1. Make your feedback timely
2. Be specific and give examples
3. Focus on behaviour and not people
4. Use ‘I’ statements and take responsibility
5. Don’t give feedback without providing a solution

Don’t wait for things to escalate or don’t give feedback months after the facts. It’s important to give feedback as soon as possible after an event or task has been completed.

Doing a retrospective (thinking about what went well, what could be improved and how you will improve) is most impactful straight after the task.

It will help the recipient to remember the specific situation and learn from the feedback more effectively.

For example, if a colleague made a mistake on a project, it’s best to bring it up in a meeting the next day rather than waiting a week to mention it.

Rather than giving general or vague feedback, be specific and provide examples to your colleagues.

This will help the recipient to understand exactly what they did well or could improve upon. Giving ‘vague’ feedback without examples can come across like you are just looking for something to pick upon. Don’t do it. Be specific.

For example, instead of saying “Great job on the presentation”

Try saying “I really appreciated the way you organized the presentation and used visual aids to clearly explain the information. It made the presentation so much more engaging”

Feedback should always be about the person’s actions, not their character.

Whenever I am getting feedback, I try to take it from a position which is ‘this person tries to improve how we collaborate’. I try to avoid taking it personally.

When you have someone ‘real’ in front of you, they are trying to do and get you to do the best for the business. Their (constructive) feedback doesn’t mean you are bad.

When you give feedback, try to focus on specific behaviors or actions that can be changed, rather than making it personal attacks or judgements. You want what’s best for the business.

For example, instead of saying “You are always so rude to clients”

Try stating “I noticed that you raised your voice and interrupted the client during the call. I think it might be more effective to listen and speak calmly in order to resolve the issue”.

You want to prevent collectively attacking an individual.

Using words like ‘everyone thinks’ or ‘multiple colleagues say’ might be very direct and offensive. If you give feedback, make it come from you, yourself and I. 

Using ‘I’ statements allows you to express your own feelings and observations, rather than making accusations or assumptions about the other person (you can be wrong too!). Avoid generalizations and do not put too much focus on  “You” when giving feedback.

For example, “You never listen to anyone” is a big generalization and very direct to say to someone.

Instead, try saying “I feel like I’m not being heard when I speak in meetings. Can we work on finding ways for me to share my ideas more effectively?”

Pointing out what went wrong is the easy part, providing a solution is a different story. Whenever you have no idea on ‘how to do it better’, it might not be the time yet to speak.

In addition to pointing out areas for improvement, try to offer suggestions for how the recipient can improve in the future. This helps to show that you are invested in their growth and success – and you want the best for both the person and the company.

For example, if a colleague is struggling with time management, you could suggest setting specific goals for each day or using a planner to prioritize tasks. 

It’s also important to remember to be open to feedback from your colleagues as well. Receiving feedback can be as difficult as giving feedback, but it’s an opportunity to grow and improve. Try to stay open-minded and willing to listen to what others have to say.

Overall, providing feedback to your colleagues is an important part of any professional setting. Interviewers will test your ability to be part of a team.

By following these five tips, you can give feedback in a way that is constructive, helpful, and ultimately beneficial for everyone involved.

Remember to be timely, specific, focus on behavior, use “I” statements, and offer solutions. By providing feedback to your colleagues in this way, you can help to foster a positive work culture and improve performance within your team.

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