Can't we just be honest?
Almost every company claims they promote values of honesty, transparency and trust. Yet, people still struggle with being honest. Here are a few examples:
- An employee isn’t meeting expectations and hasn’t been for a while. Their manager is going to deliver this news during their performance review.
- A business owner is frustrated with a team member who isn’t cut out for the job. Did I mention this team member has been in their position for 20 years? True story.
- A company hires people as freelancers with the understanding they’ll be made a regular employee within a set period. The time comes and goes, and the freelancer is then told they must jump through additional hoops before a decision is made.
What gives? Why can’t we be honest with one another?
Is it fear that’s holding us back?
Fear that if we told someone they weren’t meeting our expectations, they might quit?
And if they quit, would that be such a terrible thing?
Are we worried that we don’t have the right words to say what’s on our minds? If that’s the case, get some help. Ask your boss or a trusted colleague for guidance on handling a particular situation. If this happens frequently, hire a coach to help you better manage difficult conversations.
What employees want (and deserve)
Honest feedback. Employees want and need honest feedback. After all, how can you get better at something when you don’t know you need to improve? Your job as a leader is to provide ongoing feedback to your team.
Timely feedback. Numerous studies indicate that feedback is most effective when provided immediately versus a few days, weeks, or months down the line.
Specificity. If you’re happy with someone’s performance and want this person to continue doing certain things, then be explicit. Simply saying, “Good job!” isn’t enough. Instead, say something like, “Good job presenting at the sales meeting. I especially liked how you communicated the features and benefits of our new product line.”
How to give honest feedback
- Be objective and provide specific examples. The more recent the example, the better.
- Share your feedback in private. No need to embarrass people in front of others.
- Be respectful. Think about how you’d like to be treated in this situation.
- Focus on why it’s in someone’s best interest to take your feedback under advisement.
If I may be honest with you, it’s not that difficult being honest. Can it be uncomfortable having these types of conversations? You bet. However, with practice, this discomfort will quickly dissipate.
