5 Ways to Give (And Receive) Negative Feedback | Planio

The fundamental goal of giving feedback is to help the person you’re giving it to. They should realize that you are not trying to make them feel bad, and this is an exercise to help make them better.

How it impacts each individual is going to be different so a tailor-made approach is required. 

If the word Feedback sounds loaded and negative by default, we can reframe it by calling it a less critical name like guidance or advice.

Remove superficial compliments (like the Sandwich Method) and instead be genuine, direct and to the point.

Be informative and keep the focus on the areas of improvement.

This is done by being specific, work-oriented only, and providing feedback on time, when it is relevant.

Explain how it relates to company objectives, making sure it is documented, with the action plan in place.

Negative feedback is effective when it is coming from a trustworthy person.

If the person receiving the feedback is not validated first, he or she may feel threatened and stressed after a feedback session.

• Do not react right away or in a defensive way.
• Do not take it personally.
• Do not justify the feedback, or ignore it.
• Don't wait to be offered feedback at the last stage.
• Take your time to gather your thoughts and do not be overly negative to yourself.
• Do ask for clarification, if required.
• Do set and align your expectations.