Why we don’t get honest feedback as leaders, even when we ask for it. As a CEO or manager, it can feel utterly maddening to have leadership blindspots  and not get honest feedback at work— especially when you want to know what you improve on as a leader, in the first place. You try everything in your…
A simple framework to help give tough feedback to a coworker. The most common question I get asked by a manager who doesn’t want to become a bad boss is: “How do I give negative feedback to a coworker?” Giving honest feedback is the most deceptively difficult thing for a manager to do. A survey of nearly…
Your reaction sets the tone in your company. Don’t blow it by blowing up when you receive negative feedback from your team. Here’s how. They’re watching you. I don’t mean to sound creepy. But it’s something to come to terms with as a leader: Your team is watching you. As a leader, your actions set the example —…
Delivering negative feedback is hard — especially when you’re seen as a “the positive person” on your team. Here’s how to start doing it more regularly. “I need to right the ship.” A member of The Watercooler, our online leadership community in Know Your Team, admitted this a few months ago. He shared how he’d long delayed…
In 30 minutes, wherever you are in the world, you can now get the basics of getting and giving honest feedback. I’ve always dreamt of creating an online class. Yes, our writing has been helpful for folks who want to quickly digest a useful tip or two. And our half-day, in-person workshops have been excellent…
Beer taps and foosball tables aren’t signs of a strong company culture — honest communication and rigorous + respectful debate are. Here’s how to build a culture of the latter. Culture, at its core, is not what we outwardly say or show. Culture is rooted in our basic underlying assumptions — what we truly believe, even when we choose not…
Are you struggling with how to unlock honest feedback from employees? Here are six ways to get the employee feedback you need to hear. Feedback is critical to getting great work done. When you get honest feedback, it helps you make better decisions, it helps employees do their best work, and it helps you be a…
If you’ve always struggled to give negative feedback to your team, this is for you. Negative feedback is often the elephant in the room. “I love giving negative feedback at work,” said no one ever. Unless you enjoy causing people to be angry, upset or hurt — chances are you don’t like giving difficult feedback. We squirm,…
Why sharing bad news makes you a more effective leader. Sharing bad news is a good thing. As a leader, you might not think it, at first. But it’s true. Leaders who are honest about the bad — just as much as the good — are better leaders. But it’s not just me saying this. Research proves this. In…
Here are some sample responses to the 3 types of negative feedback that are most infuriating to hear. The feedback we receive can sometimes feel like bullshit. I recently spoke with a CEO who told me she received feedback from an employee who proclaimed, “This company doesn’t care about parents.” The employee then proceeded to gripe…