How to Give Feedback: 5 Keys Every Leader Should Know

As a leader, giving feedback should be as natural and normal as drinking a cup of coffee every morning. The people you lead expect you to tell them how they’re doing. And, you should WANT to give them feedback, because it’s the only way they’ll get better.

If I’m being honest, giving feedback well took me years to learn. Whether I was managing a hotel team, a college staff or a church staff, the leaders who struggled most were usually the ones who avoided these conversations. So, here are 5 keys to giving feedback:

5 Keys to Giving Feedback

1. Feedback includes positive things, too.

It’s easy to fall into the rut of thinking feedback only comes when someone does something wrong. There are many advantages to giving positive feedback as much as (or even more than) negative feedback. The biggest one? People receive the hard feedback much better when they’ve also been hearing about what they do well. I believe you can find something positive about everyone you lead…otherwise, they probably shouldn’t be on the team.

2. Use the sandwich technique for hard feedback.

No matter how good someone is, everyone needs to hear what they could improve. I’m a firm believer in the sandwich technique here. Put the constructive feedback between two genuine positive comments about their performance. It softens the blow and helps the conversation be better received. Just make sure the middle of the sandwich doesn’t get lost…check for understanding so you know they heard what you needed them to hear.

3. Don’t get personal.

Keep it about the work. When you get personal, they’ll get personal. When you keep it work-related, they’ll see you’re not attacking them and that you really want to help them get better. Offer your help, too. Don’t just tell them what’s wrong and leave them to figure it out. You’re the leader, and you need to be an active part of helping them meet your expectations. Be personable and open to questions. The worst thing you can do is walk in defensive.

4. Give feedback regularly and often.

Feedback should be a natural part of your leadership. And, the more you do it, the easier it gets. Do it in your weekly one-on-one meetings. Do it when you delegate a project and it comes back to you. Do it as you help your kids with their homework. Do it after major events. Just don’t save it all for the annual review…especially the hard stuff.

5. Use the annual review as a recap.

First, if you don’t do annual reviews, you should. (Contact me if you’d like help setting them up.) But, the annual review should simply recap the feedback you’ve already given over the past 12 months. In other words, there should be NO surprises. Nothing should be new. It’s a written conversation about what you’ve already talked about, plus a chance to set goals together for the next 12 months.

Quick Answers

How often should leaders give feedback? Every week in some form. Quick, specific comments in the moment plus a regular one-on-one work far better than an annual review alone.

What makes feedback effective? It’s specific, timely, about the work (not the person), and it comes with an offer to help.

How do you give feedback? Would you add anything to this list? Who have you worked for that did this well, and how did they do it? Comment below…