Page 102 - HBR Leader's Handbook: Make an Impact, Inspire Your Organization, and Get to the Next Level

92 HBR Leader’s Handbook

how busy you are. Sure, there will be times when it’s appropriate to give
feedback in the moment in response to a particular incident, but even then
you should take a deep breath to think before you speak. As a leader, your
words carry extra weight, and if you are overly negative, you can crush a
person’s spirit and self-confidence. So keep in mind a few principles:

• The act of giving feedback is first and foremost a business activ-
ity that’s important for the health of the organization—to make
sure people are doing the right things in the right ways. As Vito
Corleone said in The Godfather, “It’s not personal, it’s business.”
The goal is not to make the other person feel bad, or to put them
down, or to make yourself feel powerful. Rather, it’s about making
the other person successful so that you can achieve your organi-
zational goals. And if someone can’t be successful in their current
role, then it’s in both of your best interests to help the person find
another role where they can succeed, either in your organization
or elsewhere.

• Because feedback has a business purpose, frame the discussion as
a problem-solving exercise rather than just telling someone what
to do differently. Given current performance or personal behav-
iors, how can the person do better? What can they do? What can
you do to help? What other resources could you make available?
And what are the specific steps for moving forward, and over what
period of time? Structure the dialogue so that it’s a two-way street
where you define the problem and invite both parties to suggest
solutions.

• Base the feedback discussion on data and not just subjective
impressions. Look at the results the person has achieved versus
their goals, get views from other people who the person works
with, and refer to critical incidents or specific examples to back
up your message. Feedback should not be just your opinion.

Just as with any other skill, you need to practice, practice, practice.
Giving tough and constructive feedback doesn’t come easily for most lead-