Taking the Ouch Out of Feedback
Giving feedback isn’t easy for most people. In fact, many supervisors name this as an area that makes them feel particularly uncomfortable.
Some supervisors say the thought of giving feedback puts a pit in their stomach, while others avoid it altogether.
Feedback about social behavior is often the most challenging to give, and yet, when workplace performance is affected, it’s important to address it.
Consider the behavior of “Jane” in this example:
Scenario: Jane’s jokes sometimes come at the expense of other staff
Jane has worked for you for three years. She has many positive qualities–and also a sense of humor that can be off-putting to others. She likes to kid people about things.
At a team meeting, when a quiet employee spoke, Jane said, “You’re speaking? I didn’t know you had it in you!” Everybody laughed, except the quiet employee who turned red with embarrassment.
You have given Jane feedback about the impact of her humor on others in the past and she has responded by saying, “That’s just how I am. People need to learn to deal with it!”
What would you do?
As the supervisor, how would you address this situation? Would you be ready to give Jane feedback in a way that she is able to take it in?
If you would like to master the ability to give feedback on social behaviors that impact performance, then join us for our webinar on November 15th at 2 PM EST.
During this webinar, Feedback, The Fuel for Personal Growth, PHI’s Renya Larson will share the steps to taking the ouch out of giving feedback.
–by Susan Misiorski
