As a leader in your firm, delivering effective feedback is key to fostering growth and maintaining high performance. Striking a balance between reinforcing and corrective feedback ensures your team not only thrives but continuously improves.

Reinforcing Feedback: Replicate Excellence

Reinforcing feedback acknowledges when someone gets it right. It’s more than offering compliments or making someone feel good – it’s a strategic tool to shape future behavior.

For example, if a team member accurately completes a complex tax return, you might say: “Your thorough analysis of deductions ensured compliance and maximized client savings – great work!”

This type of feedback highlights precision and sets a standard worth repeating.

Use reinforcing feedback whenever you observe behaviors or outcomes you want to see again. It reinforces excellence and builds confidence.

Corrective Feedback: Guide Improvement

Corrective feedback helps redirect effort or behavior to improve results. It’s essential when mistakes happen or when clarity is needed. We often deliver it as review comments – clear, constructive, and actionable.

However, in our profession, we tend to overuse corrective feedback. Accountants are trained to spot what’s wrong and fix it. That’s valuable – but it can also lead to an imbalance.

Let me be clear: I’m not suggesting you ignore errors. What I am suggesting is this: balance your feedback. Recognize what’s right, and correct what’s wrong. Both matter.

Real-Life Impact: A Training Surprise

During a recent training, we challenged a group of leaders to emphasize reinforcing feedback between sessions. What happened next was powerful.

Some returned with stories of recognizing staff for completing work ahead of schedule or showing accuracy on a complex project. Others didn’t get the chance to use it at work – but tried it at home instead.

One of those leaders came home to find her son mowing the lawn. She acknowledged his initiative, saying it gave her time to prepare dinner. That simple reinforcement made a real impact.

Striking the Balance

Balancing both types of feedback creates a culture of accountability, excellence, and growth.

• Too much corrective feedback can discourage.
• Too much reinforcing feedback may soften standards.

Aim for a thoughtful mix that uplifts and guides. And here’s the beauty: it works just as well at home as it does at the office!