When you have employees, you can expect to deal with unacceptable behavior from time to time. And thanks to notoriously high turnover rates, the cleaning industry tends to have more than its fair share of problem workers.

Before you assume that every problem is an employee problem, however, ask yourself whether it might actually be an issue with how you manage. Specifically, do you avoid discussing performance issues until they escalate beyond repair?

If so, you're not alone. We see many cleaning business owners who are uncomfortable discussing anything negative, or who evade tough conversations because they're short-handed and need every warm body they can get.

This happened to me early in my career. Talking to employees about their poor performance was very uncomfortable for me because I didn't want to hurt their feelings or create a negative situation. Sometimes it would just feel easier to not say anything at all because I simply didn't want to rock the boat!

But I'm the one that got hurt by avoiding giving negative feedback to my employees. Ultimately, I was the one responsible for my employees' performance. I had to answer to my bosses, so like it or not, I had to put my big-girl pants on and do what needed to be done.

And it became even more imperative that I get more comfortable with giving feedback as I became a business owner. And the same is true for you, too. Ultimately, they are hurting your business and your reputation!

Like it or not, it's imperative that you regularly provide employees with feedback, good and bad. Failing to do so results in low productivity, low employee morale, low employee retention, and low profitability. If you want a successful business, you need to eliminate "feedback paralysis.”

Avoiding giving negative feedback? 10 ways to stop

Here are 10 tips for delivering negative feedback, even if you're afraid of confrontation or worry about losing employees.

1. Set the Stage: During the hiring process, tell new hires to expect regular feedback on their performance. Explain that feedback is used as a success tool, and they'll be more receptive to feedback whether positive or negative.

2. Start Early: From Day 1, deliver regular compliments and identify problem areas with the intent to teach rather than punish. Establishing this process early will make harsher feedback later feel less painful—for you and the employee.

3. Don't Wait: Delayed positive feedback loses its power, while negative feedback often becomes distorted. It's much more effective to communicate performance expectations and observations as they occur. Remember, the problem won't fix itself, so the longer you wait the worse it will get.

4. Speak in Private: Never publicly criticize an employee. In fact, praise is also typically best delivered privately because some people don't like the spotlight. Whenever possible, try to give feedback in a relaxed, non-confrontational setting. Going for a walk or sitting at a table together can make the experience less traumatic than if you're sitting behind your desk in an office.

5. Be Direct: Don't beat around the bush. If you need to deliver negative feedback, get right to the point. Delaying the inevitable will only raise anxiety for both of you. You may also feel a need to sandwich the criticism with praise, but do so only if the positive comments are genuine. People can sense an inauthentic compliment meant only to soften the blow.

6. Be Specific: When issuing praise or criticism, be crystal clear about what you mean. “Your attitude needs improvement” is too vague and will cause confusion. “When you yelled at Sally in front of the client, it made our client feel uncomfortable in her own office, and it created a hostile work environment” tells the employee exactly what went wrong.

7. Explain Why it Matters: Tie a problem behavior or attitude to a performance problem. The employee must understand that their behavior or attitude causes performance problems for both themselves and affected co-workers. Example: “Because of the confrontation with Sally, productivity went down for both of you today, resulting in both of you going over your scheduled hours. In addition, our customer called to complain about your behavior so Angela, the office manager, had to spend time rectifying the situation so we didn't lose a client.”

8. Focus on Performance: Make your feedback about behaviors (what an employee does) and not about personality traits (what an employee is like as a person). As an example, “When you interrupt me in front of a client it causes a problem” is easier to receive than “Your arrogance is causing a problem.”

9. Devise a Plan: Ask your employee to help you outline a plan for improvement. For example, “What is your suggestion for how you will handle this type of situation going forward?”

10. Be Consistent: Never play favorites and don't give different employees varied feedback for the same performance. Be mindful of bias. Effective (and lawful) employee feedback is based on equal standards that are fairly applied across races, genders, and ages.

If you're afraid of giving feedback because you worry you'll say the wrong thing or forget an important point you wanted to cover, practice first with a trusted friend or colleague. You can work out your nerves, and they may have valuable feedback that will give you more confidence and improve the conversation.

Also, it can help to think of feedback as a conversation, not a confrontation. More often than not, your worst fears won't be realized and instead you'll be able to have a rational conversation with the employee.

Have supervisors who avoid giving negative feedback, too? Share these tips with them now. Similarly to avoiding feedback with employees, if you fail to help your managers now, it will only get harder later.

Finally, model the behavior you expect. It's important to make it a company philosophy that feedback is used as a tool for growing your cleaning business. It's even more valuable that you show your staff that you mean it by actually delivering feedback on a regular basis.

Avoiding feedback can be tempting, but avoiding short-term discomfort may lead to far bigger problems in the long run. Learning to provide respectful and timely feedback can help your employees improve and your company grow.