“Fight, flight or freeze,” repeated Patrick. “That’s it. He freezes, like a deer in the headlights.”

I smiled. Patrick was catching on. “Have you ever noticed, that when you criticize other members of your team, they respond differently?” I asked.

“Oh, yeah,” Patrick nodded. “Sally gets red in the face and starts arguing with me. And Charlie usually makes some excuse about checking inventory, then disappears for forty-five minutes.”

“Fight, flight or freeze,” I repeated. “Whenever you criticize, you tap into that part of the brain. You tap into the rebellious child who wants to fight, or the compliant child who wants to vanish. Fight, flight or freeze. Which of those contributes to productivity?”

Patrick almost started laughing. “You’re right. No wonder I always feel like a critical parent.”

“So, the question is still on the table. How can we, as managers, provide corrective feedback that gets a different response?” -TF