By Dr. Ranjit Nair, HR.com, August 2016

Feel your pulse. You know those frequent, short bursts that beat consistently? That’s what you should try to emulate when you give employee feedback. Think about it: If your heart only beat occasionally, your body would shut down. That’s similar to what can happen on a project or a team when feedback is not given at regular intervals.

You probably provide formal feedback annually or quarterly, but simple feedback should be given much more often—every week or even every day. Ask how the project is going, email an informative article, or introduce your employee to help build their network. Frequent informal feedback like this helps employees feel cared for as they develop, while also preventing problems from getting out of hand. Read more.