What do you do if your team members are resistant to constructive feedback?

2 Choose your words carefully

The way you communicate your feedback can make a big difference in how your team members respond to it. You want to avoid language that is vague, judgmental, accusatory, or dismissive. Instead, you want to use language that is clear, objective, respectful, and supportive. For example, instead of saying "You did a poor job on this task", you could say "This task did not meet the quality standards we agreed on. Let's review the criteria and see how we can improve it". By choosing your words carefully, you can reduce the chances of triggering a negative reaction and increase the chances of creating a positive dialogue.

3 Listen and empathize

Giving feedback is not a one-way street. You also need to listen and empathize with your team members' perspectives, feelings, and concerns. You want to show them that you care about their success, that you understand their challenges, and that you appreciate their efforts. You can do this by asking open-ended questions, acknowledging their achievements, validating their emotions, and offering your support. By listening and empathizing, you can build trust and rapport with your team members and make them more receptive to your feedback.

4 Focus on solutions

One of the main goals of giving feedback is to help your team members improve their performance and achieve their objectives. Therefore, you need to focus on solutions, not problems. You want to help your team members identify the root causes of the issues, explore the possible options, and select the best actions. You also want to help them set realistic and measurable goals, monitor their progress, and celebrate their improvements. By focusing on solutions, you can empower your team members to take ownership of their learning and development and motivate them to keep growing.

5 Follow up and reinforce

Giving feedback is not a one-time event. It is an ongoing process that requires follow-up and reinforcement. You need to check in with your team members regularly, provide them with additional feedback, and acknowledge their changes. You also need to model the behaviors you expect from them, such as seeking feedback yourself, implementing the suggestions, and sharing the results. By following up and reinforcing, you can ensure that your feedback leads to lasting and positive outcomes.

6 Handle resistance

Despite your best efforts, you may still encounter some resistance from your team members when you give them feedback. They may deny, argue, blame, or avoid the feedback, or show signs of anger, frustration, or resentment. In these cases, you need to handle the resistance calmly and professionally. You can do this by restating the purpose and benefits of the feedback, addressing the underlying concerns or fears, providing evidence or examples, and offering alternatives or compromises. By handling resistance, you can overcome the barriers and move forward with the feedback process.