Employee feedback plays a key role in both personal growth and the success of a company.
According to Patrice Louvet, President and CEO of Ralph Lauren, reveals the power of direct speech, no beating around the bush when it comes to employee feedback.
On LinkedIn, Ralph Lauren’s CEO shares insights from his experiences with Ralph Lauren, reflecting on key moments in his career. In a recent episode of LinkedIn’s This is Working podcast, he highlights the importance of ambition, flexibility, risk-taking, and continuous learning, clearly excited about the journey.
Giving Employee Feedback, Ralph Lauren’s CEO Style
According to the 60-year-old Ralph Lauren’s CEO, “If there’s a big issue, then you’ve got to start with the issue, and go straight on. And sometimes people need to be hit by a 2×4 across the forehead, because it doesn’t always register right.”
The comment made by Ralph Lauren’s CEO of hitting an employee with a ‘2×4 across the forehead’ clearly doesn’t promote physical aggression, of course, but simply a metaphor for delivering tough feedback directly and clearly, without sugarcoating or beating around the bush.
Reflecting his time at Procter & Gamble, Patrice Louvet revealed, “Provide the feedback through the lens that these are opportunities for development.”
Ralph Lauren’s CEO further emphasized the importance of focusing on employees’ strengths over their areas for improvement.
He explained, “You have to spend the majority of your time on your strengths. So 80% of your time on your strengths, 20% on your opportunities.”
“If you spend all your time on your opportunities, you’re not going to be that effective.”