The Uncomfortable Truth About Giving Feedback

Why do we avoid giving feedback when we know someone needs to hear it? It's not a lack of time or unclear expectations; it's the fear that speaking up will damage the relationship. But the uncomfortable truth is that withholding feedback because you're afraid denies people the chance to fix the patterns that are holding them back. In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan and Pam explore what happens when the need to be liked overtakes the responsibility to help people improve. Their conversation reveals how passivity and people-pleasing keep you from sharing valuable observations, the three questions to ask yourself before giving someone feedback, and what body language signals tell you that they aren't ready to receive what you're about to say. If you've been sitting on a piece of feedback because you don't know how to deliver it, this episode reveals how to make it land—and why staying silent isn't protecting anyone.