Can Negative Feedback Be Effective?

No one likes to hear bad things about themselves in a performance review.  From a behavioral perspective this negative consequence can fuel feelings of shame, frustration and helplessness. Fear is one of the most powerful motivators and when you fear losing your job, either a quick change in performance can be apparent or a malaise that spins downward to eventual dismissal.  Either way, negative feedback is effective.

From a more positive view researchers at Columbia Business School found a strong link between social rejection coming from a negative review and a temporary boost in creativity.  While it may seem counterintuitive, we often do our best creative work when we are backed into a corner.  This is not unlike people who would prefer working under the pressure of a deadline.  Aftershocks of negative feedback can help clear the way for sharper inner focus and more determination.  This is just what managers would like to see when they give negative feedback. 

Actually a survey done by Zenger Folkman, a leadership development firm, supported the idea of receiving negative feedback at work. They found that being alerted to mistakes did more to raise performance than positive feedback and praise.

Another upside to negative feedback is that experienced workers want to hear it. They appreciate useful bits of information that fine-tune their performance. 

So the next time you enter into a performance review, remember that negative feedback delivered in a constructive way can motivate positive future performance.  In fact, because employees tend to ignore advice given with positive feedback as much as 70% of the time, negative feedback can take on an added sense of urgency that can drive positive performance.

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