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There's no denying that performance review season can be a headache for managers.
Editor's Note: SHRM has partnered with the Harvard Business Review to bring you relevant articles on key HR topics and strategies. In this article, the author outlines how HR and management can provide feedback to employees who might have a difficult or negative emotional reaction to performance reviews.
Harvard Business ReviewThere's no denying that performance review season can be a headache for managers. The process of writing reviews and delivering feedback takes a lot of time (especially if you do it thoughtfully) and can be particularly anxiety provoking if you have someone on your team who tends to have a difficult or negative emotional reaction to feedback. So how do you get ready to give feedback to someone who might cry, yell, or get defensive?
Advice for All Tough Feedback Sessions
Remember the "why." Focus on all the good reasons you're giving the feedback. Remind yourself and your employee by saying things like, "I need to share this with you because I want you to be successful here" or "I want to see you keep growing."
Kim Castelda, a senior vice president at the software company Bullhorn, oversees talent and human resources for 600 employees worldwide. She leads a training program on delivering difficult messages, certifying those who have exemplified a high level of skill in handling the toughest situations. Additionally, twice a year she surveys employees to ask whether they're receiving positive and constructive feedback from their managers. Says Castelda, "I've rarely met someone who didn't want to be successful, and giving feedback is an essential part of that. We want our people to be the best at this, so we hold them accountable."
Find your center and prepare. Start by increasing your own self-awareness: How do you react when another person has an emotional reaction? Do you sugarcoat the feedback - trying to avoid a conflict - or get frustrated and fight back? Says Castelda, "It's important to think about how...