We’ve all heard about the “feedback sandwich” where it’s recommended that critical feedback should be sandwiched by positive feedback on both sides. This practice has us starting with positive feedback followed by the constructive yet critical feedback that you really wanted to address in the first place. Then the interaction is ended with another dose of positive feedback. The notion is that we protect the ego of the receiver by making them feel good at the beginning of the conversation, then, after we have to bring them down, we build them back up at the end.
I’ve always felt that this method was a bit contrived, transparent, and confusing — putting the receiver at risk for mental whiplash and leaving them wondering what the whole point was.