167. Stop Outsourcing Feedback: The Leadership Contract No One Talks About with Prina Shah
In this short, sharp culture drop, Prina Shah challenges a common leadership habit that quietly erodes trust: outsourcing feedback.
When leaders avoid difficult conversations and pass them to HR or others, they send two unintended messages — I can’t handle hard things and you can’t trust me.
This episode is a direct call to action:
If you lead people, giving feedback is not optional. It’s the job.
Prina breaks down a simple, practical way to approach feedback conversations with clarity, ownership, and respect — without overcomplicating it or hiding behind process.
Practical Framework Shared
When something is off, keep it simple:
- Here’s what I’m seeing
- Here’s the impact
- Here’s what needs to change
- Then pause… and listen
Reflection Question
- Where are you avoiding a conversation you know you need to have?
- And what message is that avoidance sending to your team?
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Prina (Helping you find GREAT ways to change your workplace) Shah
This podcast is for people who know that the workplace can and should be better and are ready to do something about it. You will learn practical ways to change organizational cultures and human behaviour without buzzwords, without box ticking, without performative leadership. I am the boss of Preena Shah Consulting, working with executives, leaders and teams to create work cultures and environments that actually work for people. I am Preena Shah. I specialise in organizational culture change and human behaviour change. I am all about making work better with people who give a damn. So if you think I can help, contact me via LinkedIn. I am here to help you to find decent ways to change the workplace. Let's do this.
SPEAKER_00Today's tiny culture change is do not outsource feedback. Deliver it yourself. If you lead people, feedback is not optional and it's not HR's job. When you avoid the conversation and send HR or appear instead, you send two messages. I cannot handle hard things and you cannot trust me to be honest with you. This week, when something is off, do not write an email about the person, talk to the person, keep it simple. Here's what I'm seeing, here's the impact, and here's what needs to change. Then pause and actually listen. You can absolutely get HR to help you with the conversation, but your team needs the feedback from you first and foremost. That's a contract of leadership. It's your job to give feedback.
SPEAKER_02And if you like this episode, pass it on to at least two people who will benefit. That's your good deed done for the day. Also, remember to subscribe to the Ways to Change Your Workplace Podcast via your podcast provider, and I will see you in the next episode.
