As an employer, it’s your responsibility to help each employee succeed. What do you do when employees don’t want your advice?
In an article published by Fast Company, a small business owner shares five tips for difficult conversations on employee improvement.
Keep criticism private and praise public. Remember this rule even for the heated moments, where you’d like to use the employee as an example. Other employees are watching how you respond possibly even more than they are listening to what you say.
Keep employees in the loop. Let them know when the conversation will be about performance, since no one likes to be caught off guard. For example, the article gives this example, “Do you have time for a one-on-one? I had some suggestions I was hoping to share with you. If you are not prepared for that now, we can discuss it at another time.”
Build & keep trust. A good litmus test for your employee relationship is whether the employee knows you are sharing the advice for their best interests. If they know your goal is to help them succeed, not to trap them, they will likely be less defensive.
Watch your own reaction. Even if you have strong trust built, being angry in the moment of delivering the feedback can tear the relationship down.
Feedback is essential. Just because the conversation is difficult does not mean you should not have it. Your job is to help employees succeed, and one way to do that is to tell them how.
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