Providing Tough Feedback Doesn’t Need to Be Terrifying

Giving someone constructive criticism can be stressful especially when the feedback is challenging.

At the same time providing redirecting feedback to employees can improve performance, enhance commitment, and show care for their growth and development, but only if the employee perceives it as helpful and relevant. Take a little stress away by using my 4 tips for providing redirecting feedback well.

1. Prepare for multiple scenarios. When you need to have a difficult conversation, don’t wing it, rather prepare for it! You won’t know exactly how the discussion will go, but thinking through a few possible scenarios and phrases you might use, ahead of time, can calm your nerves and give you a higher probability of success.
2. Share your intention. One of the biggest predictors of whether someone is open to your feedback and will be less defensive afterward is their belief in your positive intent or motive behind the feedback. If they know that you’re trying to help them grow, get along, build competence, they will be more inclined to co-define solutions and less likely to push back.
3. Give criticism that the employees care about and can act on. Consider someone who cares about being respected by their peers but is often a bit forceful in communicating their ideas. One effective approach might be to link their aggressive behavior to what they care about. For example, you might ask, “How do you think speaking louder or saying, ‘This is the only way to go.’ when sharing your ideas affects your reputation with your peers?” All effective feedback looks at finding a different behavior to replace the undesirable behavior. Therefore in two-way dialogue ask the employee for a possible alternative way to approach this situation. Such as, “What could you do to influence your peers, while remaining collaborative?”
4. Pay attention to your body language. Non-verbal communication is just as important as the words you use. Maintain eye contact to create a feeling of connection. Avoid crossing your arms. Smile to project warmth. Nod to show you’re listening.

Our Providing Essential Performance Feedback Workshop is packed with how-to tools, providing your managers with smart answers to their most pressing feedback challenges.

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