How to Provide Corrective Feedback with Less Stress and Better Results

Cathie Leimbach • June 28, 2021

Do you dread providing corrective feedback? Maybe you avoid it until a formal performance review.  But then, you can’t understand why your employees seem shocked when you finally do give feedback on their performance. If this sounds familiar, you aren’t alone in being uncomfortable and stressed about providing corrective feedback to enable better performance and skill development.

 

While you may feel uncomfortable giving candid feedback, studies show that it is precisely what most people want. Employees want to know what they can do to improve their performance. Waiting for an annual review risks slowing down their professional development to a snail’s pace.

 

Failing to respond to performance or behavior issues can have a significant impact on your team. When performance standards are not uniformly applied, resentment and tension among team members will occur. Often, we tend to focus corrective feedback on low performers that need the most improvement. It is equally important to provide feedback to your top performers to support professional development, increase their engagement, and increase retention. 

 

Here are some general guidelines for successfully providing corrective feedback:

  • It is given in a one-to-one meeting.
  • It is timely, as close to the actual event or performance problem as possible.
  • Examples given are specific, factual, and detailed.
  • Your delivery is calm and supportive.
  • The feedback session is a two-way conversation that empowers the employee.

 

Following is a guide to break down a corrective feedback conversation into specific steps.

 

Step One: Describe the specific action/behavior in neutral terms. Use a calm, supportive tone of voice.

  • “I notice you have missed two deadlines to provide financial data to the Project XYZ team over the past three weeks.”

 

Step Two: Ask their opinion as to why this is happening. Use open-ended questions, listen for what is happening, how it is happening, why it is happening, and any identified obstacles.

  • “What has caused these deadlines to be missed?”
  • “What do you think the issue is?
  • “What specific obstacles are preventing you from meeting the deadlines agreed to?

 

Step Three: Ask what impact they expect this is having on the flow of work, their team, customers, etc.

  •  “What do you think the result of the missed deadlines is on the rest of the team?”
  • “How are these delays impacting the overall project?”

 

Step Four: Ask what changes they are able and willing to make to correct the situation. This is an essential part of the corrective feedback process and empowers the employee to commit to improving performance.

  • “Now that we have identified the issues, what do you think you can do to correct the situation?”
  • “What changes are you willing and able to make right away that will improve the situation?”

 

Step Five: Ask what you can do to support them in their effort to correct the situation. This is an essential part of the process because often employees are unclear about expectations, their areas of responsibility, or have not received enough training and need additional professional development.

  • “What support can I provide you to help you make the changes you have suggested?”
  • “What additional information or training do you need to be successful in making these changes?”
  • “How can I help you make these changes?”

 

Step Six: Ask them to suggest a time, place, and agenda to monitor their corrective process. Follow-up is crucial. Don’t leave the meeting until the next meeting time is on both of your calendars.

  •  “Let’s set a follow-up time to meet and see how things are progressing. What would be a good day and time for you?”

 

Providing corrective feedback provides the foundation for each employee to perform well, grow professionally, stay engaged, serve your customer or client, and ultimately impacts the bottom line. Approaching it as a problem-solving exercise using the steps above will make it less stressful for you and your employee.

If Employees Aren't Growing, Performance Isn't Either

By Cathie Leimbach • June 9, 2026
Most leaders want better performance. They want employees who take ownership, solve problems, adapt to change, and consistently deliver results. Yet Gallup reports that only 31% of employees are engaged at work. That means nearly 7 out of 10 employees are not fully applying their talents, effort, and initiative to their roles. The question leaders should be asking isn't simply: "Why aren't employees performing?" It's: "Are we developing people to perform at their best?" Gallup's latest research suggests many organizations may be falling behind. Nearly 6 in 10 CHROs say employee development is one of the areas where their organization struggles most. At the same time, fewer than half of U.S. employees have participated in training or education to build new skills for their current job. That gap creates risk. As AI, technology, customer expectations, and job responsibilities continue to evolve, employees cannot meet changing expectations with outdated skills. The impact is especially significant among high performers. Gallup found that organizations providing fewer development opportunities are more likely to lose their best people. The good news is that development doesn't require expensive programs or lengthy workshops. It starts with leaders who consistently: • Connect strengths to daily work • Clarify expectations • Provide meaningful feedback • Coach performance • Hold growth-focused conversations  One of the most effective ways leaders can support employee development is through regular 1-on-1 meetings with each direct report. These conversations create opportunities to coach, remove obstacles, align priorities, and discuss growth before problems become bigger issues. For practical ideas, read our resource: 5 Factors in Successful 1-on-1s . Organizations that thrive won't simply expect more from employees. They'll develop people so they can contribute more. Because when employees grow, performance grows with them.

Culture Is Built in Conversations

By Cathie Leimbach • June 2, 2026
Most leaders want stronger culture. Less silo thinking. Better accountability. More ownership. Healthier teamwork. Higher engagement. But culture rarely changes because of posters, slogans, or mission statements. It changes through thousands of conversations leaders have every week. That’s one reason Jim Brown’s book, The Imperfect CEO , stands out. Rather than focusing on leadership image, the book centers on the real work of building trust-centered organizations. Shari Seckler, CEO of PenFinancial Credit Union, wrote:  “This book shows why collaboration and culture aren't soft – they're the backbone of lasting success.” Marc Jeffreys, President of Revision University, described it this way: “Jim Brown’s framework helps leaders foster environments where trust grows, purpose strengthens, and teams move forward together.” In our Conversational Management work, we consistently see that culture is shaped by how leaders handle everyday moments: difficult feedback missed expectations recognition conflict coaching conversations accountability discussions collaborative decision-making Employees usually decide whether they trust leadership based on these interactions far more than company messaging. That’s why books like The Imperfect CEO matter. They remind leaders that organizational health is not built through perfection. It is built through clarity, humility, consistency, and meaningful conversations repeated over time. If you lead people, this book deserves your attention. Order your copy today.