How do you balance praise and criticism when giving feedback?

During my tenure as General Manager at Inca Sushi Delivery & Take Away LTDA, I had to address an issue with one of our kitchen staff who was consistently missing important steps in the food preparation: I started by acknowledging the employee’s strengths and contributions: “I really appreciate your dedication and the creativity you bring to our kitchen. Your innovative sushi rolls have been a hit with our customers, and your positive attitude is a great asset to our team.” Next, I addressed the issue at hand: “However, I’ve noticed that there have been several instances where some critical steps in our food preparation process were overlooked. This has led to a few quality issues, which we need to address to maintain our high standards.”

Balancing praise and criticism in feedback involves a structured approach. Start with specific praise to highlight what the person did well, fostering a positive tone. For example, "Your presentation was clear and engaging, which helped the team understand the project goals." Then, introduce specific areas for improvement: "However, the slides had too much text, which made some points harder to follow. Simplifying them could enhance clarity." Conclude with encouragement: "Overall, great job! I’m confident that with these adjustments, your next presentation will be even more impactful." This method ensures feedback is clear, actionable, and motivating.

But devil is in the details, when you soften your feedback including usage of your tone, be ready that a person will not recognise that something went wrong. Pointing issues using positive and encouraging tone could be considered by a person as just a slight misunderstanding rather than real point for improvement. Being honest, polite and respectful is better and more effective than being positive.

This is so essential, that in many countries, labor legislation requires any corrective measure to be applied in the moment the flaw happened, otherwise it is considered an implicit forgiveness by the employer. Additionally, maintaining a positive and encouraging tone, even when discussing areas for improvement, is key. Here is an example: "Marcus, I really liked how you came up with that idea to a new dish and I believe that if you find a way to make it less costly, we could launch it as our new main champion dish" This approach promotes a culture where feedback is seen as a tool for growth rather than criticism.

Feedback should not be a one-way street. Here is how I approached an employee during my time as restaurant owner: Me: "__Marcus, I noticed you seem a little tired and annoyed in the workplace, and I care about you. Is there anything happening in the company or in your personal life that I could help you with? Perhaps talking to your colleagues, help you rent a better apartment...etc. I am here to help you be your best. Marcus: "__Thank you for being considerate. I am indeed a bit annoyed but those are private issues that have nothing to do with the workplace. I wasn't aware my expressions were making this so visible. There is nothing you should worry and I'll do my best to solve my issues as soon as possible"

In my experience , I have found the best way to achieve the outcome desired is to do it this way. If you choose not to do it this way then this happens and if you do it another way then this happens. So the best way to achieve our goal is to do it this exact way and be specific. Then ask them if they have any questions. The person will already know what you are talking about and adjust accordingly. Let them know you are available for any questions they may have along the way, then be available.

After delivering feedback, discussing follow-up actions is crucial. 1) Establish clear, attainable goals and outline the steps needed to achieve them: For example, when I wanted my sushi chefs to not forget any topping for the dishes, I encouraged them by rewarding each a salary bonus if on that month our order incompletness rate fell. 2) Set measurable milestones to track progress and schedule regular check-ins to maintain momentum: In the same way, whenever we hit a new peak record of orders, due to improved performance, we would have a special dinner the next day. I could see my employees excited whenever we were close to beat the 50 orders mark, the 60 orders mark, and so on.