"Sam" is a firefighter with notable strengths and weaknesses. On an emergency scene, Sam is the first to jump in, and never shies away from strenuous or dirty work. Sam is friendly and gregarious with the crew. On the other hand, Sam is sometimes nowhere to be found when routine station maintenance is taking place, and spends a lot of time on a personal cell phone when others are working on projects or studying. You have heard grumbling among some of the crew members that they see Sam as lazy or a prima donna, who only wants to work when the public is watching. You know it is in everyone's best interests for Sam to be the best possible firefighter. As the company officer, how will you approach this situation? What will you say?

Part of the officer's job is giving feedback to coworkers and subordinates, but how this feedback is given has a huge impact on its effectiveness. Feedback is a critical tool of professional development, and yet more than half of all those employed in the United States say they get no useful feedback at work.

Some fire officers will avoid giving feedback because it makes them uncomfortable to confront problems, and they will wait until an annual performance review to speak about any of the issues that may have come up throughout the year. This approach is a mistake and a detriment not only to the employee, but to the crew as a whole. Problems should be addressed when they come up — otherwise negative patterns can form.

There are a number of different models for giving effective feedback. Two critical elements of every model are clarity and a behavioral platform.

• All feedback should be clear and specific. Avoid generalities such as "you've been lazy, inconsiderate, inattentive, disengaged."
  
• Feedback should be based on a specific behavior, not your conclusion about what that behavior indicates.
  
• Feedback must also be timely — the most effective feedback is given in close proximity to the behavior that triggered it.

One simple and effective feedback approach is the cause-effect model. In this model, a specific behavior is identified to the employee, and the effect of that behavior is then explained. For example, if Sam is talking on the cell phone while others are working, you might say, "Sam, when you talk on your personal cell phone while the rest of the crew is working, the effect is that some people feel that you don't see the work as important and don't want to be part of the team in doing it. Are you aware of this?" The cause-effect model has three parts:

• Identification of the behavior (cause)
  
• Explanation of how that behavior is affecting others (effect)
  
• Some kind of follow up — a question, a description of a consequence, or in the case of positive feedback, an affirmation.

For example, you might say to an employee who has been habitually late to work in recent weeks, "When you come to work late, even by a few minutes, it means that the person who is getting off shift is delayed in their plans, and we as a crew cannot really begin the day without you. Since this is the third time this has happened, I am obligated at this point to write you up."

It is much better to choose clarity when it comes to feedback.

The nice thing about the cause-effect model is that it works for positive feedback as well. For example, when following up with an employee who has worked on researching new equipment, you could say, "The report you prepared for our meeting today was clear, concise, and on target (cause). I'm sure it will help us get the new equipment we need at the station (effect). It’s great to know I can count on you for this kind of project (follow up)."

Some people feel that all critical feedback should be sandwiched between positive statements. There is validity to the idea that all feedback should be given with positive intention — to improve employee performance, to improve interpersonal relationships among the crew. But be careful. Suppose you tell Sam, "You're a terrific employee and someone we couldn't do without on the crew. You are one of the best structural firefighters I have ever known. Your willingness to jump in on difficult calls is an inspiration to the crew, who all look up to you. Now if only you wouldn't talk on your cell phone quite so much …" The disproportionate amount of praise tends to drown the real meaning of the statement, regarding cell phone use. Sam is unlikely to understand the real intention of the statement, and come away from this conversation thinking everything is just fine.

It is much better to choose clarity when it comes to feedback. Give the other person clear, useful information and offer support in utilizing it. When done skillfully and frequently, feedback will become one of the most valuable tools you have as a supervisor.