When Feedback Makes an Employee Cry... And You... What the Hell Happens Now?
Giving corrective feedback is one thing. Knowing what to do when the employee reacts badly is another. What happens when they say the write-up is unfair, start crying, get angry, walk out, ask who complained, or refuse to sign? In this episode of What The Hell Just Happened!?, Paul Edwards and CeCe Delgado talk through the part of Progressive Corrective Coaching that managers are rarely prepared for: the reaction after the feedback. They break down how to keep the conversation productive without becoming defensive, backing away from the issue, or matching the employee’s emotion. They also explain how CEDR’s FIRR Method© gives the conversation structure, why documentation changes the discussion when an employee says “this is the first I’m hearing about it,” when it makes sense to give someone space to cool off, and what an employee’s signature on corrective documentation actually means. In this episode: Your employee starts crying, and suddenly you’re wondering if you went too far. Do you back off or keep the conversation moving? They swear this is the first time they’ve heard about the problem, and now you’re questioning whether you handled it correctly in the first place. Your employee gets angry and walks out. Are you supposed to follow them, let them cool off, document it, or start thinking about termination? They refuse to sign the write-up, and now you’re sitting there wondering whether the whole conversation even counts. Learn more: CEDR Progressive Corrective Coaching resource CEDR HR Solutions Join CEDR’s HR Basecamp™ Schedule a call to learn more about how CEDR can help your practice
