Former Leader: Avoiding Feedback Led to Costly Firings
In an article published by Inc. Magazine, a former leader describes how they avoided giving negative feedback, resulting in more firings than coaching.
A leader has admitted to previously avoiding difficult conversations with their team, which resulted in employees being terminated instead of receiving constructive feedback.
The author described how they would allow team members to continue performing below expectations, eventually leading to their dismissal. They later realized this was a lazy approach to avoiding uncomfortable discussions, and ultimately a more expensive solution than providing feedback.
The article highlights that employees cannot improve their performance if they are unaware of what is lacking. The leader explained that sometimes employees do not realize their standard of quality differs from the expectations set by management. In such cases, it is necessary to clearly demonstrate the standard, rather than simply describing the problem.
Furthermore, Kayode Faturoti, an internet entrepreneur and the article's author, emphasized that feedback must be a two-way street. He shared an experience with an SEO writer whose work he consistently corrected without explanation, until the employee pointed out they had never been trained on what was expected. Faturoti concedes that true feedback requires consistent guidance and clear communication of expectations.
The conclusion is that genuine leadership involves addressing challenging conversations and providing employees with necessary guidance, rather than resorting to dismissals.