As the end of the year approaches and performance reviews loom, leaders face challenging conversations that do not always produce positive news for their employees. For managers, mastering the art of delivering constructive, honest feedback is essential to driving performance and keeping teams motivated through difficult times. Here are three essential tips* to help leaders navigate these hard discussions with empathy, clarity, and resilience.

Tip #1: Active Listening

Performance reviews tend to be tied to conversations about promotions and pay raises, or even used as justification for firing. These annual chats are sometimes the only opportunity for employees to receive feedback on their work all year. Therefore, empathy, clarity, and resilience from managers are critical to effectively navigate these discussions, and the first step towards ensuring these skills are employed is to undertake an active listening approach.

Active listening is a communication skill that involves going beyond simply hearing the words that another person speaks. It’s about conscientiously processing and seeking to understand the meaning and intent behind them. It requires being a mindful and focused participant in the communication process. “Active listening is the key to understanding. Leaders who genuinely listen to their employees show they value their team’s input and concerns, creating a foundation of trust. When that foundation of trust is established, managers can more effectively identify any issues affecting performance and more easily uncover solutions to address them,” explains Dr. Ryne Sherman, Chief Science Officer at Hogan Assessments and Co-Host of the Science of Personality Podcast.

Tip #2: Avoid derailments

While undertaking difficult conversations or delivering negative feedback, managers must avoid derailments and focus on delivering their feedback concisely. To lessen the possibility of getting off track, managers should establish an atmosphere of openness and eliminate potential distractions that could shift the focus or create an unpleasant environment. Managers should also expect resistance as most people don’t enjoy receiving negative feedback, particularly if they weren’t expecting to hear such words. By remaining calm and addressing resistance with curiosity instead of defensiveness, constructive outcomes become much more likely.

“When employees receive critical feedback from their managers, resistance is a natural, human response,” says Dr. Sherman. “This likely reflects a gap between the employee’s identity, which is how they view themselves, and their reputation, which is how others view them. Managers who can help their employees bridge this gap through the development of strategic self-awareness are more likely to see positive outcomes”. Feedback resistance can also be significantly reduced when managers demonstrate care and compassion consistently throughout these conversations.

Tip #3: Create a clear path forward

After undertaking the difficult conversation and delivering the necessary feedback, the final step in the process is to close the conversation with a clear and meaningful path forward that gives employees a sense of purpose and direction. Creating a plan for the person to leverage their strengths and respond to their manager’s expectations is essential if improvement is the end goal. Managers must help employees anticipate potential barriers preventing change and offer the help and guidance needed to execute the plan. “Change is more easily experienced in a safe, listening atmosphere,” noted Dr. Sherman. “When team members can review a new process and experience transformations gradually, adjustments are easier to enact. By doing so, leaders make their employees feel more supported and empowered, which can ultimately help to establish trust and boost engagement.”

*Guidance provided by Hogan Assessments