Navigate Giving Negative Employee Feedback in 7 Steps

From sending a casual “well done” email to conducting a formal performance review, providing feedback is key for developing your employees and growing your organization. But no matter how long you’ve worked as a manager or supervisor, giving negative or difficult feedback can be challenging, stressful, and uncomfortable.

While we are often tempted to shy away from the confrontations that can stem from giving negative feedback, doing so only leads to frustration for everyone involved. And, if feedback is handled poorly, people’s self-perceived value in the workplace, relationship with their supervisors, and performance can suffer.

Nevertheless, negative or constructive is necessary – 83% of employees appreciate receiving feedback regardless of whether it’s positive or negative. So, how do you give negative feedback to an employee? Follow these seven steps to turn delivering negative feedback into a more positive experience for all parties.

1.  Start by building relationships. Effective feedback begins with building a relationship with the employee. Although it takes time, fostering a relationship with your associate that is rooted in trust and respect will make it easier to deliver feedback – and increase the likelihood that your feedback will be well-received.

2.  Form a plan. Before approaching the employee, establish a plan. Keep in mind your working relationship with the associate and your expectations for the conversation. What resolution are you seeking, and what steps could the employee take to get themselves on the right track?

Along with a plan for correcting the problem, equip yourself with information on your organization’s employee assistance program (EAP), training programs and other resources that could help resolve an issue affecting productivity or behavior. Additionally, make self-care part of your plan – prepare for your own emotions and reactions. Center yourself before beginning the conversation so you are able to respond in a calm, cool manner that keeps the discussion productive.

3.  Establish a safe environment. Provide feedback in an environment that feels safe and respectful. Avoid public confrontation and use a private conference room or office. When negative behavior is addressed publicly, it can feel as if you are calling the employee out, which they can perceive as a punishment or an attack.

Make sure that your offer to speak with the associate is clear but respectful. Understand that your feedback, however important, interrupts your employee’s workday. If you begin by asking if they are available, the conversation can start from a place of respect. If they are unavailable at the moment, set a time to meet.

4.  Hold a conversation. To ensure your feedback is heard and accepted, facilitate a two-way conversation with your employee. Rather than dictating your criticism, voice your concerns clearly and concisely, and allow the employee ample time to explain – they should be a participant rather than an audience.

Frame your conversation in a way that lets them know you would like to come up with a solution, but also emphasize what will happen if they do not change their trajectory. Actively listen to your associate, acknowledge and validate their answers, approach your responses from a place of concern, and express your desire to help your employee grow.

5.  Don’t dilute it. Some suggest sandwiching negative feedback with positive feedback, but where there is a serious performance or conduct concern, be clear, direct, and constructive. Providing compliments around your feedback leads to confusion for the employee, leaves them with a false sense of progress and allows them to focus their attention on the compliments rather than a need for growth.

6.  Stick to the facts. Prolonged issues with attendance, performance or behavior can wear on a supervisor. Sticking to the facts keeps that frustration from bubbling to the surface; it allows you to give feedback in a way that is constructive and respectful, eliminating the possibility that your employee feels targeted or bullied.

Explain the behavior you have seen as well as the impact of the performance or conduct. For instance, if an employee is consistently late, discuss why this behavior has been perpetual, how it affects their coworkers, and how the employee can prevent it from happening again. The employee needs to know the behavior cannot persist and understand what will happen if they continue to be tardy for work.

7.  Devise a solution. Although it can be tempting to take the simpler route of dictating solutions, employees are more likely to respond to feedback when they are included in the solution – those who help set deadlines, form objectives, and identify supporting resources are more inclined to take ownership over the situation and their behavior.

Allowing your employee to work with you to set goals, check-in points, and resolutions will enable a more successful implementation of your feedback. This will help them feel their opinion is valued and that they understand the issue and the solution, turning what could have been a negative experience into a more positive one.

After your employee has begun to put your feedback into practice, follow up with them regularly. This can be done through scheduled one-on-one meetings or casual conversations.

Creating a Culture of Feedback

In closing, one of the best ways to make giving negative (or positive) feedback easier is to instill a culture of feedback across your organization. This begins at the top – leaders should embrace transparency, open communication, trust, respect, and relationship-building to enable an environment more conducive to feedback.

Further, managers should lead by example, asking their constituents for feedback on their performance. Managers should also regularly show their teams gratitude and recognition, and avoid waiting for annual reviews to address issues or sing someone’s praises. Additionally, establishing various feedback channels for employees to voice their opinions and be heard, such as pulse surveys and focus groups, can help create a culture of feedback.

Providing negative feedback may not be your favorite part of the job, but when given in a constructive and respectful way, it can result in increased productivity, engagement, job satisfaction, and retention. In the end, your entire organization and company culture will benefit.