Home Health & Hospice Week

As a former entry-level warrior, you know how frustrating it can be to feel like your boss is giving preferential treatment to one of your coworkers. Now that you're in a supervisory role, don't forget the hard lessons you learned on your way up.

One of the fastest ways to lose your subordinates' respect is by treating them differently, says HR consultant Robert W. Lucas. Follow these six steps to ensure that your feedback adheres to a standard, well structured, and productive format:

1. State Observations. Start with the basics and phrase your observations in the most neutral terms possible. Analyze what you typically say to employees to make sure your tone is objective. Forinstance, if you're tempted to say, "Jane, it looks like you're not willing to be part of the team," try making your general statement more precise.

2. Explain Your Feelings. After you've established the facts, show why the issues are important and demonstrate where your opinion is coming from. For example, if an employee is repeatedly late, consider saying, "Jane, your lateness indicates a lack of respect for the rest of the team. Let's talk about this."

3. Show The Impact. Make Jane realize that her tardiness affects the rest of the team's performance. Spouting abstract principles about cooperation isn't as effective as an empirical statement like, "We've spent 15 minutes waiting for you on each occasion. When I multiply 45 minutes of lost billing time for the 10 people on our team, [we] lose almost $1,000 a month."

4. Wait For Acknowledgement. Even if you feel awkward, don't rush to fill the air with speech. Create a valuable learning opportunity by giving your subordinate time to reflect and respond.

5. Make Suggestions. If the conversation is going well, offer concrete ways for your subordinate to improve her performance. Instead of recommending that Jane come to meetings on time, ask her about her schedule to uncover the root problem.

6. Follow Up. Reinforce your comments with periodic and positive feedback. Make sure you apply the same process to every employee.