Communication During Performance Reviews

In the beginning of my career, when I got corrective feedback at work – I took it as a personal attack on me & my effectiveness. Being at the end of receiving critical feedback is certainly not fun but this is what I have learned to do over the years:   1) I stifle my urge to respond immediately – even if I ferociously disagree with the feedback, I now take time to reflect. I have become cautious of my urge to react. 2) Next, I think if my relationship with the person is affecting my response to the feedback. In the past I have noticed that if I didn't trust or respect the person, I would marginalize or completely ignore the feedback & that was dangerous. 3) Then I focus on the core message & not just the words. Sometimes things are said in anger/ frustration & it distracts us from the core issue. 4) Then I ask myself if I have heard the feedback in the past & if it is a recurring theme. If I still have doubts on the validity of the feedback or it confuses me, I check with someone I trust. 5) Finally, if I believe that there is something there, I think about how I can address it & ask for help.   Feedback is not about agreeing with everything that comes our way. We have every right to throw out the toxic feedback & retain what matters. But it is about listening openly; reflecting & using it in a way that makes sense to us. #Makingthemostoffeedback

If your feedback isn't changing behavior, you're not giving feedback—you're just complaining. After 25 years of coaching leaders through difficult conversations, I've learned that most feedback fails because it focuses on making the giver feel better rather than making the receiver better. Why most feedback doesn't work: ↳ It's delivered months after the fact ↳ It attacks personality instead of addressing behavior ↳ It assumes the person knows what to do differently ↳ It's given when emotions are high ↳ It lacks specific examples or clear direction The feedback framework that actually changes behavior: TIMING: Soon, not eventually. Give feedback within 48 hours when possible Don't save it all for annual reviews. Address issues while they're still relevant. INTENT: Lead with purpose and use statements like - "I'm sharing this because I want to see you succeed" or "This feedback comes from a place of support." Make your positive intent explicit. STRUCTURE: Use the SBI Model. ↳Situation: When and where it happened ↳Behavior: What you observed (facts, not interpretations) ↳Impact: The effect on results, relationships, or culture COLLABORATION: Solve together by using statements such as - ↳"What's your perspective on this?" ↳"What would help you succeed in this area?" ↳"How can I better support you moving forward?" Great feedback is a gift that keeps giving. When people trust your feedback, they seek it out. When they implement it successfully, they become advocates for your leadership. Your feedback skills significantly impact your leadership effectiveness. Coaching can help; let's chat. | Joshua Miller What's the best feedback tip/advice, and what made it effective? #executivecoaching #communication #leadership #performance

Imagine working hard all year, thinking everything's fine. You hardly get any feedback, just occasional praise or suggestions. But then, out of the blue, comes the yearly appraisal meeting. Suddenly, you're bombarded with criticism, caught off guard. It feels demoralizing and confusing. Why weren't you told earlier? Trust falters, and motivation suffers. Sound familiar? Now, imagine a different scenario. Throughout the year, you receive regular feedback - small, yet valuable insights on your performance. Your manager provides guidance, acknowledges your achievements, and points out areas for improvement. You feel supported and encouraged to grow. When the time for the annual appraisal meeting arrives, it's not a dreaded surprise. Instead, it becomes an opportunity to reflect on your progress, discuss goals, and receive constructive input. Trust between you and your manager deepens, and your motivation remains intact. This scenario highlights the importance of regular feedback. When feedback is given consistently, it empowers employees to enhance their performance, make adjustments, and achieve their full potential. It builds a culture of continuous improvement and ensures that annual appraisals become positive and productive discussions rather than demoralizing surprises. Small feedback given regularly is coaching. Big feedback given erratically is an ambush ⭐ If you found this message resonating, share it with your network. Let's start a dialogue on the importance of regular feedback in the workplace. #corporatelife #appraisal #linkedinforcreators #FeedbackMatters #ContinuousImprovement

