WEBVTT - Skip the feedback sandwich

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is to skip the sandwich method of giving

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<v Speaker 1>feedback and try something a little more effective and authentic.

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<v Speaker 1>Giving feedback to employees or colleagues can be challenging. No

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<v Speaker 1>one really likes having difficult conversations, even when something definitely

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<v Speaker 1>needs to change. Consequently, organizations often train new managers to

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<v Speaker 1>give what is known as the feedback sandwich. You start

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<v Speaker 1>with something positive about the person, then you share the

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<v Speaker 1>negative feedback, then you end with something positive again. This

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<v Speaker 1>approach has its merits. Sometimes hard news is easier to

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<v Speaker 1>swallow in the middle of compliments, but the approach can

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<v Speaker 1>feel inauthentic, especially if the person knows something unpleasant is coming.

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<v Speaker 1>The compliments can totally get lost in this sense of dread.

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<v Speaker 1>Or occasionally, though much less often, this approach is completely

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<v Speaker 1>ineffective if someone who isn't terribly self aware, here's the

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<v Speaker 1>compliments and decides that the negative feedback is just one

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<v Speaker 1>note of many, as opposed to the reason for the

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<v Speaker 1>conversation in any case, I recently read about another strategy

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<v Speaker 1>which I think comes across as far more authentic. Jamie Hammond,

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<v Speaker 1>a social media manager, wrote a post for Medium recently

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<v Speaker 1>describing what she calls the tacos approach to giving difficult feedback. Yep,

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<v Speaker 1>we are ditching sandwiches for tacos. Tacos is an acronym

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<v Speaker 1>for thank, acknowledge, cause, orient, and support. Here's what each

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<v Speaker 1>step entails. First, you thank the person for something, Hammond says,

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<v Speaker 1>even if it's just showing up. Then you acknowledge the

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<v Speaker 1>problem head on. Hammond says, there's no point beating around

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<v Speaker 1>the bush if you and the other person both know

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<v Speaker 1>the reason you called this meeting. Pretending otherwise can just

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<v Speaker 1>be insulting. You're both adults, so let's acknowledge what the

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<v Speaker 1>problem is. The sea then stands for cause, which Hammond

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<v Speaker 1>says means explaining other issues that the problem is causing.

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<v Speaker 1>You want to give the person context for why the

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<v Speaker 1>issue really needs to be addressed. Oh stands for orient.

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<v Speaker 1>You need to orient the other person toward the behavior

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<v Speaker 1>you want instead. This can be the most constructive part

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<v Speaker 1>of the conversation. Sometimes people know that something has gone awry,

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<v Speaker 1>but they have no idea what they should be doing. Differently,

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<v Speaker 1>so come into these conversations with practical solutions. Finally, and

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<v Speaker 1>probably the most important part, the S stands for support.

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<v Speaker 1>Remind the person that you support him or her, says Hammond.

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<v Speaker 1>You can do this by thanking the person again, asking

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<v Speaker 1>them what you can do to support them, or asking

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<v Speaker 1>them if something is going on that is preventing them

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<v Speaker 1>from achieving the new solution handled right, this emphasis on

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<v Speaker 1>support can actually make your relationship stronger going forward, and

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<v Speaker 1>if you do intend to keep working together well, that

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<v Speaker 1>is the best possible outcome. So that's the feedback tacos approach. Thanking,

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<v Speaker 1>acknowledging the problem, talking about the problems the issue is causing,

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<v Speaker 1>orienting the person toward new behavior, and reiterating support. If

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<v Speaker 1>you need to give tough feedback in the next few days,

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<v Speaker 1>you might consider trying this and seeing how it goes.

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<v Speaker 1>If you do, let me know. You can email me

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<v Speaker 1>at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media dot com.

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<v Speaker 1>In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening and

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<v Speaker 1>here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,

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<v Speaker 1>I'd love to hear from you. You can send me

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<v Speaker 1>your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with

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<v Speaker 1>me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. At Before Breakfast pod

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<v Speaker 1>that's b the number four, then Breakfast p o D.

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<v Speaker 1>You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>At i heeart media dot com that before Breakfast is

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<v Speaker 1>spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I

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<v Speaker 1>look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a

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<v Speaker 1>production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from my

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<v Speaker 1>heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

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<v Speaker 1>or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Four