The Setup
Setting the scene
You have feedback to give and the sandwich method is calling — say something nice, drop the bomb, say something nice again. You already know it will not work.
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Part of this story
The Sandwich Myth
→Hiding criticism between compliments fools nobody. Learn to be direct, kind, and specific — all at once.
Part of the quest
Giving & Receiving Feedback
→The skill most people avoid and everyone needs — learn to deliver honest feedback that drives growth and receive criticism without crumbling. You'll navigate four escalating scenarios — from the sandwich myth to the growth conversation — practicing the decisions that matter most when the pressure is real and the stakes are personal. This isn't theory. It's practice for the moments that define how this chapter of your life unfolds.
What you'll learn from The Setup
This scenario focuses on Setting the scene — a critical skill inside the broader leadership domain. You'll face a decision where the instinctive response is often the wrong one. After you make your choice, you'll see exactly what happened in the other person's head and why it mattered. The scenario is part of The Sandwich Myth, a full interactive story inside the Giving & Receiving Feedback quest.
Skills you'll build in Giving & Receiving Feedback
More scenarios in this quest
You skip the compliment preamble and say the real thing directly. The other person's face changes, and you fight the urge to immediately soften what you just said.
They ask for specifics and you realize your feedback was feelings dressed as facts. The conversation forces you to be more precise than "I just feel like your work could be better."
You leave the conversation having delivered honest feedback without cruelty. It was not comfortable, but it was clear — and you learn that respect and directness are not opposites.
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