Giving open & honest feedback
Giving corrective feedback means telling someone that something they did needs to change, in a way they can hear and act on. If you soften it too far, the problem carries on and they never find out it was one.
This conversation appears in 32.6% of 11,359 real cases. It's the most common.
Source: Research Report 01, v0.2
Why it's hard
Most people know what they want to say before they walk in. The trouble starts in the first minute, when the message gets softened. "You were late to the client call twice this week" turns into "maybe keep an eye on timings".
You also have to work with this person tomorrow. Say it too bluntly and they get defensive. Say it too gently and they leave thinking it went fine.
And saying it is only half of it. They may have a reason you didn't know about. You need to hear it out and still agree what changes next.
What we look for
Three sample behaviours from the four groups this moment is assessed on.
- Naming the behaviour
- Making it hearable
- Their side of it
- Landing the change
- Present:You named a specific occasion, not a pattern
- Present:You described what was done, not what the person is
- Present:You said what the effect was, and on whom
A sample. The assessment also looks for behaviours we don't list.
Try it before anyone is watching
One four-minute conversation from Giving open & honest feedback. See your initial feedback straight away, then save your results with a free account.
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