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Inconsiderate Actions Feedback Nastiness

I like to bounce ideas off of the employees who report to me, and for the most part I have a good team. I have one member who is technically skilled, but when I toss her an idea she will say things like, "That's really dumb." When she does that, I don't even want to talk to her, and that's too bad because she could be very helpful. What's the best way to deal with her?



You have an employee who needs some feedback on her feedback. Even if she has the strongest technical skills in the house, what use are they if you are so annoyed that you don't want to be around her?

You must be a very patient manager, but there are times for patience and there are times for action. When an employee responds to your requests for feedback with condescending and insulting comments, it is time for a little chat, preferably as close to her inappropriate comments as possible.

Let her know that you respect her expertise, but some of her comments are insulting and totally undermine her effectiveness. Be very clear in letting her know that such behavior is unacceptable. Give her a specific example or two, and then demonstrate a better way to respond. Make sure she understands that feedback should be more descriptive than evaluative, and in this situation, it should focus on your idea rather than on you. She also needs to understand that if she continues to blurt out distasteful messages, she might just blurt herself right out of the company.



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