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O P I N I O N
Framing the message
Implement these tips to decrease tension and drastically increase the utility of your feedback.
H ow many times have you planned out a script to provide constructive feedback to a co-worker or team member, only to have it fly out of the door the second you walk into a room to begin the dialogue? In the famous words of Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, “No plan survives contact with the enemy … but no one survives contact with the enemy without a plan.”
Mitchell Shope
Acknowledging that it is crucial to have these difficult discussions is the first step, but then the age-old question arises: “How do I tell someone about something that they don’t want to hear?” To investigate this tricky dialogue, implement the following tips to not only decrease the tension in the conversation but also drastically increase the utility of the feedback provided: 1)It starts before you enter the room. The effectiveness of feedback is chiefly dependent on the relationship and established trust between the party giving the criticism and the party receiving it. Your potential for delivering pertinent and valuable feedback is hugely limited by the benevolence-based trust developed with your employees – if they know you have their best interest at heart, they’ll listen to anything you have to say. This rapport takes time,
dedication, and upkeep but plays a pivotal role in your influence with your employees. 2)Know whom you’re talking to and change how you talk. Receiving negative feedback is a vulnerable situation on both sides of the table. Knowledge of your employees’ personalities and tendencies is crucial to delivering appropriate feedback – some individuals will respond well to a direct, strong approach while others will appreciate more forewarning and time to absorb information. Tailor your discussion to your individual employees to maximize the effectiveness of your feedback. 3)Avoid the crap sandwich. Compassionate reflex will push you to mitigate the impact of negative feedback by sandwiching your comments with
See MITCHELL SHOPE, page 4
THE ZWEIG LETTER February 10, 2020, ISSUE 1331
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