Source: Image
I'd like to ask you to think about one of your kids or imagine that you have a child if you don't have one. Let's say that your child loves chocolate, especially the Snickers candy bar.
Source: Image
Now imagine that every time you come back home and give your child his/her favorite Snickers candy bar, you slap him/her right after that. You do it every single day for a full week.... guess what will happen? The next time you come home, and your child sees the Snickers candy bar he/she will panic, get scared and and will run away from you. When he/she grows up, that Snickers candy bar will be a haunting nightmare for him/her. Not only will he/she hate it, but he/she will have bad feelings every time he/she sees or hears about it. Do you know why? Because you've negatively conditioned your child to this reaction. You've negatively programmed them by continuous conditioning and thus a negative trigger has been created for them and associated with that Snickers candy bar. The Snickers candy bar is now associated with pain and humiliation for your kid. He/she will feel the pain and humiliation every time he/she sees it even if the slapping stops.
Source: Image
Now, think of managers who use the so-called "Sandwich technique" when giving feedback to their employees. "The Sandwich" technique, for those of your who are not familiar with it, has the following formula: Positive / Negative / Positive. You say start by saying something positive first, then you mention the negative aspect of their work, then you end up by saying something positive about them again.
Source: Image
I personally say that this is one of the most devastating techniques ever used in management and it doesn't have any positive effects. On the contrary it takes away trust and credibility. It kills the meaning of appreciation and it makes it hard to motivate your employees. When you want to reprimand or give negative feedback to one of your employees, if every time you do that you start by saying something positive first or appreciate them in one way or another, then you're using the killer "Sandwich" technique. Not good at all. If you've been guilty of using this method, I say leave it right now and never go back to it. You're giving a chocolate to your employee and then slapping them right after that...Remember the negative effects of doing so with the example of the Snickers candy bar? Eventually, your words of appreciation and encouragement will lose their meaning and effect. Over time, when you want to say something nice to them, they will take it negatively and in a defensive way and will be waiting for the negative message to come, even if there was no negative message to follow.
Source: Image
How would you give feedback then? Just be simple, honest and straight to the point. Don't make the employee's identity or personality the subject of criticism, but focus on the negative action or task in a supportive, coaching and empowering way.
For example, instead of saying: "Hey Peter, the quality of your work is very bad which shows how lousy you are"!, say something like: "Hey Peter, the report you sent me yesterday had few errors in the data analysis section, I would like to show you how to fix those errors so that your future reports will be perfectly done. I trust you can do it".
Source: Image
If you look at this last example, you'll see no Sandwich technique used...You don't start by positive and then go into negative, you start with the point you want to fix right away and offer help and support in an empowering non-threatening way. You offer coaching which is very much needed and appreciated. No one can be offended if you do it this way. Of course, I don't need to comment on the first example I used with Peter, obviously his manager was having a bad day and just vented on him. People get defensive when you criticize their identity and character, it's their core and nobody can tolerate their core being threatened. So, cut to the chase, don't sugar code your negative feedback, make it straight to the point, yet descent with no threatening of the core or identity of your employees. This will make them enjoy the candy bar when you give it to them and be more appreciative and accepting to the negative feedback you give.
Will have to use that. Constructive criticism on a whole different level. Effective.
Good stuff @yurisincero Yes, it's a totally different level of communicating effectively.
Good post it has me thinking if I have used that technique myself a lot or not. I know there were a few places that did encourage that sort of theory, but now I see they were not all that correct about it. I definitely agree that you need to be encouraging to fix the issue when you point out a negative issue. Telling someone they are bad without a remedy is just adding another wrong to the situation, two wrongs never make a right.
Well said @paced.financial. Two wrongs never make a right. Can't agree more. And yes, a sound person instinctively wouldn't use such an destructive way to get what he/she wants from others.
@originalworks
I love it, be honest and straight down the line. I'm a teacher and I speak to parents. I tell it like it is, because that is what they want.
Absolutely. And that's the way it always needs to be, at work, at home, with parents and even friends. Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts.
You raise a good point here, if a person needs to use the sandwich technique they might want to consider your "open face sandwich". Slap the person with the bad, and then give them a little praise and vote of confidence. Saves a slice a bread, which in most cases is unhealthy from what I've been told.
Good read friend.
lol...Yes, I like that as well.... It works, as long as your slap is not too harsh. And it's definitely more healthy to save that slice. :)
I never knew that there is a beautiful term for such feedback technique.
By the way, from your reading, it is apparent that this sandwich technique should be avoided.
Keep up the good work :)
Thanks Dr. Hafiz. And yes, this technique should be avoided as it's proven ineffective. Thanks for reading.
I think there are applications for the sandwich technique. It's all about knowing your people and dealing with the situation at hand. In the case of a single deficiency, clear and direct communication and instruction is usually the best method, however, when doing an overall assessment, as in a yearly assessment, it may be beneficial to employ the sandwich technique depending on the individual, especially when that individual is valuable to the organization. Even then, the emotional fortitude of the individual still matter. The most important thing is fostering a relationship in which team members can trust each other to provide open, respectful, honest and necessary communication.
