New Spin on Constructive Feedback: 3 Keys to Constructive Praise

You might call it constructive feedback when you have to correct an employee. But to the employee, it sounds like negative feedback.

Despite your best intentions, that’s usually the reality.

Of course, you want to find a way to deliver necessary feedback without sounding like you think the employee can’t do anything right!

New Spin on Constructive Feedback

The key is to make negative feedback sound like constructive praise. Still, many managers start with “You’re doing a great job, BUT …” And that “but” negates the compliment they started with … which tells the employee that, despite the good things he or she does, it’s the bad thing that stands out.

Believe it or not, employees appreciate managers who use constructive praise well. In fact, when you develop a constructive praise habit, you can boost employees’ productivity and even improve their outlook on the manager.

A Gallup study found that 80% of employees who have received meaningful feedback in the past week are fully engaged at work. Feedback that is constructive, positive and meaningful fuels performance and productivity.

Afraid to Be Critical?

But here’s the kicker: according to employees, managers often miss the opportunity, mostly because we hate to be critical.

Proof: Zenger/Folkman surveyed nearly 8,000 managers and found 44% find it stressful and difficult to give negative feedback. One-fifth said they avoid the practice entirely. And nearly 40% conceded to never giving positive reinforcement either.

Reconsider How You Give Feedback

Managers rarely want to give negative feedback to an employee who is usually a great performer but has areas where they could do things better. They fear their feedback will come across as “picky” or that the employee will feel like the good things they do aren’t appreciated and don’t matter.

And for managers who want to speak up, they fear their message can get lost in translation.

Case in point: I once worked alongside several other mid-level managers. The subordinates of one of these managers would tell other employees that they hated working for her. They said she berated them and tended to cut them down rather than build them up. But this same manager always praised her employees to other managers.

So, why did these employees feel the way they did? This manager wasn’t good at giving negative feedback. She was too straightforward and dwelt on the problem first, so her criticism left employees feeling belittled and unappreciated. This might not have been her intent, but regardless, her “bedside manner” was turning off her people.

3 Ways to Control the Message

There are practical steps you can take to turn feedback into constructive praise so it’s well received and will be followed up on:

1. Forget the ‘Feedback Sandwich’

This is a tactic often used by managers to give negative feedback, to “sandwich” the bad stuff in between two nuggets of good stuff. It’s not necessary – and savvy employees tend to see through it anyway. Just say what you need to say in a direct, brief way. Don’t beat around the bush or embellish.

Speak from the first person, “I noticed …” or “I don’t think you …” rather than “You didn’t …” or “You were wrong when …”, which may taint the feedback.

2. Give Feedback Without Judgment

Avoid overstating the feedback you’re giving. Managers often make negative feedback sound worse than it is to ensure they get their point across.

Being non-judgmental and even-keeled may help the employee who’s receiving criticism be more open and less defensive, creating more trust.

3. Ask What They’ll Do With the Feedback

A big part of learning is for people to figure out what to do with the feedback they’ve received. You can help them think through the situation by asking them how they will deal with it if it happens again. Do your part by letting them know you will support them.

When managers recognize how to point out what an employee needs to work on – while preserving the message that the employee does an overall good job – the negative feedback they give will be both useful and motivating.