The Sandwich Technique

You have an employee who really needs to get his act together and shape up.  So, how do you tell the employee what’s wrong and needs to be fixed.  Criticizing an employee, while sometimes necessary, can often produce negative results.  Employees can experience a range of emotions.  They may feel hurt, angry, defensive, unappreciated, or confrontational; there are an infinite number of possible negative feelings.

One technique to avoid negative reactions is the “Sandwich Technique.”  To use this technique, you begin with a compliment.  You say something complimentary and positive about the employee and his performance.  Then you segue into the “meat of the sandwich,” the problems which need to be addressed and fixed.  Finally, you end with another compliment, expressing confidence in the employee’s ability and motivation to make the improvements you have suggested.  Essentially, you ‘sandwich’ any criticism between two compliments.  When implemented properly, this technique can prevent most negative reactions from the employee.