Giving feedback is one of our biggest responsibilities as leaders. It’s also one of our biggest opportunities. When we share feedback with someone else, it can be a gift — especially when a new hire is looking for guidance.
 

And how we give feedback matters. The key is sharing feedback with compassionate directness. Compassionate directness is all about speaking up, disagreeing, and surfacing problems and pain points in real time. And doing it with compassion, empathy, and understanding.

Here’s what compassionate directness is:

• Sticking to the facts, without being emotional or accusatory
• Surfacing difficult or uncomfortable topics in real time
• Saying what you mean
• Speaking respectfully

Here’s what compassionate directness is not:

• Avoiding difficult topics
• Giving negative feedback in a confusing way by burying it in niceties
• Hiding behind “constructive” indirectness
• An excuse to be disrespectful or inconsiderate

Want to build your compassionate directness muscle? Join this Thrive Challenge.

Need help incorporating compassionate directness into your team’s culture? 

Here are three Microsteps that can help: