High Performers Need Feedback, Too by Rocki Howard

Author: Rocki Howard

Do you dread giving feedback?

A lot of people do. Some even get anxious before a feedback conversation.

Feedback discussions can feel like another tedious item on your list—something that you’re required to do, but don’t necessarily enjoy. You may be concerned about how your employee will react to your feedback, especially if it’s a tough conversation. You may even wonder if employees really consider your words or plan to put them into practice.

If you’re having these thoughts, here’s a reality check: Your employees do care, especially your top performers.

According to a research paper, “The Value of Stress Free Productivity” by Crucial Learning, high performers are the heroes of a team, often generating more than 60% of the output. Research shows these superstars can deliver 400% more productivity than their peers, and just being near high performers has the potential to boost other workers’ output by 15%.

This means your high performers are critical to your team’s success—and you should make an effort to retain them. A part of that involves delivering valuable feedback to help them learn and grow, as data shows this group is highly motivated by feedback. They’re also likely to move on and look for other opportunities when they don’t receive quality coaching in their current roles.

Despite this, high performers consistently receive lower-quality feedback than their colleagues, with it being worst for high-performing women. Managers often spend most of their efforts trying to improve the output of lower performers. The problem occurs when those efforts lead a manager to be too hands-off with their other team members. Given the important contributions high performers make, you should aim to balance your feedback efforts and make sure you’re not overlooking top employees’ needs.

Here are five actions you can take to make sure your feedback approach is fair and keeps top talent engaged, along with examples of how to give them feedback.

Don’t Hold Back on Constructive Feedback

It’s easy to skip critical feedback when it comes to star players. With so many items on your to-do list, you may be tempted to just say, “You’re doing great,” and move on, without considering where they could grow. You may also worry you’ll discourage them by saying something negative, but both are mistakes.

Giving high performers constructive feedback keeps them engaged and motivated. Research on what high performers want at work shows that 50% want “at least a monthly sit-down with their managers” to help them gain insights and improve in their roles.

So, even if your employee is delivering great work, consider what areas of their job or performance they still need to improve on. Ask yourself: What are their goals, and what are the team’s goals? How can they stretch themselves to reach those objectives, beyond what they’re currently doing? What would make them an even stronger worker, team member, or leader?

Instead of:

You did a great job presenting all the information. No notes.

This feedback is not only unclear (what exactly did the employee do “great” at?), but it lacks concrete examples. It doesn’t tell your high performer what’s working or not working about the way the way they present, or how those actions are related to their goals.

Try:

Your analysis of the project and its outcome was clear and detailed. When we needed to make a decision at the end of the meeting, that data made it a lot easier to analyze our options. But I did notice you dismissed several questions from the team while presenting. I know you were eager to prove your argument, but in future meetings, I’d like to see you be more collaborative. When you’re willing to address counterarguments, or opinions that are different from your own, it helps build your credibility as a leader and shows you’re open to new ideas. Those things are critical for collaborating and finding the smartest solutions to any problem.

This feedback is specific, clear, and applicable. It tells your high performers what they did well, what they need to work on for further growth, and why.

Avoid All-or-Nothing Language

It’s important to make sure your feedback doesn’t include exaggerated language like “you always contribute” or “you never miss an opportunity.” Managers typically write exaggerated feedback because they’re trying to emphasize a point, but the hyperbole can undermine the credibility of your words, namely, because it’s incorrect. Rarely do “always” or “never” accurately describe someone’s performance or actions.

With all employees (not just high performers), you’ll also want to skip using fixed-mindset language like “you’re not good at messaging” or “you’re a creative and not analytical.” This kind of feedback communicates the idea that an employee’s abilities and intelligence are fixed and unchangeable, which can be demotivating or make them feel like they have no room to grow or change. When this happens, high performers in particular may become discouraged or look for alternative ways to grow.

Instead of:

Your questions in the meeting last week were great. You’re always great at asking questions and rarely miss an opportunity to show your strategic thinking skills.

This feedback is a little superfluous. It doesn’t tell the high performer what you really liked about their questions and why asking questions is important or valuable in their role.

Try:

In last week’s strategy meeting, your probing questions about the new product road map opened up an important discussion that helped us refine our Q4 direction. I appreciate how you showed up with curiosity and team spirit and helped us all reach a better plan.

This anchors the feedback in concrete examples. It’s specific and explains what about the questions was successful, and why. Providing feedback in this manner will help not only build trust and credibility but also build a foundation for growth for your high performer.

Don’t Get Too Personal

A common feedback trap is giving personality-based feedback. You may be more likely to fall into this trap with high performers whom you trust or have a comfortable rapport with. For example, telling someone, “You’re the most helpful person on our team,” centers on a personality trait rather than the impact of their performance on the business.

This is especially problematic for women, who are 22% more likely to receive feedback about their personality than men. When high-performing women get personality feedback, it also impacts their growth opportunities because they lose out on feedback that is relevant and specific to growing skills for their role.

