When Feedback Crosses the Line

Most leaders believe that being direct and honest with negative feedback helps employees improve. And it can—when done thoughtfully. Our research shows, however, that when feedback comes across as belittling or humiliating, it often backfires, impairing performance rather than enhancing it.

In an online survey of 402 full-time U.S. employees, participants were asked to provide recollections of times when they received destructive criticism and what effects it had on them; 81 percent reported experiencing destructive feedback. More than 78 percent of these respondents described feedback so hurtful that they recalled it vividly, sometimes years later. While employees often remembered the performance issue itself, what lingered far longer was the emotional impact. Feelings of humiliation, shaken confidence and loss of trust dominated their recollections, shaping how they behaved long after the incident had passed.

These emotional aftershocks carry real personal and organizational costs. In this article, we will share our findings about the ways destructive criticism shows up, who delivers it and why, and how it affects employees and organizations. Then, we will outline five practical ways leaders can deliver critical feedback without causing lasting harm, illustrated with concrete examples.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Harvard Business Review.