How to Give Feedback to Your Friend

Good relationships at work can make feedback weird.

Photo by Helena Lopes

Let’s agree on one thing. Feedback is important.

It helps people work better together. Yet, saying to others what they do ‘wrong’ or ‘right’ is not everyone’s cup of tea.

It’s even more difficult when you have to deliver it to your friend. You scratch your head and think: “How should I tell them about this?”

Don’t overcomplicate feedback to your work friends. It is easier than you think.

Don’t tiptoe too long

Two managers had the same situation in the past couple of weeks. They noticed mistakes their work friends had made, and they wanted to tell them.

How?

They did not know how to spit it out. They kept their mouths shut since they were afraid of telling them. Yet, it would improve processes and communication.

Relationships make feedback easier but also harder. You don’t want to affect your friendships. At the same time, you don’t want to go behind their backs and solve it for them. Feedback from your friends can be weird.

So, you wait for a good time to chat. Yet, you should not postpone such conversations for a long time. It will annoy you and them even…