One of the most important skills a leader can have is the ability to give and receive feedback well. Feedback is the best way teams can grow, but many leaders either avoid it or handle it poorly, which ends up doing more harm. When feedback is absent in the workplace, employees struggle because they don’t know how well they’re doing in their job. If feedback is given badly, it can damage the confidence of employees. Learning to give healthy feedback in a helpful way and learning how to receive it without taking offense can separate the strong leaders from the weak ones.

            A common mistake that managers can make is only giving feedback when something goes wrong. If an employee only hears from their boss when they make a mistake, it begins to feel more like a punishment rather than a form of guidance. This can lead to workers becoming anxious to hear from their boss and can discourage them from taking risks and being honest about the problems they’re facing. Good leaders can balance their feedback by recognizing what their employees do well and offering advice for when they do something incorrectly. Pointing out a worker’s strengths reinforces their behavior and gives them the confidence to put more energy into their tasks.

            The way feedback is delivered also matters. Some leaders can be vague with their critiques which ends up leading to confusion. Others can be harsh and criticize the person instead of the actual work. Strong leaders should be able to explain exactly what caused a problem and what a better outcome would look like. It shouldn’t be delivered in a way that makes employees feel bad about themselves but rather knowing what they should be changing.

            Giving the feedback is only part of it though. A leader who expects their team to take critiques well should also be willing to accept it themselves. Some leaders act defensively when given critiques which leads to their entire team staying quiet even when they want to speak up. When a leader can listen to concerns and implement changes, it makes employees want to do the same. It creates more trust amongst team members and makes everyone feel safer being honest.