Mastering the Art of Giving Feedback

Giving feedback is not easy.  Even with the best of intentions, it can be uncomfortable and challenging to navigate feedback conversations. In fact, Kim Malone Scott, the author of “Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity” wrote:

“It’s brutally hard to tell people when they are screwing up. You don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings; that’s because you’re not a sadist. You don’t want that person or the rest of the team to think you’re a jerk. Plus, you’ve been told since you learned to talk, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Now all of a sudden it’s your job to say it. You’ve got to undo a lifetime of training.”

If offering feedback is so difficult, why even attempt?  Development-oriented feedback helps employees feel more engaged. When we understand our strengths and weaknesses we can grow and have a greater impact on the business. In fact, according to Forbes, “four out of 10 workers are actively disengaged when they get little or no feedback;” 82% of employees appreciate positive and negative feedback, and 43% of highly engaged employees receive feedback at least once a week as opposed to 18% of low engagement employees.”