subject: Three Steps Managers Use To Give Negative Feedback In A Positive Way [print this page] Managers and leaders, you know how challenging it can be to give negative feedback. Managers don't want to give it, and employees don't want to hear it.
Although it can be stressful for supervisors and managers to deliver difficult feedback, leaders understand that with a tactful approach, employees receive valuable guidance that helps them improve their productivity, attitude, and performance. As a result, everyone wins, the employee, the team, the manager, and the organization.
These three steps will help anyone who is a team leader, supervisor, or manager deliver negative feedback in a way that's clear, tactful, and productive.
To recall these three steps to give negative feedback in a positive way think "Triple A." The steps are: Acknowledge, Address and Advise.
Step One: Acknowledge. Leaders, acknowledge that you thoughts about the employee's behavior. This step could sound like this: "Mike, I'm concerned about your being late with your report this week." When you're acknowledging your emotions, make sure you don't take this too far.
Managers in my leadership development workshops have frequently asked if they can say, "I'm disappointed." Use caution with that word, disappointed. It comes across as too strong to your employees who are more sensitive to criticism.
In other leadership workshops, participants have asked me if they can say they are "frustrated." Well, you could, but that makes this more about your personal response to their behavior rather your concern for them.
Step Two: Address. Managers, heads up on this one, this is such a powerful step. It's also the one people tend to need the most practice on. In delivering workshops on conflict management, my participants practice this step and at first, fall in to a common, but deadly trap.
The deadly trap includes giving your opinion when all you need to do is address the facts.
Keep this in the front of your mind: In Step Two, you address FACTS only, no opinions.
Not as easy as it sounds.
Here are some common errors on this step: "Jean, you're doing this because... " "Mark, you just think that... " "If you cared about the department, you wouldn't... "
And these are just three of the most common mistakes I've heard when managers first use the "Triple A" process to deliver negative feedback positively for the first time.
So, be aware of what you're saying. Make sure it's fact only, and not opinion.
It may help you be more vigilant about this essential step if you remind yourself that doing this step well is the difference between being influential and being confrontational.
People quickly become confrontational when they insert their opinion about the other person's thoughts or motives.
Remember the last time someone did that to you, and you'll fully appreciate why you want to steer clear of that.
Remember also that confrontation feels disrespectful to the person on the receiving end. It comes across as though the person speaking doesn't care what the other person's perspective is. It makes the speaker look bad, so be cautious.
Confrontation is an act where the minute you open your mouth, the other guy closes his mind. Not even worth your time.
The good news is that the more you use these three steps, the easier they become.
Step Three: Advise for Advancing forward.
Now managers and leaders, help them move forward. Instead of keeping the employee focused on the negative past, and all they did wrong, get them focused on what you'd like to see them do in the future.
Know that the more clear you are about what behavior you'd like to see changed, the more likely you are to get it.
The number one reason people don't give you what you want is that they don't know what it is. The number two reason they don't give you what you want is they don't know how to give it to you.
Make it easy for people to be successful with you and on the job by letting them know clearly and respectfully what they can do to improve.
Managers, use the "Triple A" steps of Acknowledge, Address and Advise to deliver negative feedback positively and to help your employees be their best.