Instead of:

You’re so nice and a joy to work with.

This is a compliment, not feedback. It focuses on a personality trait, and not the employee’s strengths or the actual actions that make them pleasant to work with. It’s also unclear why or how being “nice” or “a joy” is relevant to their growth or if it is at all.

Try:

Your clear communication and openness to collaborating with the sales team on their most recent campaign helped us put together a more cohesive pitch and improved our relationships with the clients. Let’s work together to find more opportunities like this, so you can continue developing your cross-functional leadership skills.

This feedback shifts the focus away from personality traits and toward skills and behaviors. It highlights the employee’s accomplishments, gives them the recognition they deserve, and explains how they need to continue growing. This kind of feedback is key to keeping high performers engaged and committed to your organization.

Be Mindful of Reinforcing Negative Stereotypes

Feedback isn’t just about performance; it shapes how your employees view themselves, their work, and your leadership. For high performers from historically underrepresented groups, your words may carry more weight. These individuals may be more susceptible to internalizing feedback that results in stereotype threat—a psychological experience that happens when someone feels stress or anxiety around confirming negative stereotypes about their racial, ethnic, gender, or cultural groups.

Research on feedback internalization found that high-performing women are seven times more likely to internalize negative stereotypes such as “being too emotional at work,” which can limit their confidence and career growth. Another study on women in leadership roles found that stereotype threat can lower women’s perceived leadership abilities and prevent them from pursuing those kinds of roles. Additionally, underrepresented high performers are more likely to receive biased feedback that labels them with negative terms like “unlikable” or “difficult.”

Research also found that 42% of Black employees recall being called “unlikable” in feedback, while white employees are two times more likely to be called “likable” over any other group at work. These labels can undermine even the most talented individuals and reinforce stereotypes about specific groups.

To retain and empower your top talent, be mindful of feedback you give and how it can reinforce negative stereotypes or biases.

Instead of:

Your peers find you difficult to work with.

This feedback isn’t backed by examples, and it doesn’t connect the employee’s behaviors to any outcome. It also doesn’t reflect any changes you’re looking for. An employee who hears this feedback is not likely to take it well, as it has no foundational evidence and may even be perceived as biased.

Try:

I’ve noticed during our team discussions, you tend to quickly shut down others’ ideas before fully understanding them. This makes your peers feel dismissed and affects their trust in your ability to collaborate. Let’s work on fostering more open dialogue to make sure everyone’s ideas are heard before we decide on the right approach. I’m here to help you find ways to improve this in our discussions.

This feedback is constructive and focuses on the behavior you want to see change, as well as examples of when it has occurred, and its impact. It doesn’t label the employee as “difficult,” but rather, gives them an action to improve upon.

Map Out Clear Paths for Growth

Career growth shouldn’t be a mystery to your employees. Clarity about what’s required to move toward their goals keeps people motivated. Feedback sessions are opportunities to map out not just promotions but also career-building projects, cross-functional roles, and mentorship opportunities that match their aspirations.

This is even more critical for high-performing women and nonbinary individuals, as research shows that a disproportionate number of them don’t know what’s required for their next promotion, indicating a gap that needs to be closed to avoid frustration and lost opportunities. Your one-on-ones are a great time to reinforce that you’re dedicated to helping your high performers grow and get the opportunities they want.

Instead of:

Keep up the good work. You are on the right track.

This feedback is not specific enough to be useful. It vaguely references the future and doesn’t explain what it will take for a high performer to get to the next level or, say, be picked for high-priority projects and tasks.

Try:

You did great work communicating with our clients on the last initiative. I know they were difficult to work with, and you showed patience and compassion. I would love for you to take the lead on the upcoming client integration project. It will help you demonstrate your ability to handle more complex transactions, positioning you well for the senior manager role we’ve been discussing. Let’s detail the exact skills and milestones you need to hit to achieve this.

This provides a clear example of what the employee is doing well and why they have earned this new opportunity. It also gives them a detailed road map for advancement, fueling your high performers’ ambition and helping them visualize and plan their future within the organization.

Following these tips can be helpful in giving feedback to all your employees. But you need to be sure you’re not overlooking your high-performing employees just because they’re already doing great work. High performers thrive on actionable feedback and clear direction, so by delivering thoughtful, specific feedback, you empower them to excel and maintain their engagement, ensuring they continue to drive success within your organization.

Rocki Howard, founder of Diversiology.IO, senior HR adviser to Textio, and host of the Grown Woman Life podcast, is an acclaimed diversity strategist and HR leader. A member of Forbes HR Council, Rocki has been featured on numerous national news outlets like ABC News, in addition to being named a 2022 and 2023 SIA Diversity Influencer and one of SIA’s Global Power 150 Women in Staffing. Rocki is a voice for engaged and inclusive work cultures and believes in changing the world, one story, one conversation, one action at a time.