Kindness builds trust. But confusing kindness with avoiding discomfort can erode performance, drain morale, and stall your organization. If you’re rewarding underperformance, sidestepping feedback, or clinging to weak projects to spare feelings, you’re being nice at the expense of being good. Here's how to reset.
Hold people accountable—especially high earners. Paying more should come with higher expectations. Be clear about performance standards, track progress regularly, and follow through. This may mean letting go of well-meaning but underperforming employees, but the long-term health of your team depends on it.
Give candid feedback, even when it’s uncomfortable. Support growth with clear, constructive guidance. Don’t sugarcoat. When delivered with respect, critical feedback is a development tool—not a punishment. Train managers to give it often, empathetically, and in ways people can act on.
Stop treating retention as the ultimate goal. Retention matters, but not at any cost. When roles outgrow people or values no longer align, it’s better to part ways with care than to keep someone in the wrong seat. Prioritize fit, not familiarity.
Tighten your strategy by saying no. Too many priorities mean nothing gets done well. Use clear criteria to cut underperforming efforts and focus your resources where they’ll have the greatest impact.
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