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Disappointed might be the best word to describe your unhappiness with a direct report’s performance. How you address the issue will determine the success or failure of your guidance.
“You did a lousy job” is not usually productive. Neither is “Why did you fail to reach our agreed goals?”
Maybe your expectations were unrealistic. Perhaps your criticism is unfair. Or maybe your comments reflect nothing more than a personal bias.
Disappointment suggests that you are vulnerable. You might be wrong, and you could be disappointed for reasons that are not valid. Using this word allows your direct report to justify her/his performance and to allow for the fact that you are not perfect either, and there could be a misunderstanding.
For all these reasons, “disappointed” might be the most useful word you can choose when providing negative feedback.
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