Thanks for the great read.
You're very welcome. Thanks for sharing your insights @moeknows. I can see you capture the essence of my message. For the annual assessment, yes it needs to be comprehensive covering all aspects of the employee's performance, the good the ugly and the bad. I see this specific situation as a bit of special one. Here's how I do it with a team member reporting to me: I'd tell him all the good points about hims with not buts. I do that with proof and evidence to be genuine. Then I point out all deficiencies and nonperformance dimensions without sugar coating them. Just straight to the point with development action plan suggested. Then I would end on a positive note. This might seem like a sandwich but it actually isn't because each performance issue handled separately without mixing it with others. I see we're on the same wavelength.
I really enjoyed this post. I've always found that many of my managers used the sandwich technique. It just leaves you feeling worthless. Honestly, I became so fed up with it, I became self-employed, lol. When I start a business, I'll be sure to take a more constructive approach towards my employees.
Congratulations on breaking out of the employment imprisonment. I'm sure you'll be a very effective manager and leader just by avoiding the mistakes you saw in other managers. Go for it and start that business and make a difference.
Great post and I remember being taught this concept about 30 Years ago and I have used it ever since it is very effective and gives people guidance without destroying their ego or motivation
Thanks @tattoodjay... Yes, giving feedback the right way makes a big difference not just with people we might be in a position to manage at work, but also with our kids, spouses and even friends. It does make a big difference in the way we are perceived and the way other get motivated / demotivated.
Yes it is a good habit for all areas of our lives without a doubt
Great post. I think this is one of the reasons I want out from the 9-5 grind. I've dealt with too many people that were good or even great engineers and terrible managers.
I've had one good manager and the only thing he did to make him a good manager in my eyes, was to make me feel like a human being and not just a resource used to make some CEO hundreds of millions of dollars.
You're very right @gniksivart. That's a very good reason to be independent and break free from the prison of employment. Another reason for me is the freedom to do whatever I want whenever I want to. I see you're well on your way to do that with your work here. I hope we can break free through our work on the steemit platform.
Resteemed by @resteembot! Good Luck!
Curious?
The @resteembot's introduction post
Get more from @resteembot with the #resteembotsentme initiative
Check out the great posts I already resteemed.
Resteemed by @resteembot! Good Luck!
Curious?
The @resteembot's introduction post
Get more from @resteembot with the #resteembotsentme initiative
Check out the great posts I already resteemed.
This post was resteemed by @steemvote and received a 46.2% Upvote
It is one of those management skills they forget to teach.
While I agree it is always important to correct a wrong or address a problem, how you do it will be the difference in how your employee reacts to it.
I prefer to have a good working relationship and communication going back and forth. This has always gotten me the respect I want and gives then back the same.
Excellent input @dswigle ... Having good working relationship and effective communication with your team is the foundation for any improvement in their performance. Thumbs up :)
RichForever here announcing ma presence @nuridin. Nice meeting ya.
Thanks my friend... always nice to see you around. :)
Your Post Has Been Featured on @Resteemable!
Feature any Steemit post using resteemit.com!
How It Works:
1. Take Any Steemit URL
2. Erase
https://3. Type
reGet Featured Instantly – Featured Posts are voted every 2.4hrs
Join the Curation Team Here
The offer of collaboration to fix the error is far more valuable to the employee than negative feedback. Plus, collaboration is teamwork and managers are responsible for the team.
Discard the sandwich and cultivate the team.
Well said... That's the way managers should be... focusing on improving the performance of their teams rather than just rambling negativity at them.
I definitely agree with you here on the sandwhich technique for feed back. It is terrible and really unproductive. One of the biggest problems we have is communication in general. We aren't really taught in school how to talk to one another, it is all learned behavior from our parents and friends. Unfortunately many parents don't take the time to teach their kids the proper way to talk to or listen to other people. Because of that not to many people in this world know how to take any sort of constructive criticism without getting angry :/
That's absolutely right... It does start from the way people are brought up by their parents. It leaves a long term mark on their personality and communication. This should be taught to parents so they can properly program their kids at a young age. Then we'll see a much different picture in the workplace.
شكرا للمشاركة الجميلة و النصائح المفيدة! فعلا فن اتقان اعطاء النصيحة امر هام جدا
حصلت على تصويت من
@arabsteem curation trail !
و تم اختيار مقالتك ضمن مقالات يومية مختارة للنشر اليوم في مقالنا! :)
by firing squad
Doesn’t work well on your kids either. It’s bascially giving a back handed compliment.
Exactly... and back handed compliments do a lot of damage, both for kids and grown ups.
Yeah and not only that but it trains society to be passive aggressive instead of constructive and strait forward.
But sandwiches are tasty and simple, all be if full of hair :)
Yeah, burger sandwiches are :) But not the shit sandwich people use thinking they are outsmarting others.
I would much rather eat a burger sandwich, like you said. A shit sandwich doesn't sound quite as appealing lol :)
I am quite the worst at management, but this makes a great deal of sense - thank you very informative.
