Mohamed Hanbal’s Post

Bad Feedback Is Worse Than No Feedback — A True Story. A woman I work with as her consultant shared this with me. She works for one of the biggest companies in the world. One day, a colleague came to her looking stressed and frustrated. His manager had just told him: 👉 “You need to improve your communication. Learn to get to the point.” But when he asked for clarification, the manager didn’t give any. So now he was stuck — unsure what the feedback meant, what he did wrong, or how to improve. Let’s pause here. This kind of situation happens in companies every single day. And most of the time, it’s not the employee’s fault — it’s poor leadership. And that poor leadership is often rooted in the myth that people can simply “learn by doing.” Someone gets promoted with no leadership preparation or an incremental leadership-growth plan over the years (maybe just attended a leadership training), decides to wing it, and assumes they'll improve over time. The result? They repeat the same mistakes for 20 years — and call it “20 years of experience.” But there’s a better way. If you’re a leader giving critical feedback, vague statements are useless. You need to offer concrete examples. You don’t say: 🛑 “Your communication isn’t good.” You say: ✅ “In last Tuesday’s meeting with Engineering, you said X. I think if you had said Y instead, it would have landed better.” This helps your team member learn, grow, and trust you. Otherwise, they’ll waste time replaying conversations in their head, wondering what you meant — and whether they’re being judged unfairly. 🎯 As a leader, you’re not just a critic — you’re a coach. Your feedback should guide, not confuse. And one last thing — just because you’re in a leadership role doesn’t automatically make you a good leader. Being a great leader takes real effort. It takes learning. Feedback. Practice. And the humility to admit you’re still growing. 💬 If this resonates, I’m building something for leaders like you — a free, no-fluff newsletter that gets straight to the point. Want early access? Just write “interested” below or DM me. #leadership #management #organisationaldevelopment