The Problem with Your Feedback Strategy — and How to Fix It Today!
Feedback Growth Matrix: 4 Ways to Adjust Your Feedback Approach Based on Your Employee's Performance & Motivation
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We are thrilled to bring you a guest post by Jess Goldberg, a leadership communication expert, company trainer, and executive coach. In this article, you’ll learn Jess Goldberg's Feedback Growth Matrix, which will teach you the 4 key ways to adjust your approach to feedback based on your employee’s performance and motivation. You’ll discover how to spark meaningful change, boost morale, increase motivation, and drive results!
And Jess answers 5 FAQs on giving effective feedback such as the best time, how to handle defensive reactions, engaging managers who do not proactively give feedback, how to follow-up after giving feedback, and executives who give candid feedback publicly.
Jess has worked with thousands of high-powered executives and managers from companies like LinkedIn, Notion, Netflix, Amazon, Levi's, Bank of America, and more to help them communicate with influence, build powerhouse teams, and make a lasting impact. She also teaches at Columbia University and runs one of the top-rated leadership courses on Maven, Management Mastery: Communicate with Influence (get $100 off her course using the code: ETHAN100)
If you enjoy this post, get Jess’ top 5 leadership frameworks for FREE.
Apply to be featured as a guest post: If you are an expert and want to share actionable career advice with our readers, get in touch.
The Problem with Your Feedback Strategy — and How to Fix It Today!
“Why is my team not performing up to their potential?”
This question used to haunt me.
Early in my career, I went from leading a team of 3 to a team of 25+, quickly becoming a leader of leaders.
At this time, a few of my highest performers suddenly lost their spark and some new employees were also struggling.
I was giving regular feedback—constructive, detailed, and timely—but something wasn't clicking. I knew I needed to change my approach…
But how?
Understanding What Your Team Needs to Succeed
I started by analyzing each employee - what exactly did they need to succeed?
I quickly realized that each team member had unique motivators and challenges: My high performers were craving more recognition and opportunities for growth, while the new employees needed more hands-on guidance and reassurance.
By understanding and addressing these individual needs, I was able to reignite the passion in my top performers and provide the support the new employees needed to thrive. It became clear that a more personalized approach to feedback was the missing link to unlocking my team’s full potential.
Jess Goldberg’s Feedback Growth Matrix for Maximizing Employee Potential
After working with thousands of leaders, I repeatedly saw the same pattern.
Too many leaders rush to harsh, vague criticism or consequences and don’t consider what their employees need to succeed. So, I developed “Jess Goldberg’s Feedback Growth Matrix for Maximizing Employee Potential.” It is designed to help you and other leaders tailor your feedback strategy for each employee based on their motivation and performance.
See the matrix below, and also refer to the end of this article for some FAQs about giving feedback.
🟢 Strong performance & low motivation? Coach them.
When you have a more senior employee who you know has good skills but, for some reason, has low motivation, you want to help them get unstuck. Ask thoughtful questions and try to understand what drives your employee to uncover what is blocking them and help them rediscover their spark.
To do this, use questions that start with “What” rather than “Why.”
For example, instead of saying, “Why isn’t the project finished?” Say, “What held up the project?” This puts you on the same team as your employee, rather than putting them on the defense.
Here are some great “what” questions to help you get your employee unstuck.
“What are the blockers?”
“What concerns you?”
“What is standing in the way?"
For the best results, the questions must come from a place of care, curiosity, and desire to support the employee. Make sure you fully hear them and repeat what they said to confirm that you heard them before moving on to another question.
Once you understand what is getting in the way, you should then collaborate with your employees to come up with a clear action plan. For instance, if a team member is unmotivated because they don’t have a clear picture of what success looks like, you need to define that more clearly for them. Or, if they feel overwhelmed by a complex project, ask them, “What small steps do you think would help us tackle this more effectively?” This allows them to take ownership of the solution, feel more engaged, and build momentum.
Here are some great “what” questions to help move them forward.
What are the options?
What have you tried so far?
Who else has solved similar problems?
What can you do next?
🟢 Strong performance & high motivation? Praise them.
When you have an employee who is performing well and is in good spirits, you want to keep this going. Praising them not only acknowledges their effort, but also reinforces their positive behavior This will encourage them to continue excelling. According to a study by Officevibe, 69% of employees say they would work harder if their efforts were better recognized.
To achieve a positive effect, be as specific as possible on what exact behavior the employee did well. The more specific you can be, the more your employees will understand exactly what they should repeat and why. Specificity also makes them feel recognized for their contribution.
Instead of simply saying, “Great job!”
Say, "When the database went down last week, you jumped right in, figured out the issue quickly, and got a temporary fix-up within an hour. That helped keep the downtime minimal for our users—great job!”
🟢 Low motivation & weak performance? Give them constructive feedback.
When you have an employee who has been at the company for a little while but is consistently underperforming, has low motivation, or has a behavioral issue, this is when you want to give targeted, constructive feedback.
When giving constructive feedback, focus on the performance, not the person.
Explain to them what specific actions or behaviors are problematic so they know what to change. Instead of saying, “You are lazy,” it would be more helpful to criticize the details of what they didn’t do well.
For example, “The slides in your presentation had too much text, which made it hard to read.”
Now, they know they should make their slides simple and easy to read.
Then, explain how those actions impact the team, clients, or you.
You want your employee to understand the impact of their behavior so they are motivated to change. After you have shared your feedback, ask open-ended questions to make sure they understand the criticism and so that you can hear their side and come up with the next steps together.
If this continues as a repeated pattern, you may need to set up consequences or put them on a formal performance improvement plan, but this should only be done if other interventions have been unsuccessful.
🟢 High motivation & weak performance? Teach them.
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