Managers tend to inflate the feedback they give to their direct reports, particularly when giving bad news. And by presenting subpar performance more positively than they should, managers make it impossible for employees to learn, damaging their careers and, often, the company.
Are You Sugarcoating Your Feedback Without Realizing It?
Making critical feedback “nice” doesn’t make it more effective.
October 08, 2019
Summary.
Previous research into feedback inflation — when managers are too “nice” to employees while giving negative feedback — has centered on the idea that managers deliberately sugarcoat tough messages for fear of retaliation, or to protect their employees from feeling bad about themselves. But the authors’ research shows that many managers deliver inflated feedback unintentionally, and in fact think they’ve been much more clear than is the case. Simple prompts can help managers be more accurate, and help them gauge whether their employees have understood the problem.
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New!
HBR Learning
Performance Appraisal Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Performance Appraisal. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Take the pain out of employee reviews.