I already told him but ...

Giving feedback in an effective way is not easy, for sure not for folks in many Asian countries. After a training and practice session, most at least will give it a try. What I often hear a week later is "I already told him but ...". The most important part of giving feedback is not the actual moment in which you give the feedback ... It is what happens after that. There are two possibilities. Either the person will improve (even if only somewhat, or temporarily) or won't. And what you do at that point is more important that the actual feedback.

If the behavior/issue/performance has improved ... let them know ! There is nothing worse (really) than someone taking feedback for real, working hard to get better and then start to wonder if anyone really noticed it the improvement.

If the behavior/issue/performance does not improve ... the same goes ! Way to often I see folks give up after just one feedback. They conclude that the other person doesn't want to change, is not capable of changing or just doesn't get it. I already told him but ... Expecting things to change right from the first feedback is not realistic. Lack of follow up can be interpreted in different ways. It can be seen as "it wasn't really important after all" or "my manager is not courageous" all the way to a break in the relationship with both avoiding the deal with the lagging issue.

If you have children, and they don't do what they are supposed to do despite you telling them, you don't simply give up ! Repeat repeat repeat.

Another meeting ... another opportunity lost ?

I am not one of those people who declare that meetings are all useless and that you as a leader should stop having meetings. That is great for a shock-effect blog or book title but stopping meetings is just not realistic. And actually counter-productive. I really think that meetings are a great way to lead an organization, develop individuals and build teams. But you need to ask yourself why you are having a meeting in the first place.

If people just show up knowing that each will take turn to flip through a set of Powerpoint slides ending with "Are there any questions ?" then of course you cannot expect much engagement or team development.

Source: Harvard Business Review

I recently came across this statistic in Harvard Business Review about how people evaluate their meetings in terms of "bringing the team closer together". 62% said that the meetings do not bring the team closer together. That is really worrisome. How do you expect a team to grow and get to work better together if you use the meetings for "other priorities" ? There are very few opportunities where a whole leadership team is together. That was the main feedback from a team I recently worked with. The entire  management team of a manufacturing plant was together only every 3 months to listen (!) to the quarterly update of the plant results ! At all other times, it was only sub-sets of managers that worked together on particular topics. The whole group of managers had NEVER worked together on a problem together. Yet they were seen by the organization - and expected to be seen as such - as the "leadership team".

Think about why you are having a meeting. Take at least 5 minutes at the end to reflect - as a team - on what you just did, what worked and what didn't, and what to do different next time. Maybe, just maybe, you will develop more meaningful meetings, and the beginnings of a real team.