Effective feedback takes practice, but great leaders continuously work on this skill. Actionable and balanced feedback is critical to helping your team perform better. And at the end of the day, that is how you are measured.

Often when leaders ask me about giving feedback, they are referring to the constructive type. Those conversations about performance that are needed to correct someone’s behavior. I get it. Good leaders understand that barking at someone about how crappy they are at their job is not going to be very effective.

But here is the deal. Your employees know they aren’t perfect. They know that they have areas where they need to develop. They likely have aspirations of being consistently great in their current role or developing new skills and gaining new knowledge so they can take on the next one.

Withholding constructive feedback sends a clear message. Either you don’t care about their growth and career OR you aren’t paying attention to what is going on. No matter what, it impacts their trust in you as a leader- a critical element needed for teams to perform well.

But it doesn’t have to be harsh. You don’t need to channel your inner Gordon Ramsey and tear them down to nothing to get your point across.

Instead, try this:

1. Be clear and direct. Not brutal. Share with them the specific thing you observed, why it isn’t working or effective, how that is impacting their abilities or others, specifically how they should do it differently next time and how that will help them achieve the desired goals, including their own career goals.

2. Make it a conversation. That means the communication goes both ways. Ask them how they think it went. Ask them what challenges they faced. This is your chance to learn if there are other factors and their thought process.

3. Give feedback as soon as possible. Don’t wait 6 months to address something. Don’t wait until performance review time to let someone know they weren’t meeting expectations. It isn’t fair to hold someone accountable when you haven’t given them feedback so they can adjust.

4. Encourage progress. Pay attention and take note when you see that they have or are applying the feedback and making improvements. Let them know you see the work they are doing and the positive impact it is having. This will encourage them to keep up the good work.

5. Provide balanced feedback. If you only tell people what they are doing wrong, they get defensive and stop listening. If you only praise them and tell them the things they are doing right, nothing improves and neither of you grow.

6. Make it about them. Too many times, leaders consider what they need from their leaders and lead the way they want to be led. If they don’t need much recognition and praise, they don’t give any. If they need a softer approach, that is the approach they take. But what does the individual you are leading need? Do they appreciate a more blunt approach? Do they need regular encouragement of a job well done? Make it about them and what they need.

When you learn to provide effective and balanced feedback your team soars! And you become known as an effective leader whose team is constantly improving and exceeding performance goals.