Offer praise. Simply telling employees that they’re doing a good job tends to inspire them and boost their productivity. Plus, it makes them more receptive to constructive criticism when the need arises. Be sure your supervisors don’t communicate with employees only when something is wrong. Also, advise them to beware of the “compliment sandwich” — when you try to sneak a critique between two positives. Doings so can send a mixed, confusing message and undermine the affirmative effect of the compliments.

Pour the concrete. Vague negatives and admonishments to “Just do your job!” don’t give employees a clear path to improvement. Supervisors should point out weaknesses — and do so at the earliest appropriate opportunity; it’s counterproductive to let issues fester. But an employee is more likely to improve if the supervisor doesn’t broach the topic without concrete performance enhancement steps in hand. Train supervisors to create clear actionable items before reaching out to employees.

Use the written word sparingly, but where appropriate. In today’s text-happy world, many supervisors may be inclined to transmit feedback via a text message, instant message or email. For relatively minor matters or a “heads-up,” this is probably acceptable. But, generally, it’s best to address issues face-to-face or on the telephone where tone of voice can play a role. Of course, for more serious matters, your organization may need to develop a written performance improvement plan (commonly known as a “PIP”) to get a troubled employee back on track.