Podcast: The Art of Giving Good Feedback
Skip to content
Nov 8, 2021

Podcast: The Art of Giving Good Feedback

On this episode of The Insightful Leader: how to talk so that your team (and boss) will listen.

Being too nice can obscure the message
Based on insights from

Ellen Taaffe

Listening: The Art of Giving Good Feedback
download
0:00 Skip back button Play Skip forward button 16:34

How do you tell an employee that their behavior during a meeting was inappropriate? And is there a way to couch it so they change?

It takes skill, but you can give feedback that encourages, rather than discourages. Just make sure you don’t sugarcoat it, says Ellen Taaffe, a clinical assistant professor of management and organizations.

“I think that sometimes on our way to trying to be nice and fair and not insulting to someone, sometimes we’re not clear.”

After all, how can anyone improve if they don’t think anything is wrong? In this episode of The Insightful Leader, we look at how to give tactful feedback that helps people improve.

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; Director of Women's Leadership Programs

Most Popular This Week
  1. How Are Black–White Biracial People Perceived in Terms of Race?
    Understanding the answer—and why black and white Americans may percieve biracial people differently—is increasingly important in a multiracial society.
    How are biracial people perceived in terms of race
  2. Don’t Wait to Be Asked: Lead
    A roadmap for increasing your influence at work.
    An employee leads by jumping from the bleachers and joining the action.
  3. Which Form of Government Is Best?
    Democracies may not outlast dictatorships, but they adapt better.
    Is democracy the best form of government?
  4. Knowing Your Boss’s Salary Can Make You Work Harder—or Slack Off
    Your level of motivation depends on whether you have a fair shot at getting promoted yourself.
    person climbin ladder with missing rungs toward rich boss surrounded by money bags on platform
  5. Sitting Near a High-Performer Can Make You Better at Your Job
    “Spillover” from certain coworkers can boost our productivity—or jeopardize our employment.
    The spillover effect in offices impacts workers in close physical proximity.
  6. Why Do Some People Succeed after Failing, While Others Continue to Flounder?
    A new study dispels some of the mystery behind success after failure.
    Scientists build a staircase from paper
  7. Will AI Eventually Replace Doctors?
    Maybe not entirely. But the doctor–patient relationship is likely to change dramatically.
    doctors offices in small nodules
  8. Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition Is Still Entrepreneurship
    ETA is one of the fastest-growing paths to entrepreneurship. Here's how to think about it.
    An entrepreneur strides toward a business for sale.
  9. Four Strategies for Cultivating Strong Leaders Internally
    A retired brigadier general explains how companies can prioritize talent development.
    Companies should adopt intentional leadership strategies since developing leaders internally is critical to success.
  10. Take 5: How to Be Prepared for Important Career Moments
    Expert advice on getting ready to network, negotiate, or make your case to the CEO.
    How to be prepared
  11. Why Do Long Wars Happen?
    War is a highly inefficient way of dividing contested resources—yet conflicts endure when there are powerful incentives to feign strength.
    long line of soldiers marching single file through a field
  12. Podcast: The Case for Admitting (Some) Flaws at Work
    On this episode of The Insightful Leader: Why showing vulnerability can actually be a boon for leaders.
  13. 2 Factors Will Determine How Much AI Transforms Our Economy
    They’ll also dictate how workers stand to fare.
    robot waiter serves couple in restaurant
  14. What Went Wrong at AIG?
    Unpacking the insurance giant's collapse during the 2008 financial crisis.
    What went wrong during the AIG financial crisis?
  15. Take 5: How to Sell Your Startup from the Start
    Advice from our experts on pitching your idea—and yourself.
    entrepreneurs pitch to venture capitalists for funding
  16. How Has Marketing Changed over the Past Half-Century?
    Phil Kotler’s groundbreaking textbook came out 55 years ago. Sixteen editions later, he and coauthor Alexander Chernev discuss how big data, social media, and purpose-driven branding are moving the field forward.
    people in 1967 and 2022 react to advertising
  17. Take 5: Not So Fast!
    A little patience can lead to better ideas, stronger organizations, and more-ethical conduct at work.
  18. Podcast: So You Want to Be a Luxury Brand
    So opulent! So exclusive! In the first of two bonus episodes, we explore everything that helps brands like Ferrari and Manolo Blahnik scream luxury.
    woman with pink hotel handbag entering pink hotel
  19. Immigrants to the U.S. Create More Jobs than They Take
    A new study finds that immigrants are far more likely to found companies—both large and small—than native-born Americans.
    Immigrant CEO welcomes new hires
More in Business Insights Entrepreneurship