4 Ways to Gently Criticize Asian Employees
In many Asian cultures, being criticized for one’s work can be interpreted as a “loss of face.” Asians are also generally careful not to offend the feelings of others.
This not need be the case. After all, the world’s most successful entrepreneurs—Steve Jobs, Jack Ma, and Richard Branson—celebrate failure. Making mistakes is part of every start-up’s journey because only then can entrepreneurs and their teams learn and become better at what they do.
Often, though, Southeast Asian managers get caught in a sticky situation where they have to speak up about a team member’s attitude towards co-workers or his output. At the same time, managers have to ensure that the person understands the message clearly and is motivated to do better.
Here are four ways to give negative feedback effectively:
1. Say it while the issue is fresh
“Often, in a manager’s desire to keep the peace and give negative feedback to an employee, the time given to provide feedback becomes delayed, [which leads] to a more difficult situation for both the manager and the employee,” says Anj Vera, CEO of employer branding firm TalentView.
Vera cites studies showing that positive change is most likely to occur if feedback is provided closer to the incident. In addition, it is also helpful and less awkward when feedback is expanded to cover how the manager and the company can support the employee in reaching their professional goals. This could mean learning a new skill or developing his or her current role.
2. Focus on the behavior, not the person
“Do not tell the person that he or she has a problem, [instead] be clear that it is his or her specific behavior that you have a problem with,” Vera says. This way, the employee will not feel under attack and become defensive about the feedback process.
Also, she says, do not bring up past mistakes or other incidents that have already been addressed. Managers should instead focus on the issue at hand and enable the employee to work on one behavior at a time.
3. Use the sandwich method
Vera advises managers to use the “sandwich method,” which means that you should first cite a positive observation before giving the feedback and then end with another positive observation.
She gives this type of dialogue as an example:
Positive observation: “I noticed your eagerness to help the client on the project.”
Feedback: “I also noticed that you may need to use lesser words in your email to simplify your message.”
Positive note: “I am confident you can make the necessary adjustment as you have been able to do this before.”
4. Give feedback that is yours to give
Vera advises against giving feedback that is not yours to give — for instance, if you simply heard it from someone else or the problem has not yet been verified. “This will lead to a subjective perception of you as a manager and all other feedback you will give will be tainted by this perception,” she says.
Article Source: http://inc-asean.com/4-ways-to-gently-criticize-asian-employees/
Image Source: http://inc-asean.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/feedback_1940x900.jpg
VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Address (v.) ~ speak to (a person or an assembly), typically in a formal way
2. Verify (v.) ~ make sure or demonstrate that (something) is true, accurate, or justified
3. Perception (n.) ~ a way of regarding, understanding, or interpreting something a mental impression
4. Tainted (adj.) ~ contaminated with an undesirable quality
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. How do you usually react when you are given a negative feedback by your boss? Why do you react that way?
2. What do you think is the best way to tell someone that he/she made a mistake at work? Explain your answer.
3. What kinds of comments from the higher-ups do you find upsetting? Give some example.