One of the most common questions I get asked, especially when I speak at tech events, is this: "How do I handle feedback and turn it into a tool for growth?" Feedback can feel tricky sometimes. I get it - you’re putting your work, your ideas, your skills out there, and then someone comes back and tells you it’s not quite right. It can sting, right? I’ve been there too. But here’s the thing - how you respond to feedback can either fuel your career growth or quietly hold you back. Let me explain. When you approach feedback with the wrong attitude, whether it’s defensiveness, dismissiveness, or even avoidance, you’re shutting the door to potential improvement. Imagine building a great product and ignoring feedback because, "It works fine for me!" It sounds ridiculous, but that’s exactly what a wrong attitude to feedback looks like. However, let me show you how I make feedback a tool for growth: 👉 I detach my ego from my work: I understand that sometimes comments on our work can get to us, but it’s a lot easier when I remind myself that my work or ideas are not me specifically. I consciously choose not to see feedback as an attack but as an opportunity to make my work better. 👉 I ask for clarification: Sometimes, people just want to talk or make vague comments, and I ensure that I filter things properly by asking the right questions. If the feedback isn’t clear, I ask for examples or specifics. I’ll say things like, “Can you show me what you mean?” or “What would you suggest as an improvement?” This helps me turn vague critiques into actionable insights. 👉 I create a feedback loop: After implementing feedback, I follow up by asking, “Does this solve the issue you pointed out?” This shows I’m proactive and allows me to openly communicate, making feedback even more effective. The right attitude to feedback can transform how you grow in your career. Use it as a tool to refine and elevate your work rather than something to fear. I hope this helps someone. See you in the future! Samuel Lasisi #linkedin #feedback #career #tech #uxdesign #uiuxdesign

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱... And here's a real story from British Airways In 1999, in the early stages of their organizational change journey, British Airways' U.S. team brought up a recurring pain point: 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲. Imagine: 😪 The wedding dress that didn’t make it to the wedding on time 😢 Camping gear that didn’t get to the Grand Canyon until the week’s vacation was over It was the elephant in the room — frustrating, expensive, and deeply demoralizing. Cue slumped shoulders, frustrated rants from the employees. When the team was asked what they wanted more of, their reflex answer was: "𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺." But that still kept the focus on the problem. Then came the breakthrough question: "𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧?" After deeper reflection, a more energising and future-focused topic emerged: “𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀.” This subtle but powerful shift changed everything. By focusing on what they 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦, rather than what they 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘹, British Airways U.S. team unlocked new energy, ideas, and ownership across the organization. The conversation moved from damage control to delivering delight. This true story illustrates a powerful lesson from Appreciative Inquiry: 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀. So if we want better outcomes, we must start by asking better questions. As a practitioner of Appreciative Inquiry, I've worked with many clients - organisations, teams and individuals. Whenever I ask them "𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵?", I often hear about their challenges and pain points. "I don't want conflicts in the team" "I hate working in a toxic work team" "I don't want a micro-managing boss" While diving deeper into these topics are helpful for me in understanding what problems I'm hired to solve, it doesn't get to the root of the issue. Most of the time, it's just transferring problems from one form to another. At worst, it just kicks the can down the road and delay the issue. 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁, 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁. Instead, when we get to the core of what we truly want, and want MORE OF, is how we uncover: • A compelling vision that inspires • Hidden motivation and momentum    💬 How might your team’s energy shift if you reframed your next big challenge as a vision to move toward? #WholeHeartedInfluence #WholeHeartedWorkplaces #WholeHearted

