The praise-only approach

When Kristen Hadeed started her first company in the 2010s, her team received only praise from her. She was too scared to be critical of their work.

Blaming millennials for coddling

In the 2010s, headlines constantly blamed millennials for being coddled. Leaders claimed they had to walk on eggshells around the participation generation.

The real problem wasn't coddling

Hadeed realized the issue was not that millennials were coddled, but that nobody taught them how to give or receive feedback constructively.

Hadeed's own struggle

As a millennial in her mid-twenties leading millennials, Hadeed had no idea how to talk to her team when they didn't meet her expectations.

Avoiding feedback backfires

Hadeed's habit of avoiding feedback created a team that lacked accountability, thrived on gossip, swept issues under the rug, and only shared frustrations after resigning.

Learning from Barry-Wehmiller

Everything changed when Hadeed took a communication class from Barry-Wehmiller University, now Chapman and Co. Leadership Institute, learning valuable feedback methods.

Teaching the team

Hadeed shared what she learned with her team, and it completely changed their culture for the better. They started having difficult conversations face-to-face instead of via text.

Prompt feedback prevents festering

The team committed to giving feedback promptly so frustrations didn't fester. This shift in approach transformed how they communicated with each other.

Feedback became curiosity, not fear

Hearing someone say, "I need to give you feedback," began to make the team feel more curious than fearful. The phrase shifted from threatening to constructive.

“I need to give you feedback”

Retention rates soared

The team's retention rate rose to a level that defied the odds of their industry. Teaching feedback skills directly improved how long people stayed.