A recent article for Time Business offers tips for those times when your employees may need more of a “kick in the rear” than words of encouragement. The key to giving negative feedback is to do it without demoralizing your employee. The article “10 Smart Rules for Giving Negative Feedback” explains how.

1. Make negative feedback unusual. When criticism and complaint become the norm in the workplace, workers will tend to get demoralized, as they feel like they’ll be condemned no matter what they do. Try to use positive reinforcement as much as possible and negative feedback only when absolutely necessary.
2. Don’t stockpile negative feedback. Small doses of negative feedback are more effective and less likely to overwhelm employees.
3. Never use feedback to vent. Venting a string of criticisms will only lead to resentment and passive resistance. Keep your cool and stay focused on the issue at hand.
4. Don’t email negative feedback. “That’s like lobbing hand grenades over a wall,” says electronic publishing guru Jonathon Seybold. “Email is more easily misconstrued, and when messages are copied, it brings other people into the fray.”
5. Start with an honest compliment. Doing so will start the conversation out on the right foot.
6. Uncover the root of the problem. Ask questions like “Why do you approach this situation in this was?” or “What was your thought process?” to help you give better feedback and to help them discover their own solutions.
7. Listen before you speak. Your feedback will be better received if you show that you are listening and are understanding of the situation.
8. Ask questions that drive self-evaluation. Help employees figure out how to correct a situation on their own by asking questions like “How could we have done better?” and “What do you think could use improvement?”
9. Coach the behaviors you would like to see. Feedback is useless without a model to do better.
10. Be willing to accept feedback, too. You should be willing to accept feedback as well as provide it. Honest feedback from employees can be one of the most valuable things for managers.

Click here to read the entire article from Time Business.