It’s time for a difficult conversation with a colleague or employee. A project just finished and didn’t go as anyone had hoped. You are dreading raising it directly. You are worried about how he or she will respond. So you are procrastinating and reading this article.
Good timing.
I estimate that at least 80% of the time, people already know what you are about to tell them about their performance. Yet somehow it is the manager’s responsibility to give corrective feedback??! We are so much more receptive to ideas for improvement when we come up with them ourselves.
Instead of jumping in to offer your perspective, try these more developmental, coaching steps :
The funny thing is, these steps work just as well when projects go well too. No matter how well a project goes, or how badly it bombs, there are always things to keep and always things to adjust. Try routinizing these conversations after every project. By taking this more developmental approach, you are keeping the “coachee” in the driving seat. You are building their capability to learn and grow. And you are strengthening your relationship with each other.