The Art of Giving Effective Feedback (Without Crushing Souls)
By: A Staff Writer
Updated on: Sep 02, 2024
The Art of Giving Effective Feedback (Without Crushing Souls)
Most feedback sucks. It’s either sugarcoated and useless, or a demoralizing rant. Coaching skills fix this.
We avoid giving feedback until we’re resentful, then it explodes. Or, we’re so vague as to be unhelpful.
- Specific and actionable: “Your work is sloppy” is bad. “I found 3 typos, this makes us seem unprofessional” is better.
- Focus on behavior, not identity: “You’re lazy” is a character attack. “This was rushed” is about a fixable action.
- The feedback sandwich is a myth: Start with the positive, but don’t bury the constructive part in the middle.
- Timeliness matters: Addressing issues in the moment is easier to correct than a pile-on at the end.
- Offer support, not just criticism: “How can I help you improve on this?” fosters a collaborative solution.
- It’s a two-way street: Great leaders actively ASK for feedback from their team too, this builds trust.
Describe the worst way you’ve received feedback. What could have been done differently?
Think of ONE piece of feedback you need to give. Reframe it using the tips above, before delivering it.