Walk, don’t talk: How to survive culture wars
Global brands expert Philip Thomas suggests simple ways for businesses to walk the tightrope between buzz and backlash in today’s divisive cultural and political landscape. ...
Brain Circuits
Struggling to give feedback? Here’s how to start
For leaders, giving performance feedback can feel uncomfortable and awkward. Here are the first three prerequisites.
1. Choose the right timing and setting
Giving feedback effectively hinges on choosing your moment and place. Whether it’s a project or event, or some kind of behavioral issue, don’t wait too long – but don’t do it in the heat of the moment, either. Aim to be as objective and dispassionate as possible, and to minimize stress.
As a rule of thumb, the right time is:
- Soon after the event or behavior
- When all parties are calm
- When you all have time to dedicate to the conversation
- When there are few or no distractions
As for the setting, seek to give your feedback:
- Somewhere private where you won’t be disturbed
- Somewhere neutral where the power balance feels less acute
- Face-to-face, if possible
- Somewhere where you can avoid having to multitask.
2. Be clear in your intent
Giving feedback should never be a power play. Your objective is to help clarify and rectify a situation and lay the ground for growth and improvement. With this in mind, keep the focus on the outcome of your intent, not just the intent itself:
- Assume that others have good intent…
- … but be careful not to demand that they assume the same of you
3. Positive/negative ratio
It’s crucial to balance the positive with the negative. In general, aim to:
- Avoid being overly negative so as not to demotivate your employee
- Avoid being overly positive to maintain balance and ensure your input is complete
- Skew towards interactions that favor growth and enhanced performance
Key learnings
Giving feedback is a critical aspect of your leadership. Finding the right time and the place to give it, being upfront and clear about your intention, and keeping things essentially positive will help you get it right.
Authors
Related
Are you stuck in a leadership comfort zone?
If you’re known as a solid executor and a safe pair of hands but can’t see an exciting future for yourself in the organization, you may be overly risk-averse. Answer the questions below to see if this applies to you and check out...
Good gut: Why intuition is still essential in a world of AI
Being able to use your gut instinct remains vital for effective decision-making in a data-driven world. Here’s how to use and develop your “sixth sense”....
Looking to accelerate your leadership career? Start here
Progressing to senior leadership begins by upgrading your mindset. Here’s how to get started. ...
Learn Brain Circuits
Join us for daily exercises focusing on issues from team building to developing an actionable sustainability plan to personal development. Go on - they only take five minutes.
Explore Leadership
What makes a great leader? Do you need charisma? How do you inspire your team? Our experts offer actionable insights through first-person narratives, behind-the-scenes interviews and The Help Desk.
Join Membership
Log in here to join in the conversation with the I by IMD community. Your subscription grants you access to the quarterly magazine plus daily articles, videos, podcasts and learning exercises.