Giving feedback is one of the most important responsibilities of a leader. Unfortunately, most people avoid giving feedback and when they give it, it is done poorly.
So here’s my feedback to those of you who fall into this category: It does not have to be this way! You have the talent and skill to give very good feedback!
In this blog, we are going to focus on your team members who are doing pretty well (or even very well) but can be even better. If you want suggestions on underperforming team members, please check out this blog on Performance Improvement Plans.
Following are some suggestions on how to give effective feedback, with some ideas from a recent Harvard Business Review article.
- Change Your Mindset. Providing feedback is an opportunity for you and your team member to collaborate on their professional development. We all know that we can improve and progression in our careers depends upon this. Proactively schedule at least two feedback meetings per year and make sure you have funding to send team members to professional development programs.
- Ask Them to Initiate. Prior to each meeting ask: “Please send me three ideas you have for improving your performance. These can be ways in which you can improve and/or ways you can become even better at some of your responsibilities.” Review these ideas prior to the meeting.
- Set the Big Picture Context. As you begin the meeting, remind them of the purpose: “As you know, I am committed to supporting you with your continuous improvement and professional development. Let’s discuss ways that you can continue to improve and grow.”
- Discuss their Ideas First. Ask them to explain more about the ideas for improvement that they sent you. Ask them for Action Plans for working on each idea. Offer support for training if that would be helpful. If you have additional ideas, just suggest only one per meeting: “I also suggest that you consider working on . . . What do you think?”
- Make Sure it is a Dialogue, Not a Monologue. Listening is just as important as speaking. This dialogue builds trust, and it often uncovers critical information that you might have missed.
Giving effective feedback is a learned skill, not an innate talent. By adopting these five suggestions, you can move beyond your apprehension and build a culture of open communication, continuous improvement, and mutual respect.
*Ideas for this blog taken from: Fernandez, M. “4 Strategies to Help New Leaders Give Feedback, Harvard Business Review online, July 15, 2025.
