In this episode of Manager Tools, Sarah and Mark discuss why managers find it difficult to deliver negative feedback and what can be done to address this issue. They outline several reasons, including lack of trust, negative past experiences, previous failures, lack of positive feedback, the previous boss effect, lack of briefing, and lack of practice. The speakers emphasize that lack of trust is the primary reason managers avoid giving negative feedback, leading to resistance and defensiveness from their directs. They suggest building trust through one-on-ones and providing more positive feedback. They also address the importance of understanding the purpose of feedback, which is to encourage effective future behavior rather than merely pointing out errors. The speakers share personal experiences and data to support their guidance, highlighting the need for managers to slow down, build trust, and focus on encouragement to improve performance and retention.
