I've been coaching leaders now for over a decade, and the number one surprise in that time is the lack of courage I have seen from leaders to address real issues with the people they are leading.
Direct feedback means raising an uncomfortable issue with the person involved so you can understand it and agree what to do next. Focus on an observed event and its effect, invite the other person's view, and agree a next action and a checkpoint. Address the issue without attacking the person. You see, I believe it is very much like we are all carrying around these hot, steaming turds in our pockets all throughout the day, and yet we are unwilling to pull them out and put them on the table with the people we need to.
These turds, of course, refer to feedback we have for others that would be uncomfortable to address — an issue, a frustration, even just an observation. And yet the best thing we can do for the other person is pull the turd out of our pocket and put it on the table.
Many times, we have to play in the mess together to clean it up for good. Yes, it will be messy. Yes, it will stink. And no, it will not be fun. But these turds won't go away. They won't get better unless we have the courage to put them on the table and deal with them together.
To open the conversation, describe an observed event, its effect and the question you want to resolve. For a hypothetical missed handoff: the agreed information did not reach the next team, the work waited, and you want to understand what prevented the transfer. Invite the other person's view before proposing a fix. Close with a specific next action and a time to check back. This is an example of behavior-focused feedback, not a reported client exchange or a quotation from Shannon.
So — do you have any turds in your pocket? Your organization and your people won't get better until you find the courage to put the turd on the table.