Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

Good morning. This is Laura.

Welcome to the Before Breakfast Podcast.

Today's tip is about how to give tough feedback.

This tip, like a few others in recent episodes,

is from management expert Allison Green's book, Ask a Manager.

One of the toughest parts of managing is telling people when stuff is going wrong.

No one likes to give bad news,

especially if you can't then run out the door and disappear.

You have to show up and work with this person

tomorrow and tomorrow and the next day.

So what should you do?

Green writes that because you have authority and thus a great deal of control over people's

livelihoods, you have an obligation to be kind and compassionate,

but you need to do that while still setting a high bar

for what you need and expect from your staff.

If the work isn't done well, none of you will be around for long.

So here's how to handle it.

First, says Green, the kindest thing you can do for your staff members

is to be really clear with them.

Don't put off the conversation.

Don't beat around the bush or sugarcoat what's going on.

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