I am reading a classic on Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, easily among the most profound books I encountered. I usually finish a book, assimilate the contents and start talking about them. But the chapter on “Managing with Heart” and the section “The Artful Critique” in particular holds immense relevance to a challenge encountered all the time that I am talking about it as soon as I read it!
As a leader and manager, one needs to pass critical feedback when an individual has not delivered good enough results. No one intentionally does a bad job, which makes it natural for the person receiving critical feedback to feel it is unwarranted. And worse, also feel that the person passing the feedback has a bias! To quote from “The Speed of Trust” by Steven Covey, “We judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their behavior”. When critical feedback is not received well, it is likely that the intention of feedback was not understood and the behavior was interpreted as biased.
This is where “Emotional Intelligence” provides some insightful advice quoting Harry Levinson. When you have to pass critical feedback, consider the following aspects:
- Be specific – pick a significant event, an event that illustrates a key problem that needs changing or a pattern of deficiency, such as the inability to do certain parts of a job well. It demoralizes people to just hear that they are doing “something” wrong without knowing what the specifics are so they can change. Many a times, the feedback becomes a personal attack – calling someone stupid or incompetent that makes the recipient defensive and no longer receptive to suggestions. It serves well to stay specific and issue based!
- Offer a solution – feedback should also point to a way to fix the problem. Otherwise it leaves the recipient frustrated, demoralized or demotivated. It can also get to “my manager does not know the solution but expects me to find one”, questioning the capability of the manager.
- Be present – feedback is most effective face to face and in private. People who are uncomfortable giving a criticism are likely to ease the burden on themselves by doing it at a distance, such as email or phone. In person or over video makes it more personal and credible.
- Be sensitive – this is a call for empathy, for being attuned to the impact of what ones says. Managers who have little empathy, Levinson points out, are most prone to giving feedback in a hurtful manner. The net effect of such criticism is destructive, creating an emotional backlash of resentment, bitterness, defensiveness and distance.
This advice provides a template for leaders and managers to make feedback sessions more productive and useful. However, the success of this approach also depends on the recipient being open to feedback and suggestions. If the recipient is not open and feels “I am doing fine but my manager does not understand”, the situation is likely to deteriorate irrespective of how well the critical feedback is passed. This should not stop one from providing timely critical feedback and the manager does not even have a choice as providing timely feedback is an integral part of the job! So, be empathetic and do the best while providing timely critical feedback considering above aspects. If it does not work, seek help from appropriate authority!