Richmond HR Forum

Americans are bad at taking blunt feedback. I noticed this phenomenon during a breakout session following my keynote at Richmond HR Forum, where I discussed senior leadership accountability. What I came away with is that cultural feedback style varies. Some cultures embrace a direct approach to delivering feedback. They’re more comfortable sharing blunt truths and unvarnished opinions. Blunt honesty isn’t the norm in the American workplace, and hearing feedback that’s all medicine and no sugar can be a little shocking for those who are used to gentler constructive criticism. My reflection after this workshop is that, if you can get over the shock factor, blunt feedback can be incredibly constructive. Sometimes, a direct approach is what we need to move a project forward or gain a new perspective. Every leader knows that a gentle approach to delivering criticism doesn’t always get the job done. As our corporate teams become less and less constrained by geography, it’s important for leaders to operate in a way that recognizes the differences in how people communicate with one another. Staying open to different cultural styles of feedback can fuel better communication within a global team. Blunt feedback from a colleague can be hard to hear, but I encourage business leaders to embrace it as a learning opportunity. If we let it, it can drive us to improve our own performance while helping us navigate the nuances of running a global team.