First, approach them with empathy, acknowledging their feelings. Next, express genuine concern and explain that your intention was to support their growth, not hurt them. Listening to their perspective is key, so you should encourage an open conversation where they can express how your feedback impacted them. From there, make sure to adjust how you deliver feedback in the future, focusing on constructive and balanced communication. Rebuilding trust takes time, so you must consistently show through your actions that you value them, providing support and encouragement in a way that’s sensitive to their needs. Trust is earned, not given, and you must be ready to put in the effort.

One thing I've found helpful is to build trust before ever delivering feedback. If a person trusts you already and you've consistently shared positive feedback with them along the way, they're less likely to lose trust in you for delivering polite and supportive constructive criticism. However, if you do deliver some negative feedback that damages the trust they have in you, then you should actively listen to their feelings and remind them that you have faith in their ability to improve. You should provide them advice with actionable ways they can improve and offer support and continued feedback along the way to help them develop in their role.

Delegating tasks effectively is crucial for productivity and team success. By assigning responsibilities based on team members' strengths and expertise, you can ensure that tasks are completed efficiently and to a high standard. It also empowers team members, fosters trust, and allows you to focus on higher-level strategic goals. Setting up these standards from the beginning makes having conversations about personal feedback easier to maintain, opening lines of communication and involving them in the process.

Show you are actually invested in the improvement not just the outcome… being with a team member through tough change is often the support needed to make it through not just on a business level but as humans as well

Recognising what they need to trust you again - whether that's candor, praise, understanding your positive intent, is crucial for rebuilding trust. Focus on understanding what their needs are and meeting those.