Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Speaker 1: Today's tip is about how to give tough feedback. This tip,
Speaker 1: like a few others in recent episodes, is from management
Speaker 1: expert Allison Green's book Ask a Manager. One of the
Speaker 1: toughest parts of managing is telling people when stuff is
Speaker 1: going wrong. No one likes to give bad news, especially
Speaker 1: if you can't then run out the door and disappear.
Speaker 1: You have to show up and work with this person tomorrow,
Speaker 1: and tomorrow and the next day. So what should you do?
Speaker 1: Green writes that because you have authority and thus a
Speaker 1: great deal of control over people's livelihoods, you have an
Speaker 1: obligation to be kind and compassionate. But you need to
Speaker 1: do that while still setting a high bar for what
Speaker 1: you need and expect from your staff. If the work
Speaker 1: isn't done well, none of you will be around for long.
Speaker 1: So here's how to handle it. First, says Green, the
Speaker 1: kindest thing you can do for your staff members is
Speaker 1: to be really clear with them. Don't put off the conversation,
Speaker 1: don't beat around the bush or sugarcoat what's going on.
Speaker 1: If the person doesn't come away knowing what happened, They're
Speaker 1: likely to keep frustrating or disappointing you, and, as Green notes,
Speaker 1: that can have real consequences for them, such as impacting
Speaker 1: their future raises, promotions, project assignments, reputation, and even tenure
Speaker 1: in the job. You owe them directness and honesty. However,
Speaker 1: says Green, your tone matters a lot. Your tone is
Speaker 1: the difference between someone walking away thinking that the conversation
Speaker 1: was tough, but he's glad you talked, and someone walking
Speaker 1: away thinking he now needs to go cry in the bathroom.
Speaker 1: Think clear, direct words, kind and compassionate tone as you're
Speaker 1: delivering your tough feedback. Take the approach of talking, not scolding.
Speaker 1: The two of you to gather are trying to figure
Speaker 1: out what happened and why so you can avoid it
Speaker 1: in the future. You might think of yourselves as detectives
Speaker 1: trying to piece together clues with conscientious employees notes Green,
Speaker 1: which presumably includes everyone you went to the trouble of hiring.
Speaker 1: What happened and what's going on? Maybe all you need
Speaker 1: to ask and that's enough to get things back on track.
Speaker 1: That said, this can be complicated, particularly if the other
Speaker 1: person gets upset, you need to stay calm and so
Speaker 1: green notes. With particularly tough or tricky conversations, try writing
Speaker 1: out talking points and practicing them beforehand. Planning ahead, she
Speaker 1: notes can help you structure your thoughts and ensure you
Speaker 1: hit key points. While practicing out loud might feel silly,
Speaker 1: it will keep you from stumbling in the moment. You
Speaker 1: could try I using your commute some morning to practice
Speaker 1: your side of the conversation. That is, if you're driving
Speaker 1: by yourself, you probably don't want to do this if
Speaker 1: you're taking a train. By being direct but respectful, you
Speaker 1: increase the chances that your team member figures out a
Speaker 1: solution and avoids the problem from now on. You also
Speaker 1: strengthen your relationship so the two of you can do
Speaker 1: great things together in the future. When good managers see problems,
Speaker 1: they solve them. That's usually the most efficient approach. So
Speaker 1: how do you give tough feedback? You can let me
Speaker 1: know at Before Breakfast podcast at iHeart media dot com.
Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening and
Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,
Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me
Speaker 1: your tips, your questions or anything else. Just connect with
Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod.
Speaker 1: That's B the number four, then Breakfast p o D.
Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast
Speaker 1: podcast at i heeart media dot com that Before Breakfast
Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much,
Speaker 1: I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is
Speaker 1: a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from
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