As a leader, giving effective feedback is your job. Constructive suggestions can help your direct reports and colleagues succeed. But giving feedback is often difficult — for both the deliverer and the recipient.
So, how do you do it? Are you formulaic and by-the-book, or do you wing it? Is it time for straight talk or do you find yourself dancing around the issues? Do you take a clinical approach, or are you personally invested?
Whatever your style or your company’s system, chances are that performance reviews are less-than-satisfying events for you and your direct reports. But learning how to give feedback effectively can make the difference between a meaningless (or disastrous) review and a constructive conversation.