HowtoGiveNegativeFeedback.mp3 - powered by Happy Scribe

You're listening to the MentalNotes podcast. In this episode, MentalNotes founder Scott Dow explains how to give negative feedback.

I'm going to share the three secrets to giving negative feedback. But first, I want to share what not to do. Don't mix positive and negative feedback. Negative feedback is way too valuable to water down what at a boy or at a girl compliments. Negative feedback is an immediate chance to help someone get better. So seize that opportunity.

Remember this. Every bit of negative feedback should have some benefit to the employee. Listen, negative feedback with no real benefit is simply criticism. And negative feedback without coaching is just plain mean.

When you give negative feedback, you have to motivate, you have to coach. Don't be that manager that sugarcoats your criticism. It sounds something like this. That was a really good presentation. Now you rambled a bit, but your slides were great. See what I did? I mixed positive and negative feedback. I watered down the one thing that could make that person better.

Now here's how you do it. The first secret, lead with the benefit. Clarify the opportunity before you give the negative feedback. It sounds something like this. There's only one thing you can do to make that presentation even better. See, I led with the benefit. There's only one thing you can do to make that presentation even better. It gets their attention. I've created a little sense of curiosity and a sense of anticipation, and I've shared my positive intent.

Now the second secret, flip the negative feedback into specific coaching advice. Here's what that sounds like. Make your point and move on. It's simple, it's clear, it's unambiguous.

Now the third secret, end with a simple explanation. And here's what that sounds like. Because people have a limited attention span.

So let's bring it all together. Here's what it's going to sound like. There's only one thing you can do to make that presentation even better. Make your point and move on, because people have a limited attention span. In one statement, I've given the benefit, coaching advice, and a simple, memorable explanation.

Now you have to practice this, and here's how. Think of the last few times you gave negative feedback. You have a pattern for giving negative feedback and you need to reflect on what that is. Then I want you to visualize how you would've delivered that feedback using these three secrets. Then the next time you're about to give some negative feedback, do this. Think about your old pattern, but mentally rehearse how you intend to give the feedback. The more you rehearse it, the better you're going to deliver it. Do this a handful of times, and I promise you, these techniques will become second nature.