Giving hard feedback is a challenge I've faced many times as a leader. One particular instance that stands out involved a team member I respected deeply but who had recently begun missing key deadlines. I knew I had to address it, yet I wanted to do so in a way that preserved their motivation and confidence. This experience taught me the importance of careful preparation and a thoughtful approach when delivering tough feedback. First, I make sure I'm clear about the specific feedback I want to provide. Second, I understand that hard feedback should always be delivered in private, and both the recipient and I should be in a calm and receptive state of mind. When sharing feedback, I focus on specific incidents and use "I" statements to describe my observations. For example, I might say, “I noticed you handling this situation differently than usual. I'd like to discuss how we can approach it more effectively.” I also emphasize the importance of this feedback for the person's growth and development. We all need feedback to grow. Without it, organizations can develop unhealthy habits, such as avoiding conflict or only giving positive feedback. This can lead to unresolved issues that damage morale and hinder professional development. 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤: ➝ 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫-𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞: Start with specific examples, share your feelings, explain the consequences, and state your expectations. ➝ 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐫, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫: Separate the individual from their actions to avoid defensiveness. ➝ 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Conduct feedback conversations in private and ensure confidentiality. ➝ 𝐁𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞: Maintain a calm tone and avoid judgmental language. It’s also important to remember that hard feedback doesn’t have to be all negative. I always try to highlight the positive aspects of the person’s work while addressing areas for improvement. My goal is to deliver the feedback in a way that is constructive and encourages growth. What about you? How do you handle delivering tough feedback? Any strategies you find helpful? #feedback #mindfulness #peoplemangement #leadership #LeadwithRajeev

I heard Jason Fried, CEO at 37signals give feedback to a designer once, and it blew me away. Here’s what he said: “I like how you designed the save icon. It makes it clear that the work is being saved.” “I wish there was a way to show when the saving is done. “What if the icon turned green when it was finished saving?” Simple, right? But there’s some powerful psychology at work here. 1. Affirmation first. Jason starts with what’s working. This creates a sense of safety and keeps the designer open to feedback. People are more likely to listen when they feel valued. 2. Make it collaborative. Instead of saying, “This is wrong” or “You need to fix this,” Jason says, “I wish…” and “What if…” These phrases invite problem-solving rather than defensiveness. 3. Be specific. The feedback isn’t vague, like “Make it better.” It’s actionable: “What if the icon turned green?” Clarity reduces friction and makes the next step obvious. This isn’t just about design. It’s about leadership. Sales. Relationships. People respond better to feedback when it’s thoughtful, collaborative, and clear. So next time you give feedback, try Jason’s approach: I like. I wish. What if.

Blind Spots, Deaf Spots, and Dumb Spots: The Leadership Gaps We Don’t See. Have you ever felt like something wasn’t quite working in your leadership, but you couldn’t put your finger on it? It’s not always about the big strategies or decisions—it’s often the things we don’t see, hear, or say. Blind spots, deaf spots, and dumb spots. We all have them, but as leaders, they can quietly undermine our efforts if left unchecked. What do they mean, and why do they matter? Here is an example A client I worked with—let’s call him Rajesh—was leading a fast-growing startup. His team had all the right people in place, but deadlines were slipping, and his frustration was growing. He was convinced the team just wasn’t delivering. After some digging, here’s what we uncovered: Blind spots: Rajesh didn’t realize how his constant course corrections were creating confusion. His team wasn’t sure which direction to prioritize. Deaf spots: Subtle feedback about needing clearer goals wasn’t landing with him. Dumb spots: While he regularly appreciated the team’s work in private, he rarely communicated it publicly. The outcome? A disoriented team and productivity that wasn’t matching their potential. We worked together to address these gaps: -Rajesh clarified goals and communicated them consistently. -He tuned into feedback by setting up short, regular check-ins. -He began recognizing team wins in real-time and tying them to their broader goals. Within three months, the team’s on-time project completion rate increased by 35%. More importantly, morale improved, and the team felt re-energized about their work. So, how do we bridge these gaps? Through coaching we focused on three steps: -Spotting blind spots: They used feedback, self-reflection, and coaching to uncover patterns they hadn’t noticed. -Tuning into deaf spots: They learned to ask open-ended questions, actively listen, and truly hear their team. -Speaking up to dumb spots: They worked on clear, thoughtful communication—connecting their vision to their team’s work and celebrating progress. The transformations were profound. The team started aligning with the vision, bringing fresh energy and ideas to the table. Here’s the truth: We all have these gaps. They aren’t just about missed opportunities—they can impact outcomes, team morale, and even organizational growth. They’re not failures—they’re opportunities to grow. Leadership isn’t about being perfect; it’s about progress. Your Turn: What’s one leadership gap you’ve identified in yourself, and how did you address it? Let’s share and learn from each other. #Leadershipcoachingg #GrowthMindset #DecisionMaking #quintessadvisors

