Giving feedback lies at the heart of coaching and mentoring, and it should also feature in all managers' informal day-to-day working contacts with their staff', writes Alan Fowler (People Management). Why is giving feedback so difficult? What do's and don'ts advice would you give to a manager who seeks your help on two matters:

(a) the effective use of feedback as a motivational tool for the encour¬ agement of good performers;

(b) how feedback may be constructively deployed in remedial scenarios where poor performance is linked to abrasive and unco¬ operative behaviour?