A few weeks ago I told you all that I was working on my direct reports review. I’m happy to say that it went well.
I knew she wasn’t looking forward to the review. She told me she was about as excited about it as “being shot in the head.” I was able to alleviate her fears by telling her one thing: “I have nothing to say in your review that you don’t already know about.”
I stuck to my word. Every piece of feedback was feedback she had already received. Instead we worked on coming up with ideas on how she could improve in these areas.
But, nothing is perfect. As I previously discussed our company requires feedback from other sources as well. If coworkers do not address problems with my direct report or myself prior to the review then the feedback is a surprise at the review. Addressing these issues was much harder. This is where my undergraduate writing skills came into play. I had to carefully word the issues. It was still difficult for my direct report to accept these pieces of feedback. I can only imagine what her reaction would have been like if all of my review had been a surprise.
When writing constructive criticism it’s important to note that no matter how much someone says they enjoy constructive criticism their feelings are still slightly hurt. Being aware of the emotional attachment to the information you distribute is important. While you should not let it get in the way of giving feedback, you should also recognize that for at least a brief period of time your direct report will have a bruised ego. The issue is whether they get back on their feet or not.
June 23, 2008 at 7:59 am |
I like what you say about the emotional attachment people have to even the most gentle “constructive” feedback. Nicely articulated.