Deliver Negative Feedback with Care

It’s a manager’s job to occasionally make an employee aware of his

faults or failures. But if you’re not careful, it can do more harm

than good. People generally respond more strongly to criticism than

praise, so before you tell someone what she did wrong, take these

precautions:

    Weigh the tradeoffs. You’re providing helpful information, but you

also run the risk of putting your employee in a bad mood. If a mistake

is so inconsequential that the corrective value is low, it might make

sense for you to keep the feedback to yourself.

    Keep your tone collaborative. Make it clear that your employee

still has your support and respect.

    Help him/her get in the right mindset. Start by saying, "Let me

provide you with some feedback." Preparing the employee emotionally

for what you're about to say may help him/her not get defensive.