of criticizing what you don’t like, you’re stating a goal you’d like to help the assistant athletic director achieve. With the criticism gone, he is automatically more open to your suggestions.

After this employee hears your willingness to help build his skills, then you can give specific suggestions to help him facilitate discussion with the client. Keep it positive throughout so the staff member is motivated to listen to your advice.

Get Their Input
As you discuss steps to improvement with a staff member, remember to listen to their thoughts. Ask them what they think of an idea and even prompt them to come up with their own solutions before you make suggestions. Try to get them to think about what they need to learn.

For example, let’s say one of your staff members gets defensive during meetings. Your first impulse may be to say to her, "That meeting didn’t go very well. You were a little defensive." Instead, let her evaluate her own performance.

Try asking her, "How do you think the meeting went?" Most people will know (and admit) that the meeting didn’t go well. Then say, "How could you have handled that meeting differently?" Listen to what she says and coach to those points.

If the person doesn’t seem to say anything of value, go back to the beginning. Acknowledge that you both agree the meeting did not go well, and say, "For the next meeting, let’s talk about how you can take your skills to the next level."

It often works well to ask the staff member what she thinks she needs to improve. You can say, "What advice do you need from me to effectively facilitate a meeting?" Now you’re giving the learner a say in their own change, which is a great motivational tool.

Focus on the Future
During your discussions with the person, always talk about "next time." Never go back and re-create the bad situation. That only gets both of you focused on the negative.

For example, with the person who becomes defensive during meetings, rather than point out when she lost her composure, you could say, "Next time, when you find that you’re getting in a defensive conversation with someone, immediately put on your facilitation hat. At that moment, stop defending your position and start asking questions."

And while focusing on the future, never let any incident linger too long. Begin the coaching dialogue directly after the behavior has occurred—within 24 hours—so the event is fresh in the person’s mind and he or she can grow from it. Never wait until a yearly performance evaluation to give someone feedback.

By using these coaching techniques on a regular basis, you will motivate and inspire people to improve. When you provide feedback with positive language, people will look forward to your coaching sessions, and you’ll have professionals eager to achieve their own next level of performance.