Management Training: How to Give Negative Feedback Well
Our Management Training Workshops
By introducing our Management Training workshops to your staff we help ease the negative effect of change on both managerial and supervisory personnel. The change in job responsibilities, the change in personnel, job duties, and the rising challenge of developing subordinates are specific goals of our learning systems workshops. We are highly successful at helping Managers and Supervisors learn and adapt to the necessary skills and proper behaviors to be successful at work as well as in their personal lives.
For more information on our management training workshops please contact us.
As a part of our management training workshops, Managers and Supervisors will learn how to:
- Minimize the chance of miscommunication by understanding what people are really saying, and why
- Deal with difficult people, manage tense situations, and resolve conflict
- Make use of proven active listening skills to improve your ability to gain helpful information
- Be able to facilitate, guide, and close discussions in one-on-one or group settings
- Improve understanding and communication by giving and receiving good feedback
- Use ideas submitted by a member of the team without causing other members to be defensive
- Develop a comprehensive team building strategy that improves productivity of the whole team
- Emphasize the value of working toward common goals without devaluing individual accomplishment
- Define and set up a method to track staff activities
- Be able to manage time and work assignments effectively
- Conduct team meetings that capture and hold the audience's attention
- Interview and hire the right person for the right job
- Save time and work more effectively through the use of a clear time management plan
- Understand and comply with proper hiring and managing requirements
- Communicate effectively with both superiors, peers and subordinates
- Become effective coaches for their work team
- Conduct accurate and difficult performance appraisals
How to Give Negative Feedback Well
Giving negative feedback sucks. Period. It's uncomfortable for you and it's uncomfortable for the person hearing it. But no matter how much you twist and turn to avoid it, giving negative feedback may be the kindest and best way to change behaviour. And believe it or not, there are ways of delivering it that make it less painful for all parties involved.
Management Skills: Tough Love
Your team is complaining - Tony's smelly feet are putting them off their work. What do you do? Ignore it? Open the window? Or do you talk to Tony?
So you decide to ignore it. What happens then? Your team thinks you don't listen to them and gradually your communication channels shut down. Ignoring the issue is poor management skills and is not going to make the issue go away.
You decide to open the window, as you don't want to embarrass Tony. Problem is that most modern office windows don't open so that the air conditioning still works. Even if you could open the window, you've avoided tackling the real problem.
So you pluck up the courage to have a chat with Tony. From this you discover he has recently split up from his partner and has been sleeping on a friend's couch and living out of a rucksack. No one in the team knew this, and Tony didn't know how to mention it. You chat about the situation and Tony feels better for it. Bet you didn't expect that to happen!
(This is a real example - names have been changed to protect identities.)
This conversation could have gone horribly wrong. But it didn't, as it's possible to apply management skills to give negative feedback well.
1. Choose your time and place
Always give negative feedback in private. Book a room or office where you will not be disturbed, and talk out of view of curious eyes and ears.
2. Have tissues at the ready
Good management skills require a constant supply of tissues (if only to mop up the blood when they punch you on the nose). You may get an emotional response to your feedback and it's easier on the person if they can tidy themselves up without rushing to the toilet.
3. Check ears open and ready to receive
Make sure the person is ready to listen by checking that they have time to spend with you, and not rushing off to a meeting or some other time pressure. Making time for this is good management skills pracice and, you need their full attention to ensure the message is received and understood.
The request would sound something like this.
“Hi Tony, I would like 10 minutes to talk with you about something. Have you got the time right now or would you prefer we catch up later?”
If now is not the time, then arrange to meet later and make sure you give yourself plenty of time for the chat.
4. Cut to the chase
Now that you're in the room, minimize pain by getting to the point quickly. Be sincere, be specific, and focus only on the problem in hand.
“Hi Tony. Thanks for taking time to talk to me. I feel a bit uncomfortable saying this, so bear with me. I've noticed over the past few days that your shoes are a bit smelly and the odor is kind of unpleasant to work with. I've never noticed this before – has something happened to cause this?”
Think through the key points you want to make beforehand, and think through how they might react and plan your responses accordingly. Maybe role-play what you want to say with a trusted colleague and practice getting the words out of your mouth so you don't freeze up.
Consider your body language and the effect that may have. Sitting Tony on a desk opposite you may be good if you want a physical barrier, but it may be more effective to sit alongside so you both face the problem together.
5. Let them speak
Tony is more than likely going to be a bit shocked by this, so give him a bit of time to let the information sink in and to respond. Use all your best management skills and active listening skills to draw the person out, and find out why the situation has arisen.
6. Best behaviour
Don't leave your person guessing what you'd like them to do. Tell them what you would prefer. If you don't, they'll never know quite what to do.
“Tony, thanks for telling me about that. What I would like is for you to do is maybe change into your work shoes, or wear something more appropriate in the office.”
Being clear about what you want is especially important when the negative feedback is a blind spot for them. Sometimes people do not see their behaviour as being in any way problematic and have no idea what to do to change it. It's up to you and your management skills to spell it out to them.
7. Right to choose
A person has the right to act upon your feedback or ignore it completely. It's their choice. Depending on your work relationship, it may be your responsibility to address the issue again. If not, maybe enlist help from a senior colleague and tackle the behaviours by different means.
Every cloud has a silver lining
Giving negative feedback is never going to be an easy exercise of management skills, but it can be less painful. Be sure about why you are giving the negative feedback, plan when and where you will give it, and be ready to listen. Although acutely embarrassed, Tony was glad he had the opportunity to air his personal problems. Use these techniques for giving negative feedback and you will be pleasantly surprised!Free business management articles from Lyndsay Swinton
Subject: Management Skills