From the Editor's Desk

Why the "velvet hammer" is a better way to give constructive criticism

Have something difficult to say? These are the exact words you should use.

It's time to bag the sandwich method of delivering bad news. You know, the technique where you say something nice, then drop in the criticism, and the end with something nice. It's not like the person won't notice that the center of the sandwich is terrible; the method is really designed to make it easier on the giver.

"When you communicate something to somebody, it's irreversible and irretrievable," says Joy Baldridge, author of The Joy in Business: Innovative Ideas to Find Positivity (and Profit) In Your Daily Work Life. "You can't take it back, and it can be difficult to know what words to say in order to approach somebody and give them feedback. Whether you need to say they did or didn't do or something, it feels uncomfortable."

The old methods of feedback can have a ripple effect with your team, resulting in people calling in sick, getting upset, or even quitting. But conflict avoidance isn't the answer. Instead, Baldridge suggests using her "velvet hammer" method, which is soft like velvet but packs a punch.

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