Everyone has some sort of reputation whether it be fabulous or not. There are times when you have to speak to employees about their reputation and how it is affecting others around them. It can be difficult for employees to know how others view them. Your ability to provide some good feedback will help them understand how they are viewed. Here are some tips on how to provide the employee with feedback on protecting their reputation.

1. Determine Who Should Receive the Feedback and Why

• Direct Report
• Team Member
• Colleague
• Your Mentee

2. What Needs to be Heard?

• Skill, strengths, areas for improvement
• Development areas to correct deficiency
• Aspects of performance that either exceed or fall short of expectations
• Impact of their behavior on others

3. Where Should You Give the Feedback?

• Pick the right place for you and the reciever
• Your office – will you be distracted?
• Conference Room – will you be interrupted?
• Their office or cubicle – is it quiet enough?
• Offsite lunch – can others hear the conversation?
• Take a walk – weather conditions?
• Neutral area – where is that?

4. When is Feedback Appropriate to Receive?

• Select the right moment
• When a project has just ended and fresh in the mind of recipient
• Task appears to be difficult and giving recipient trouble
• During performance appraisal time
• Burnout is apparent
• Change is considered
• Involvement in a dispute

5. How to Give the Feedback?

• Describe the issue using specific examples
• Disclose your thoughts and impact of the behavior
• Discuss the employee’s perspective on the situation
• Develop suggestions for growth in the area
• Decide on a follow up agenda and make sure you follow up

Making sure that you protect an employee’s reputation with others sometimes requires a frank discussion. You want to be sure that negative rumors or stories about your employee are handled quickly so there is no lasting ramifications for the employee. Thinking about and planning how to deliver the message will make it easier for you and be constructive for the employee.