Feedback Is Your Friend, Part 3

For the previous entries, please see Part 1, and Part 2 by clicking on the associated entries.  Enjoy!

Send Feedback Often

For our teams, reviewing staff for QA (quality assurance) is a daily/weekly event, and a very strict process.  Feedback may not be as scheduled and formal as QA, but it should be just as often.  Not only does this help a manager facilitate a strong relationship to his or her time, but it creates an open, constant dialogue, and a strong team environment.  Steady feedback, both for accolades and corrections, creates a forward moving momentum, and helps everyone keep focus on goals and best practices.  Make your team a well-oiled machine (to use that famous cliche) by providing encouragement, direction, support, assistance, and guidance consistently.

A Helpful Recap

Since this was a lengthy post that was ultimately broken into 3 parts, here’s a helpful bullet list of essential tips for managers and feedback:

• Feedback should cover minor mistakes, notes, reminders, and asides.
• Implement weekly formal QA reviews to identify any larger issue /offense with staff.
• Provide hands on feedback with steps like listening, shadowing, and asking questions.
• Remember to be calm, firm, and factual, but not aggressive or personal.
• Use The Compliment Sandwich to provide positive and constructive feedback.
• Don’t get lost in friendships with your staff.
• Give positive feedback for things done right.
• Be consistent, and send feedback often!

Overall, feedback is an essential tool for managers to improve, empower, and staff to success, on behalf of each mod’s career, the company, and your client.  As a manager, your staff’s success is based on the tools you provide them, and the support you give.  There are two reasons a staff member fails – either he/she has not been provided the correct training, support, documentation, and feedback from you, OR he/she is not a good fit for the project… which is still your job to identify quickly and amend.

In a company like ours, where most of our staff is remote, keeping an open line of communication and interaction will produce amazing results. Whether it’s moderation, customer service, community, social media, or QA, we’re proud of our amazing staff, but also recognize that everyone needs a bit of support now and then. Communication, reminders, and assistance can do wonders. 😉  Now, go forth and send some positive feedback today!

Cherise Verrett
Project Manager