You're about to have an appraisal meeting with one of your direct reports, and you need to address signs of disengagement while resetting expectations for what "good" looks like. Handled badly, this can harden into defensiveness. Handled well, it can rebuild trust and keep the relationship working.
High C colleagues usually respond best when your feedback is calm, specific, and tied to a clear process they can follow—not broad criticism or pressure to react on the spot. If they feel rushed, judged, or pushed to commit before the evidence and next steps are clear, they're more likely to go quiet and pull back from the conversation.
Start with what you can actually point to, like missed follow-ups, slower turnarounds, or less collaboration, instead of telling them what attitude you think sits behind it. Then, make room for how they read it. High C colleagues care about accuracy and standards, and careful caution isn't the same thing as pushing back.
From there, agree on what needs to change, how you'll measure it, and when you'll review it. This ensures the appraisal lands as a clear process, not an unresolved warning.
The more you practice difficult feedback conversations, the more natural they'll feel when the real one matters. Keep going; you're building a skill that gets easier each time you use it
At the DISC Plus Academy, we train coaches, leaders, and teachers how to understand each of the DISC Plus behaviour blends and how they relate to health and well-being. Without your health, you won't have a job or a business. Think about that, and consider joining our next training cohort for the DISC Plus Coach Certification Program. Contact Elaine Godley for details.
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