Giving feedback to defensive employees

June 11, 2019

Management gurus will tell you that feedback is important to employees, especially to Millennials—who supposedly need and crave feedback but rarely ask for it—and Generation Z, 40% of whom say they want feedback daily.

But most people don’t respond well to feedback, even though they know it’s a valuable factor in improving their skills and advancing their careers. Negative feedback is especially difficult and can cause an employee to become angry or defensive. Some may even shut down completely or ignore it entirely.

Experienced employees who have received feedback from their managers in the past handle it better. Leaders can help potentially defensive employees to be better at receiving feedback by practicing five steps.

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