6 tips for delivering feedback in the most constructive way

6 tips for delivering feedback in the most constructive way6 tips for delivering feedback in the most constructive wayWhether yourmanagerial styleis free spirit or more results-driven Realist, youre a serious bossbabe who brings her own set of much-needed attributes to her team. Maybe its your ability to make independent decisions, or maybe its your peacemaking expertise - but its probably elend your mastery of constructive criticism, right?First-time managersand seasoned vets alike struggle with this task, so dont feel self-conscious if you dread those one-on-one meetings with your team members. Ashley Cox, leadership development expert and founder ofSproutHR, gave us some insider tips for tactfully and effectively conveying some not-so-positive input so you can quit stressin and get back to killin it.1. Keep it clear and conciseChannel your inner Rory Gilmore and prepare, prepare, prepare. Beforehand, make sure to privately go over what you want and need to share during the conver sation. If it will help you stay on track and remember essential details, you might even want to write down bullet points and bring them with you to the meeting. Being prepared will help ease your nerves and keep your conversation focused, Cox says. Remember, as nervous as you are delivering this information, the person on the other end is 10 times as nervous hearing it.2. Humanize the conversationAt one point or another in your career, you received some constructive criticism that stung at least a little bit (you wouldnt be where you are otherwise). Keep this in mind when youre trying to convey your feedback. How would you want to receive the information that youre about to deliver? Once youve answered this question, adjust according to their personality type. When delivering constructive criticism, its important to remember that theres a human being on the other side of the conversation - one with dreams, goals, feelings and, yes, a life going on outside of work, Cox emphasizes. Take into consideration that something external could be impacting their overall performance and seek to understand whats going on.3. Avoid extremesYou dont want to leave the meeting feeling like a mean boss, but you also dont want to walk away feeling like you didnt get your point across. The best way to ensure neither of these outcomes is to avoid extremes (i.e., being to blunt or too delicate). Being too blunt can prompt the employee to go on the defensive and make them feel uninspired to make changes. Being too delicate can leave the individual feeling confused and equally unmotivated to alter their actions. Cox recommends being both direct and tactful. Being direct helps to ensure your message is communicated clearly and is understood, she explains.4. Address the behavior, not the individualRegardless of how well you and this particular employee jive, theres a reason theyre on your team - because they contribute something valuable. Remember this when talking to them. This acti on or event that youre discussing with the individual is just that - one action or event, Cox states. Were all human. We all mess up. This individuals one mistake or shortcoming does not make them a bad person or even a bad employee. Address the behavior or action as being undesirable, not the individual, Cox reiterates.5. Include the whyThis might seem obvious, but Cox says that throughout her career, shes seen countless incidents of people sharing feedback and then failing to convey why the suggested improvement needs to be made. Its not very helpful if you tell someone that an action they took was wrong if you dont share why, Cox shares. Make sure to explain why this behavior or action directly impacted the team, the customer or the overall company vision. This will put things into perspective for the receiver and ultimately encourage them to make adjustments. And if you cant think of a why, you might want to reevaluate the validity of your critique.6. Move forwardCox doesnt sug arcoat it During the conversation, youll be uncomfortable. After the conversation, youll probably still feel uncomfortable. And thats okay, she assures us. But make a concerted effort to proceed as you modellly would, whether thats joking around, making small talk or whatever your normal style is. Because youre the boss, the individual will take cues from you about how to act. Dont make it weird and it wont be, Cox says. After all, you just shared some feedback to help the individual and the team improve. Nothing weird about that at allThis article was originally published on Brit + Co.