#thealliance
You're welcome @c0ff33a I'm glad you saw value in it.
Thanks for your effort. I give you 0.01 sbd :)
You're very welcome. And thanks for your kind gift :)
I agree with @moeknows - I think there is a time and place for the "sandwich technique", but it's wholly dependent on the individual which you're trying to correct/motivate. For example, I have done quite a bit of project management with artists and creatives as the main chunk of the crew, and they tend to be a bit more sensitive with criticism. For some people, they just can't take the clear and direct approach.
But ultimately I agree with your sentiment that generally speaking it's not the most effective technique for most people.
The KEY, imho, is to give clear feedback without making ANYTHING personal. I'm not just talking about direct insults, I'm talking about just avoiding the word "you" when giving feedback. If you make the feedback about the project/product, and not about the worker/creative/person, then they're usually in a good headspace to get what needs to get done, done without feeling deflated. ...because it's not about them, ultimately!
I like your idea of focusing on the project / task, not the person. That way your feedback, even if it's direct, is not threatening and can be taken and accepted. I still see there's no suitable situation where the "Sandwich" technique can be useful... You either give sincere and genuine compliment and praise, or you focus on what needs to be corrected / developed / changed in a non-threatening way. Mixing those up won't get us the results we want or hope for. Thanks for your input, I agree with the core of your message.
Maybe some guys think the sandwich method is a way of minimizing the effect of the sopposedly "bad news or report' they are bringing.
Yes, that's their intention... But intentions are not effective if the actual words and actions associated with them are not.
I always use myself as a reference point for criticism first, for example any mistakes made by an employee I'd say 'I've done that', it showed I wasn't any different and could relate to the mistake made. I made no distinction between myself and the people I managed, taking a humanistic approach meant I was approachable.
The sandwich technique is patronising and demeaning, as a life coach we were taught to use this method as a tool on our course. This method is only an idea, or a theory, and in my view is used as a tool to control.
Well said @fiercewarrior. It's a demeaning and controlling way to manipulate the person you're using it with. This is not empowering or motivating at all. As a matter of face, it's destroys trust and confidence. I'm glad to know you're a life coach, I admire this role very much as you have a magnificent influence on the people you coach. Way to go.. I'm sure I can learn a lot from you.
I think you've got it the other way round @nuridin, it is I, who will learn from you!
Thanks for the post, it gave me a whole perspective on presenting criticism. I was one of those people who always felt criticisms should be pre-faced with appreciation and praises.
Now I know better!
You're very welcome @dxn ... I'm glad you found value in this post and I hope I can provide more valuable management strategies to help managers be effective leaders. Thanks for reading.
awesome article! I've been guilt of using the sandwich method sometimes hehehe but I also use the correct one. Thanks for posting this! Every manager should red this!
Thank you @evecab ... Yes, most managers are unconsciously guilty of using this way, but it's never too late to change. The beautiful thing about this, is that once you adopt the new collaborative and empowering style, it takes off any of the past negativity.
Funny how in management this is the first coaching method that is taught to new supervisors and managers when giving performance feedback to people.
I've always believed it was counter productive because people tend try to divert from the issue at hand and not deliver teh message or create a negative perception that whatever they do is not good enough.
I have sat on a lot of managers coaching their staff using the triangle coaching form and found themselves limiting the discussion.
I personally like using a STAR/AR method of letting the individual talk more and I listen. However we cannot sound like interrogating when using this method.
Glad you are sharing these kinds of posts.
Yes, that's right... most traditional old-style management training programs promote that style which is totally ineffective. And yes, listening to your team more than talking is the right way to do it. It makes them open up and make you know exactly what's going on with them, so when you talk, what you say is listened to and absorbed. Thanks for your valuable input @maverickinvictus
I am sure to follow your management skill or let me say always following your article. You are a great entrepreneur.
Thank you very much @seyiodus... You're an amazing mentor and coach... Lucky to know you for sure :)
nice work buddy! thanks for sharing this valuable information. i agree, giving constructive criticism is the better way of dealing with people. and it doesnt hurt or compromise your relationship with them. great post! :)
Thanks Andy.... Yes, it's all about the words you say, not only the intention you have. Thanks for your kind words.
my pleasure my friend! :)
Thanks for sharing this technique with us. I've had this used on me in a few different jobs and it really doesn't feel good. I much prefer honest truth every day of the week.
Congrats on being mentioned in The Alliance - Buried Treasures - Ep. 12.
Thanks @gniksivart... I didn't know I was nominated before I saw your comment :) I'll go check it out... I appreciate it :)
My mother was terrible about saying "I love you but..." then go on to what I was doing that she definitely did not love... very much like your sandwich technique! I got to where "I love you" made me cringe because here came the gripe next...
Yes, that's excactly what I'm talking about.. Hopefully you are not doing the same thing :) No "but" after I love you ... ever :)
:) Just the occasional "I love your butt" to my husband lol!
loll....that one is fine :) doesn't fall under my warning
This was pretty darn good hey.
Thank you :)