At a typical County Commissioners Meeting, when the official business is completed and right before the public is allowed to address the commissioners, there is a time designated as “Commissioner Comments.” This is generally the time when the individual commissioners will comment on some action that has been taken or perhaps lay the groundwork for something they want to present in the future. But many times, the commissioners will share their thoughts on something that a constituent wrote them, called them, or discussed with them in person.

The commissioners absolutely love feedback. And it is no surprise, as every enterprise goes to great lengths to hear back on how things are going. Ever look at the bottom of the receipt from ’McDonald’s, or Perkins, or practically any other chain restaurant? It will give a website to go to share how the “visit” went in return for a free entree on your next stop. Or after going to a doctor’s office, or getting the car repaired, or even having a transition at the bank, there is a good chance you will get an email or letter explaining that the vendor would “appreciate greatly” your feedback on the experience.

Many people shop on eBay, and the wisest among us check the feedback score of the seller before buying. Ever travel and end up at a vacation spot that did not quite measure up to your expectations? You kick yourself because you did not check out the feedback on the travel sites before booking your hotel, motel, airline, etc. These customer reviews are so critical that one local contractor almost went to court to get a negative review of his service removed because the evaluation was totally unfair, and it was significantly damaging his business.

Education has grown to appreciate this concept, as well. John Hattie and Helen Timperley, two professors from the University of Auckland in New Zealand, produced a widely cited paper in 2007 entitled, “The Power of Feedback” in which they argued that feedback is one of the most powerful influences on learning and achievement, yet rarely emphasized. It seems like common sense, but now we have scientific evidence — it is hard to know how you are doing unless you are consistently evaluated.

Research on the workplace has also discovered that employee engagement is likewise linked to recognition and feedback. The Gallup organization does not just conduct political polling, but for the past thirty years has done in-depth behavioral economic research involving more than 17 million employees. Gallup has identified 12 core elements that they have developed into statements that best predict employee and workgroup performance. This research has become the industry standard on workplace engagement. One of the questions states, “In the last seven days, have you received recognition or praise for doing good work.”

Why must the emphasis be on the positive? Research suggests that psychologically, our brains have a “negativity” bias, and will retain negative thoughts longer than positive ones. In fact, we need five times as much positive feeling and interaction as negative to function normally.

Which brings us back (finally!) to notifying our county commissioners about how they are doing. To their credit, in the past couple of years, they have attempted “town hall meetings” at various places in the county to hear from constituents, but these have generally been poorly attended. I know some believe these meetings were simply ploys to get votes, and it is true, voting is the ultimate feedback. But, in the meantime, if you have an opinion, let them know. If they are on the right track, by all means, tell them! If you have a problem with something, offer a constructive suggestion on what could be done. Speak up — they want to hear from you.

Contact info: Commissioners Office, 48 West Third Street, Williamsport, PA 17701. Telephone (570)320-2124. Fax (570)320-2127. Email: county.commissioners@lyco.org