Why Feedback Fails – And How Great Leaders Get It Right

Why do so many feedback conversations leave people feeling defensive, misunderstood, or even less motivated than before? In this week's episode, Kevin Britz and Craig Page-Lee unpack one of leadership's most misunderstood skills: giving feedback that actually improves performance instead of damaging it.Drawing on research from the Center for Creative Leadership, Kim Scott's Radical Candor, and the landmark Kluger & DeNisi Feedback Intervention Theory, they explore why more than a third of feedback interventions can actually reduce performance. The answer isn't simply what we say—it's where we direct people's attention.The conversation examines the difference between feedback that focuses on identity versus feedback that focuses on the task, why psychological safety matters, and how leaders can create cultures where feedback becomes a normal, productive part of everyday work rather than a stressful annual event.Craig introduces two practical frameworks every leader should know—the Situation-Behavior-Impact (SBI) model and Radical Candor—before explaining why combining the two creates a powerful balance of clarity, accountability and genuine care.Kevin and Craig also discuss:Why praise can be just as damaging as criticism when it focuses on identity.The hidden role of the Reticular Activating System (RAS) in how people receive feedback.Why frequent, small conversations outperform rare, high-stakes reviews.The importance of separating a person's value from the work they produce.How leaders build trust by actively asking for feedback themselves.Whether you lead a team of two or two thousand, this episode offers practical tools you can implement immediately to improve communication, performance and workplace culture.⏱️ Chapters00:00 – Welcome & business updates03:18 – Why feedback often makes performance worse07:12 – The research behind Feedback Intervention Theory12:30 – Task-focused vs identity-focused feedback17:55 – Why managers struggle to give effective feedback23:10 – Separating people from the work they produce27:45 – The SBI (Situation-Behavior-Impact) framework34:20 – Understanding Radical Candor41:18 – Combining SBI with Radical Candor47:35 – Five practical ways to improve feedback immediately54:10 – Structure vs connection: Does feedback become robotic?58:20 – Final leadership reflections & Maya Angelou quoteIf you enjoyed this conversation, please Like, Subscribe and Share to help us continue bringing practical leadership and marketing insights every week.#Leadership #Feedback #Management #PsychologicalSafety #RadicalCandor #LeadershipDevelopment #CommunicationSkills #BusinessLeadership #ExecutiveCoaching #WorkplaceCulture #Marketing #LongTimeSoon #KevinBritz #CraigPageLee