Is “nice” a four letter word when giving feedback?

Do you really have to be brutal when delivering feedback to others? Some people think “nice” is a four letter word. This comes from a workplace culture where people are afraid to speak the truth. Instead of looking for a “nice” way to communicate critical feedback, they think there is only the opposite choice — being cruel when giving feedback.

This is a classic example of dichotomous thinking. Dichotomous thinking means thinking of a situation in terms of black ...