I once labeled my most challenging team member as "difficult." For months, I tried everything to improve their performance. Nothing worked... until I stopped trying to fix them. The real problem? I was solving the wrong problem. ⋯ The Challenge ⋯  | Before: I saw symptoms, not causes  | After: I discovered what was really happening Most underperforming teammates aren't lazy or difficult. They're misdiagnosed. Every performance gap has a story. And most leaders get that story wrong. I learned this the hard way. What looked like resistance was actually confusion. What seemed like incapability was actually an expectation gap. ---4 Hidden Causes of Underperformance--- ✅ The Clarity Gap – They're not resisting. They're unclear. --Your "obvious" isn't their "obvious" --They can't see the full picture you see ✅ The Skills Mirage – They're not incapable. They're untrained. --You see basic skills. They see complex puzzles. --Every task feels like the first time ✅ The Role Mismatch – They're not failing. They're misplaced. --Their strengths are your needs... for a different role --Success feels like swimming upstream ✅ The System Trap – They're not the problem. Their environment is. --Tools that waste more time than they save --Processes that create more problems than they solve It took me years to recognize these patterns. To see below the surface. Now I see them easily. Here's the reality: Bad performance is a symptom. Not the root issue. The best leaders? They're not performance critics. They're performance detectives. Before your next conversation about performance, ↳ Ask yourself one question: ↳"Am I solving a pattern or fighting a symptom?" Because here's what I've learned: The greatest performance gaps are in our diagnosis, not their delivery. And the most dangerous words in leadership? ↳"They just need to do better." ↳No. They need you to look deeper. Your hardest job as a leader isn't fixing performance. It's unlocking their true potential. ❓ Think of your most challenging team member right now. What might you be missing about their true potential?

Confronting an underperforming employee is never easy. Here’s my guide to make sure it doesn’t go off the rails. Schedule a one-on-one meeting with the employee. Send the invite at least one day in advance via email, using a generic title like “Discussion”. Write detailed notes on what you plan to cover in the meeting. Meeting tone: Once the meeting starts, avoid small talk and get down to the matter at hand immediately. Maintain a positive and constructive attitude.  Focus on the facts, the impact, and the solutions. Do not focus on the personalities, the emotions, or point fingers. The beats of the meeting: Open by stating that this is going to be a difficult conversation about their performance issues. Make it clear that the goal of this meeting is to find a way for them to improve. This sets the tone. Next, describe the circumstances that have made this discussion necessary. Be specific about actions, dates and times, and tell them what the impact of their underperformance has been on the business and other co-workers. If applicable, tell them exactly where they’ve violated your policies. Get the employee’s perspective: Do they feel they have the necessary time, support, and resources to perform their job? Has anything changed in the business that has an impact on the employee’s performance? Has anything changed outside of the business, like a personal issue or health problem? Be clear about your expectations: Be specific, e.g. “Your job starts at 8 a.m. from Monday through Friday. You should be at your desk and available to answer client calls by that time every business day.” Together with the employee, make a detailed action plan you both understand and agree on. Set specific steps, deadlines, and targets. Include what you will do to support them. You should both sign and date the document. Schedule several followup meetings to check in on their progress. Once you’re done, update your meeting notes to include everything you discussed. Follow up: Send a recap of the meeting and your agreed upon action plan to the employee immediately after the meeting. If you have any to-do items on your side, get through them ASAP. You want them feeling the urgency of the situation. From there, things will go in one of two directions: Hopefully, the situation will improve. If it does, give that employee recognition. Refer specifically to what they’ve accomplished. Sometimes, things don’t get better. At that point, it’s time to move towards parting ways. — I hope this helps. Thoughts on this process? Comment below!