Giving effective feedback is an essential leadership skill that all managers need in order to help their employees learn and grow. Even though it's essential, many leaders feel uncomfortable delivering feedback, shy away from it completely, or rely on ineffective methods that leave their employees feeling worse instead of better.
Why is this? Delivering developmental feedback is a difficult conversation that can result in different emotions and reactions from employees. While some are comfortable taking in feedback and acting on it, others will have a harder time accepting and recognizing their areas of opportunity. This causes managers to soften their feedback in order to avoid upsetting their employees.
But as Brené Brown said, "Clear is kind, unclear is unkind." Giving your employees vague, unclear, indirect feedback will not help - in fact, it will only make matters worse. All managers need to build their feedback delivery skills in order to effectively lead their teams.
