subject: The Power Of Beer [print this page] One of the objectives of giving feedback is that you really want people to listen to it without getting defensive and rejecting it. Many managers find it easy to give feedback when a member of their team performs well. However, many are less comfortable when the feedback required is more critical in its nature. If you are one of those managers, BEER will help guide you to make your feedback more effective.
BEER stands for:
Behaviour Effects Expectations Results
The first thing to note about giving feedback that might have a critical element is not to put it off. Not addressing behaviour or performance that is below expectation will rarely, if ever, result in improvement.
The first thing to note is that it is important to focus on the actual behaviour (the performance or skills) of the team member in question. What did they do that they should not have done or, perhaps not done that they should have? It is always useful to have some measurable statistics to support your feedback that provide you with objective substance for your comments.
The alternative is to focus on the person themselves and their personality. The danger of doing this is that the person concerned will probably feel like they are being judged for who they are, not what they have done (or not done) and when this happens people usually get defensive and do not listen to what is being said; however well meaning it may be. So, for your feedback to be listened to and acted upon remember to keep it focused on the person's performance.
The second step of the process is to explain the specific effects that their performance has had on them, you, others in the team or perhaps customers or suppliers. For example, by consistently arriving late for work they may make it difficult for the team to meet its daily production targets. Such effects may have a systemic element, i.e. unintended consequences, which need to be brought to their attention.
The third step is to clearly outline what you expect of them as an alternative pattern of behaviour. This might include such criteria as punctuality, appearance or productivity.
The final step is to explain the results that behaving or performing in this different way will have, stressing the benefits that they will get from doing so.
Following the BEER structure will help you to deliver feedback that people will accept more readily and will be more likely to produce the changes in behaviour that is required of them.
