Imagine managers providing feedback to team members, team members providing feedback to managers, and colleagues providing feedback to one another – all with good intent, skill, the use of a shared language, and an overall positive outcome. This feedback-rich environment is possible at Penn Medicine… and we have the tools and resources to make it a reality.
The Penn Medicine Behavioral Competency Model, developed by Penn Medicine Academy (PMA) and Human Resources (HR), is helping to address some issues identified from the Employee Engagement Survey. The survey found that managers do not consistently provide performance feedback or helpful performance reviews to their employees. Organizations thrive when a feedback-rich environment is present. A Gallup random sample of 1,003 U.S. employees found that only 2% of those who received little or no feedback were engaged in their role. Workforce engagement went up dramatically when employees received examples of constructive feedback about their weaknesses (45% engaged), and even more so when they received feedback about strengths (61% engaged).
Organizations thrive when a feedback-rich environment is present. “Research shows feedback, both positive and constructive, increases employee engagement, impacts patient outcomes and the patient experience,” said Cindy Morgan, VP for Learning and Organization Development, Penn Medicine Academy.
Behavioral competencies establish a common, foundational language to provide feedback. They define how work is completed and differ from technical competencies, which describe what work gets done. Each competency has an associated rubric, which includes a definition and a scale to assess what "talented,” “skilled,” and “needs development” look like.
In order to support the creation of a feedback-rich environment, PMA has built a Talent Development website with resources for managers and individuals. The site features microlearnings and job aids for using the behavioral competencies to deliver feedback, participate in performance evaluations, create a plan for development, and conduct interviews. It also includes links to over 10,000 LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com) courses through Knowledge Link, many for self-development and talent management purposes.
“Our goal is to provide an environment where everyone feels comfortable giving feedback to peers, leaders and those they manage,” Morgan said. “This is how we will ignite the potential in all of our employees and create a workplace where continuous professional growth, engagement and professionalism are the norm.”
Visit the Talent Development site or type “talent” into your IE web browser.