Bad News Does Not Improve with Age: how to know when to speak up

One of the key challenges of teamwork and leadership is when to bring up items of concern and when not to. Should you give the feedback, or let it go? Point out the problem you see (that no one else seems to), or “be supportive” (and see what happens)? One obviously cannot bring up every issue that might be a problem. But in my experience people tend not to address items that need to be brought up, rather than the other way around.

Hearing the hardest feedback

Sometimes the most important feedback is the hardest for us to hear. I have learned a simple way to give difficult feedback to someone is defensive or resisting.

How can you say such a thing!

My wife and I have been very happily married for over 25 years but have also had our challenging times. Many years ago my wife and I were meeting with a marriage counselor and my wife was giving me some feedback, which I was rejecting as as totally unreasonable and unfounded. Not only was I…