How to...deliver constructive feedback

Without resorting to the s**t sandwich

Do you worry about delivering constructive feedback as a manager? I know I did. It used to occupy a lot of space in my brain, as sadly, my earlier career had been shaped by having managers that weren’t particularly good at this.

In fact, I can still vividly remember being 25, working in a PR agency in an open plan office and having my line manager at the time storm over to my desk and deliver just the s**t part of the sandwich to me live and direct, in front of everyone and very loudly. I can feel my cheeks reddening at the memory, the embarrassment and shame I felt, and the abject terror at what was perceived as a “failure.”

I believe my “crime” was to have a spelling mistake in an email I sent to the client. Not ideal, but it happens. (There may be the odd typo or too in this newsletter actually, as I type fast). And whilst my attention to detail did improve over the years, I still really didn’t understand how to deliver constructive feedback properly until later in my career.

Like I said, some of my earlier line managers meant well, but needed some leadership development…

I know this is something that many new leaders can struggle with, but it’s part of the job and it comes with the territory.

So today I’m sharing my tips on how to deliver constructive feedback in a way that is direct and clear, and ensures learning, but doesn’t destroy the person on the receiving end.

My fundamental principle is this…

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