Podcast: How to Give Feedback That’s Actually Helpful
Skip to content
Insight Unpacked Season 3: Can We Still Build a Green Economy? | Listen
Podcast: How to Give Feedback That’s Actually Helpful
Leadership Jan 30, 2020

Podcast: How to Give Feedback That’s Actually Helpful

Forget the “feedback sandwich.” On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we’ll tell you how to up your game.

Based on insights from

Ellen Taaffe

Listening: How to Give Feedback That’s Actually Helpful
download
0:00 Skip back button Play Skip forward button 9:03

What’s the best way to offer your employees and colleagues constructive criticism?

People often rely on the “sandwich technique,” squeezing in negative feedback between two helping of compliments. But Ellen Taaffe, a clinical assistant professor of leadership at Kellogg, doesn’t find this stale sandwich very appetizing. “I would caution people to be careful of using a formula to give feedback,” she says. “It’s not really authentic.”

Thankfully, there’s a better way. Taaffe shares some tips for how leaders can get better at giving and receiving feedback—and what you can do if you’re not getting any feedback at all.

Note: The Insightful Leader is produced for the ear, and not meant to be read as a transcript. We encourage you to listen to the audio version above. However, a transcript of this episode is available here.

Featured Faculty

Clinical Associate Professor of Management & Organizations

About the Writer
Anne Ford is a freelance writer based in Evanston, Illinois.
Most Popular This Week
  1. 5 Traits That Set the Best Leaders Apart
    A former CEO and current executive coach discusses the tendencies of these high performers, including sharing credit and ignoring shiny objects.
  2. Building Wealth for Your Kids? These 4 Habits Can Help Prevent Entitlement
    Too many advantages can become a disadvantage.
  3. A Key Ingredient for Making Teams Soar
    A study of pilots breaks down rapport into several components—and identifies which is most important for effective teamwork.
  4. To Spot AI Fakes, a Little Training Goes a Long Way
    A study of intelligence analysts shows that just 30 minutes of training can improve people’s ability to distinguish real images from fake ones.
  5. Want More Voices to Be Heard? Turn Up the Warmth
    A study of business-school classrooms shows that even subtle behavioral cues can help people feel more comfortable sharing their opinions and ideas.
  6. Does GameStop Signal the End of Short Selling as We Know It?
    A conversation with a prominent short seller about the possible consequences of a wild week on Wall Street.
  7. 5 Telltale Signs That a Photo Is AI-generated
    For one, scour for details that defy the laws of physics.
  8. Take 5: Let’s Get Ethical
    Kellogg faculty offer research-backed advice on how to foster an ethical work culture.
  9. How a Different AI Approach Can Cut the Queue
    An algorithm that bypasses a step in hospital triage has shown to be significantly more efficient.
More in Leadership
2211 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208
© Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern
University. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy.