Get better at work today: 3 things to say when you need to give tough feedback

By giving someone a specific suggestion, you're giving them a path to move forward.

Nitat Termmee/Getty Images Today's tip to get better at work: Use a simple formula for giving tough feedback.

Compliment sandwiches can leave people wondering how to fix the issue.

Etiquette experts recommend this 3-step framework that provides a suggestion to solve the problem.

Get better at: Giving hard feedback Today's move Ditch the compliment sandwich and try this three-step framework for providing feedback .

First, offer praise for something they're doing well.

Next, be direct about the issue you want to address.

Then, provide a specific suggestion for how to improve.

Why it works Etiquette experts Daniel Post Senning and Lizzie Post said that the classic compliment sandwich isn't necessarily the most effective way to give feedback.

However, if you end the conversation by offering a specific suggestion, rather than a compliment, you're helping them understand how to improve and and feedback becomes constructive.

A 2022 study published by the American Psychological Association found that people do value honest feedback.

The study comprised five feedback experiments with nearly 2,000 participants.

In all five experiments, the people providing feedback consistently underestimated how much others wanted it.

Try it today Take five minutes before you leave work to write down feedback you've been avoiding addressing with someone.