Feedback delivery should preserve the recipient’s dignity, social standing, and self-respect—their “face.” This operates through multiple mechanisms: delivering feedback privately rather than publicly when it’s critical; using indirect approaches that let recipients recognize problems rather than stating them bluntly; framing feedback developmentally rather than as failure; timing delivery to avoid moments of maximum vulnerability. Public negative feedback shames the recipient before others in ways that private feedback does not. Direct criticism that could be delivered indirectly shows insufficient care for recipient dignity.
This doesn’t mean avoiding difficult feedback—it means finding delivery approaches that accomplish developmental purposes without unnecessary damage to the recipient’s standing. Face preservation is especially important when hierarchy or relationship doesn’t provide the foundation for direct delivery.
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