Keeping Your Cool

If the fear of confrontation leaves you sidestepping performance evaluations, you’re not alone. But avoiding criticism ends up not only hurting your employees, it also hurts your company. Put these strategies to work to help you effectively critique employees and provide the advice they need to advance their responsibilities.

1. Check your emotions. You just learned that one of your employees lost a document your team has been working on for weeks. Before storming into his or her office, take time to compose yourself and decide what you really need to say. It’s likely the conversation you’d have when upset would only convey your frustration, not ways to avoid the problem in the future. “Step back and examine the situation before diving in,” says Patty McManus, senior consultant with Interaction Associates. “If the only feedback an employee receives is negative, it won’t go well.”
2. Pay attention. Spend a day or two examining how the problem occurred. Is it possible that your employee was so overloaded with other projects that he or she couldn’t focus sufficiently? Or was there a computer problem that caused the mishap, in which case the employee wasn’t actually to blame?
3. Choose a private location. No one wants to receive negative feedback in public, but finding a spot to talk in a small office setting can be difficult. “Take a walk outside or go have coffee, anywhere that the conversation can’t be overheard,” McManus suggests. “It’s important that the employee save face and have his or her dignity preserved.”
4. Focus on the action. Turn your attention away from the person as an individual and instead focus on his or her performance at work. Avoid personality and opinions, and pass judgment only on an action taken while working.
5. Sandwich it. Preface the advice with positive feedback and end with positive feedback. By sandwiching the criticism, you’ll sound less harsh and remind the employee that it was only the one action that warranted reprimand.
6. Be specific-don’t exaggerate. You’ll blow your credibility as soon as you say, “You’ve lost 10 documents this month,” when, in reality, the employee only lost two. He or she is more likely to listen to truth than exaggerated criticism.
7. Stay calm. Although you may be tempted to raise your voice, it’s important that you stay as relaxed as possible. “Realize that you’re telling someone something that they don’t know about themselves,” McManus says. “He or she won’t be happy about it, so don’t be surprised if the employee gets upset.”
8. Listen. After you’ve delivered your advice, it’s time to listen. “Stop talking,” McManus says. “Give the employee plenty of time to respond.”
9. Determine a game plan. Criticism without advice will only frustrate your employee and won’t lead to changes in behavior. Be sure to offer a solution, such as clearly titling documents to keep them organized.
10. Move on. At the end of the conversation, shake hands and forget it. Avoid mentioning the employee’s mistake again unless it recurs.

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