Giving someone feedback can be a daunting task for a manager-especially when an employee is underperforming. To soften the blow, we sometimes refer to difficult feedback as "developmental" or "constructive." But these phrases rarely prompt the type of productive conversations managers need to have with team members.

Steve King, a longtime executive who has held leadership roles with a variety of organizations, cuts to the chase with a simple and tested framework on providing feedback.

Think of how great it would be to break through the typical awkwardness of giving feedback and start having serious conversations about performance, development, and careers.

Regardless of your role, if you want to give feedback to others on a regular basis, you need a proven approach to improve the quality of your conversations. It starts with four simple words-Brag, Worry, Wonder, Bet.