Fido's A$$
Years ago I was teaching a class on Coaching & Developing Others for frontline manufacturing managers. We were talking about how to give feedback to employees on more sensitive subjects, such as body odor.
Suddenly, a relatively new supervisor looks at me and says, “So... I shouldn’t have told one of my guys last week that he smelled like Fido’s ass?”
That wasn’t a joke. That was a serious question.
That manager and I both learned a few lessons that day...
My advice on giving sensitive feedback?
- Do it discreetly and directly. If you try to address an issue with a whole group, typically everyone will know who you’re talking to except the person(s) you’re actually talking to.
- Be gentle, but direct. You might start the conversation with this: “This is awkward for me to tell you and probably awkward for you to hear.”
- Remind the person that you’re providing the feedback because you care.
My takeaways from that day?
- Leader behaviors aren’t always obvious. Even good people with good intentions can make what may seem like obvious mistakes.
- When in doubt, leave the jokes out. Many of us have used humor in uncomfortable conversations. Jokes and sarcasm can ruin a serious conversation or offend someone more when we intended to try and lighten up the situation.