Should You Give Negative Feedback to Your Manager?

Whether you’re dealing with a supervisor who criticizes you in front of others, is dismissive of you, interrupts you, or otherwise frustrates you, giving negative feedback to the person you report to is a daunting prospect.  Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Tijs Besieux, a researcher at Harvard Business School, offers tips for deciding whether and how to proceed.

• Determine if it’s necessary:  A one-time offense is different from a pattern. And even if you are justified, do the potential rewards outweigh the risks?
• Prepare:  Block time on your manager’s calendar, identify how you want to begin the conversation. as your opening will set the tone for the whole interaction. Then plan the details of what you want to cover.
• Rehearse: It’s hard to stick to a plan when you are nervous. Rehearsing can calm your nerves. Try practicing with another person, then ask them: ”Is my message clear?   How would you feel after hearing this?”
• Talk, then listen:  Once you’ve delivered your core message, take a beat. Give your manager time to reflect and respond. Waiting even a few seconds may feel like a lifetime, but be patient, and give your manager as much time to talk as you take.

Have you ever given negative feedback to your manager, and did it yield the desired result? As a manager, can you remember when one of your employees successfully gave you negative feedback? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.
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