“I have given feedback many times, but the employee still does not change.”
This is a common management challenge.
But perhaps we need to rethink what feedback really means.
Feedback is not simply telling someone:
“What you did wrong.”
Effective feedback should help people understand:
What happened → Why it matters → What should change → How to improve
McKinsey highlights the importance of clarity, simplicity, and the quality of feedback in performance management.
Good feedback should answer three questions:
- What?
What happened?
Use facts, not judgment.
- Impact?
How did it affect the customer, team, or business result?
- Next?
What should be done differently next time?
Most importantly:
Feedback should not only happen when something goes wrong.
If managers only talk to employees when they make mistakes, feedback can quickly become a negative experience.
Good feedback does not make people feel worse. It helps them see how they can perform better.
LET Perspective
Feedback becomes a powerful tool for Empowerment when it helps people understand the gap between their current capability and the capability they need.
Source: McKinsey & Company, What Works—and Doesn’t—in Performance Management.
