And then there’s delivering tough performance feedback. Ugh. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who actually enjoys that.

I have met many who openly and decidedly don’t enjoy it. As a matter of fact, I know leaders who will avoid it at all cost. Unfortunately, I have seen it end up costing some of them quite a bit, and needlessly so.

I certainly don’t enjoy delivering this kind of message either. Call it what you want: constructive criticism, corrective feedback, or feedback for improvement. It’s no fun to have this kind of a conversation.

But, I ran across a quote from a Forbes article that said it well, “Bad news delayed is bad news compounded.” Let me encourage you to lean into this. Learning to do it well will serve you and your team in ways that go far beyond the short-term pain you’ll have to endure.

Here are six keys to delivering tough performance feedback in a way that will create a positive outcome.

KEY STEPS FORWARD

1. Prepare in advance. Don’t do this off-the-cuff. I know you are tremendously busy, but this is important for the ongoing health of your team.

Clearly identify what your goal is for the conversation. What is the outcome you want? Make sure that you keep your goal in sight as you plan out the conversation. Be clear with your language. Don’t be vague.

Taking the time to prepare will also help you calm down, if that is necessary. You should never do this in the heat of the moment because neither person is thinking clearly when the temperature is rising. As a matter of fact, when your blood is boiling, your brain is operating at levels far below optimum.

Lastly, ask yourself what your part is in the failure and be willing to completely own that.

2. Deliver the feedback in a timely fashion. One of the biggest temptations is to wait. There could be any number of reasons that would soothe your conscience. The bottom line is that waiting will only make things worse. Waiting will not solve the problem.

The further you get away from the failure in performance, the more difficult and the more uncomfortable it will be to address, and the more foolish you will look.

Waiting will only cost you more money and more pain. Don’t wait. Step into and take care of it. It’s your responsibility.

3. Treat the person with respect and dignity. This should be an automatic, but unfortunately that’s not always the case. Whatever this person has done, they are still a human being and are worthy of being treated with dignity.

I would strongly encourage you to deliver your feedback face-to-face. Don’t hide behind texting or email. Be willing to look them in the eye and say what needs to be said. If that seems physically impossible, use the technology available and do a video conference with them using tools like Zoom, Teams, or Skype.

One last piece of advice. When you deliver your feedback, be sure to attack the issue, not the person. If you make this personal, you will completely derail the conversation and miss the opportunity to create a value-added exchange.

4. Communicate clearly, using concrete examples. This conversation should be based on facts, not opinions. If you are unable to share specific examples of their failure, you’re only going to create confusion and frustration. I’m pretty sure you know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of that.

When it comes to giving the examples, don’t sugarcoat it. Be direct and concise. It will also help the person understand the issue if you link the negative consequences experienced to their specific actions (or inaction).

I would also suggest that you ask probing questions to ensure that you have all the facts straight.

5. The conversation should be focused on improvement and moving forward. Clearly identify the performance gap and make sure they understand what success looks like. This is often a place of serious disconnect. Work hard to ensure you are on the same page.

Work together with the person to create solutions. Engage them deeply in this aspect of the conversation. Using powerful questions, draw out of them how they’re going to correct their path going forward. Work with them to formulate clear action steps, and ensure they retain ownership of their performance.

Additionally, identify what support you can offer to assist them in their opportunity to succeed.

6. Document the results for clarity. Don’t leave that meeting without getting things down in writing. Document the performance shortfall, the action steps that have been agreed upon, and what success looks like. Identify, in plain terms, the timeline being given for improvement. Clearly explain the consequences if the situation doesn’t change.

Be sure to get their acknowledgement in writing. In the case where they refuse to “sign,” you will need to get Human Resources or another trusted leader to witness to the fact that they have received the feedback.

FINAL THOUGHT

It’s important to acknowledge that you can’t control how the other person will respond to the feedback. That’s where it can get messy. However, you are absolutely in control of how you approach the conversation and have the ability to give yourself the best possible chance of achieving a positive outcome.

Be strong and courageous and do what is best for everyone involved!

Question: What is the hardest part of delivering tough performance feedback for you? Share your answer in the Comment section.

Seize the day!