Giving Difficult Feedback
Delivering difficult feedback,
or what is known as constructive criticism
to an employee, is one of the toughest tasks a manager faces. The intention
might be to drive employee development
and enhance employee productivity,
but the wrong approach can lead to entirely opposite results: decline in
morale, resistance, and even creating workplace conflict.
To ensure the success of the performance management
process and maintain a positive work environment,
managers must avoid the following fatal mistakes:
1. ❌ Avoid: Using Personal or Aggressive Language
One of the most destructive mistakes is shifting the
focus from the behavior to the employee's personality. Difficult feedback
should always be directed towards actions and results, not personal traits.
What to
Avoid:
·
General
Judgments: Using phrases like "You
are always careless" or "You are not committed." This makes the
employee feel attacked and reduces their willingness to listen.
·
Personal
Descriptions: Labeling the employee as
"lazy," "irresponsible," or "negative."
Why Is
This a Mistake?
Personal language creates an immediate defensive wall,
causing the employee to focus on defending themselves rather than absorbing the
message. This is a failure of effective communication.
2. ❌ Avoid: Postponing Feedback Until the Annual
Performance Review
Some managers believe that postponing constructive criticism until the
end of the year is best to avoid awkwardness. This is a crucial mistake in performance management.
What to
Avoid:
·
Accumulation: Gathering small and medium errors and presenting them in
a single session.
·
Unjustified
Delay: Talking about a mistake that
happened three months ago.
Why Is
This a Mistake?
Difficult feedback must be timely and as close as possible to the event.
Delaying it prevents the employee from linking the criticism to specific
behavior, and it deprives them of the chance to correct their course early,
which harms employee productivity
in the long run.
3. ❌ Avoid: Delivering Feedback Publicly
The goal of difficult feedback
is improvement, not humiliation or embarrassment.
What to
Avoid:
·
Group
Meetings: Drawing attention to a
specific employee's shortcoming in front of colleagues.
·
Group
Email: Sending individual reprimands in
a message sent to multiple people.
Why Is
This a Mistake?
Public humiliation destroys the employee's
self-confidence and their relationship with the manager, creating an atmosphere
of tension and anxiety in what should be a positive work environment.
These conversations must be private and confidential to ensure the
effectiveness of employee development.
4. ❌ Avoid: Presenting Without Defining the Behavior and
Impact
It is not enough to say, "Your work is not
good." The feedback must be
specific, measurable, and based on facts.
What to
Avoid:
·
Generalizations: Using vague phrases like "You need to improve your
presentation skills."
·
Focusing
on Feelings: Saying, "I feel like
you are not interested."
Why Is
This a Mistake?
The employee needs to know exactly what needs
to be changed. For example: "In last week's report, you failed to mention
the key figures on page four. As a result, the team's decision was delayed by a
full day." This focuses on the behavior (not mentioning figures) and the
impact (delaying the decision), making it true constructive criticism.
5. ❌ Avoid: Failing to Provide a Plan for Improvement or
Follow-up
Difficult feedback without a next step is just blame. Your role as a
manager is to be a coach, not a judge.
What to
Avoid:
·
Ending
the Conversation with Criticism Only:
Saying "You must improve" and then leaving.
·
Not
Setting a Review Date: Leaving the
matter open-ended without scheduling a follow-up on the change.
Why Is
This a Mistake?
The feedback session
must conclude with clear, actionable steps (e.g., "We will train you on
the new tool next week"). This shows your commitment to employee development and maintains
the continuous improvement of employee productivity.
6. ❌ Avoid: Reacting Emotionally or Showing Anger
When you are stressed or angry, you lose credibility and
cause the employee to focus on your emotions instead of the message.
What to
Avoid:
·
Raising
Your Voice: Or using aggressive body
language.
·
Dealing
with Interruption Angrily: You must give
the employee a chance to present their point of view.
Why Is
This a Mistake?
Difficult conversations must take place in an atmosphere
of calm and professionalism. If you are angry, take time to cool down before
meeting with the employee. Calmness is key to effective communication
and prevents workplace conflict.
7. ❌ Avoid: The Flawed "Feedback Sandwich"
Technique
Many believe that placing difficult criticism between two
compliments (Compliment-Criticism-Compliment) is the perfect approach. In
reality, this can diminish the effectiveness of the message.
What to
Avoid:
·
Insincere
Praise: Using generic or untrue praise
just to "soften" the criticism.
·
Diluting
the Main Message: The employee might
remember the compliment and forget the more important message about
improvement.
Why Is
This a Mistake?
Use direct, polite criticism focused on the solution. If
you want to use praise, make it sincere and relevant to other employee
behaviors, but do not mix it in a way that distracts the employee from the main
point related to the required performance management.
Conclusion: The Key to Success
Delivering difficult feedback is
an art that requires planning and professionalism. Avoid turning the situation
into a personal attack, and ensure your message is specific, timely, and
private. By avoiding these fatal mistakes, you will be able to transform constructive criticism from a
source of tension into a powerful tool for employee development
and achieving the highest levels of employee productivity
in a positive work environment.