I’m a big fan of Kevin Eikenberry and his writings. A recent article he wrote on negative feedback was a great reminder on the timing of coaching and feedback. And the reminder is that emotions of both the deliverer and receiver are the underpinning of effective feedback whether it be positive or negative.
So often my work with new managers is focused on coaching and development of their teams. We explore specific work relationships important to their success which need to be strengthened. Being ready emotionally is one of the most critical factors to successful feedback.
If an employee is in a highly emotional state, they won’t hear or understand what is being said. And when they don’t hear it, they can’t act on it. And then there is the flip side, which quite frankly I don’t emphasize enough with managers. When you provide difficult feedback, you need to be in a state of emotional neutrality, or you won’t be heard even if your employee is ready to listen. The Corrective Feedback Process is a tool for you to prepare and take the emotion out of a difficult feedback situation.
