This is a cross-post from the Water Cooler leadership forum. A forum for technology executives to discuss teh ins/outs of running fast growing/scaling companies

Here’s what I’ve done in the past that has proven helpful for me across many teams and companies.

Before I go further, I want to emphasize I work very hard to create cultures where feedback is constant, bi-directional, and the key emphasis is on learning and growing. This means mistakes are made, discussed, celebrated, and ultimately rooted in identifying what we can learn from it and how can we share those hearings far & wide.

Here are some things I do

  • I don’t wait to the next 1:1 to give feedback, I give it as soon as possible. This removes any stress you may have in providing it, and the details are still fresh in everyones mind
  • I am direct with my feedback. I don’t execute the preverbal “shit sandwich” trying to lessen the blow. Just discuss it
  • Discuss it. Don’t just deliver feedback. Always assume positive intentions, seek to deeply understand, and have a bi-directional conversation
  • Focus on what can be learned. This usually helps create a safer environment to receive feedback. I spend a lot of my time cultivating this type of environment

All of this is backdropped by creating a culture where learning & growth are the key goals and feedback is frequent and bi-directional.

These have worked for me over the years, hope they help.