As a manager, it’s part of your responsibility to give feedback to your team. Here’s an example feedback session script you can use to make the whole process smoother and more effective.
John has noticed that his employee, Sam, has received some complaints regarding her customer service in the past couple weeks. He sets up a time in his calendar to meet with her and discuss the issue. On the day of the meeting he gets invited to go to lunch with a few other employees, but he tells them he will catch up with them later. One employee asks to sit in on the meeting, but he politely denies her request and she leaves.
Then, he asks his assistant to call in Sam, and to make sure that they are uninterrupted during their conversation. As Sam enters the room he moves out from around his desk and sits in a chair across from her.
John – “First of all I wanted to let you know that you have done a great job at increasing your sales this past week. Thank you for actively listening to my advice and implementing those strategies in your work.”
Sam – “Thank you, I am so happy that you noticed my improvement. After our last meeting, I really wanted to make sure that I was taking everything you said to heart, and using those strategies to increase my sales.”
John – “I am glad to hear that, Sam. So, as you know, one of our core values is customer focus, and we pride ourselves on delivering excellent customer service. I have noticed that you have received some complaints from customers recently, saying that you have been failing to respond to inquiries and questions in a timely manner. Can you tell me a little more about what’s going on?
Sam – “Well, I have been trying to respond quickly but sometimes when I don’t know the answer right away, I move onto the next email and forget to go back and respond.”
John – “When you fail to respond to those emails, we end up with angry customers and we can lose business. Sometimes it even results in bad reviews that can deter customers from choosing our company to do business with.”
Sam – “Wow, I didn’t know it would have that big of effect.”
John –“It is really important that you are managing your emails effectively so that we can retain customers and attract new ones. Do you think that you can commit to responding to those emails on time?”
Sam – “Yes I can do that. I think that it would help me if I asked my coworkers how they respond to certain questions when I get them. Or I could set an hour each day to respond to difficult emails, so that I don’t let them sit for too long”
John – “Those are both some good ideas, one of our other core values is teamwork, so don’t be afraid to ask your peers or myself for help answering customer inquiries. We are all working together to reach our goals.”
Sam – “Thank you, I really appreciate the feedback”
John – “Okay, so we will meet again next week to check in and see how you are doing.”
Sam – “Sounds good, thank you.”
Did you notice what this manager did well? Re-read the script with these tips in mind:
- Starts with a positive comment
- Asks a question instead of making an accusation – Can you tell me what’s going on?
- Keeps the conversation focused on the behavior, not the person
- Explains “the why” behind the ask for a behavior change
- Asks for commitment to make change
- Brings in company core values
- Sets up meeting for follow up
Now that you’ve an example of a feedback session script, always keep in mind to wrap up every feedback session with a positive note. It helps set the right tone and ensures a constructive and encouraging conversation.
