Every year – around this time of year, when we arrive at the mid-semester reviews – I wrestle with the need to provide feedback that’s both constructive, but also direct. It’s easy to avoid direct feedback, opting instead for faint praise, but that does students no long-term favours.
An honest approach is far better. If a direct conversation is what’s required, it’s far better to have that conversation when it can be addressed.
Alison Green, in an article titled ‘Subtlety Is Overrated’, notes:
Avoiding a direct conversation because it’s uncomfortable is where the real unkindness is. You end up prioritizing your own comfort over the employee’s ability to clearly hear where they’re going wrong and what they need to change.
The real unkindness is avoiding the direct conversation.
