Avoiding giving critical feedback? Overcome the fear of conflict when managing people

When I have asked managers why they hesitate to give constructive feedback to their employees, I hear things like:

I’m worried she’ll get upset
I’m afraid to hurt our relationship
I don’t think he can take it and will argue
I don’t want to start a conflict

What do all of these excuses have in common? Fear.

We fear the other’s reaction. Notice how in each of these explanations, the burden is put on the other person. “She’ll get upset” or “she won’t be able to ...

Equal Employment Opportunity laws — a quick primer for your business*

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws define and prohibit “discrimination” at work. Discrimination is a term of art and it has required components in order to prove it exists. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is the federal agency charged with seeing these laws are complied with. Employees can also hire private attorneys to advise them. EEO laws protect particular classes of people from discrimination. Sometimes people say EEO laws give these classes of people “superior” rights — not true. What ...

Giving and receiving effective feedback

Giving and receiving effective feedback may mean giving up “Northwest Nice” to be present and authentic

I’m one of those people who can be a little smug about how awesome it is to live in the Northwest. We have gorgeous mountains, rivers, lakes, coastline, forests and great food. We place a premium on good relationships, which gives us strong communities. But just like everything has an upside, everything has a downside, too. Our preference for positive relationships can sometimes lead us ...