You’re not doing an employee any favors by not telling them the truth.
Allowing an employee to go weeks, months, a year, or years without any honest performance feedback hurts them, their co-workers, and your customers. You’re not fooling anyone.
They need to know in real time their specific strengths to retain and their areas for improvement. They should learn how to enhance their performance. Take responsibility for helping them to improve.
You must say it the right way, so it is understood and acted upon in a positive and productive fashion. You should provide them with the tools and resources to excel. Of course, quickly recognize them when stronger performance occurs.
Leadership is coaching. People development should consume much of a leader’s day.
The right employees want to know how they are doing. If you are hiring right, they want to be their best.
Avoiding conversations involving honest, objective, and actionable feedback hurts both the leader and those you are leading. It costs leaders credibility, trust, performance, results, and retention of good employees. It decreases competence and confidence on your team.
You hired them so you are responsible. You owe it to them, the team, and your customers to optimize their opportunities for success.
It’s easy to say only nice things and avoid your responsibility but it always catches up and results in problems. Be a leader. Be a truth-teller.
Sources: Abrashoff, 2002; Blanchard, 2011; Collins, 2001; Drucker, 2001; Grant, 2017; Kotter, 2012; Lencioni, 2012; Maxwell, 1998; Welch, 2005.
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