But there is a way to give negative feedback RIGHT…so that you don’t have to feel like the bad guy and your employees leave the conversation saying THANK YOU…
It’s about laying the groundwork by modeling accountability, building trust, and showing your employees that you actually care about them BEFORE you give negative or constructive feedback.
It starts long before the conversation itself.
Think of a time when you received negative or constructive feedback well—and a time when you didn’t.
What was the difference for you?
What did you want or need to be present for you, in you or with the other person – in order to receive negative or constructive feedback from them?
Here’s an example of how this works…
For 15 years, my husband ran a residential and commercial painting business. I learned from him that pine is a soft wood with a closed pore surface. So, what does that mean? If you don’t use a preconditioner on pine, it will NOT take stain well and the finish will show up blotchy—where it only receives stain in certain random areas across the wood’s surface.
This same analogy holds true if you don’t PRECONDITION your employees by modeling accountability, building trust, and showing them you care through your actions.
If you don’t do this, they won’t receive your feedback…just like the unconditioned pine fails to receive the stain.
THE BIG TAKEAWAY: Leaders must CONNECT before they CORRECT or give constructive feedback.
If you prioritize building rapport and strong relationships with your team, they’ll receive your feedback. It’s as plain and simple as that. But, it does take effort and commitment to the people in your organization.