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Giving and Receiving Feedback: It is Harder Than You Think

• Your colleague asks you to listen to them practice their speech practice and give them feedback.
• Your teacher asks you to give feedback to another classmate about their speech.
• Your boss asks, “What did you think about my speech?”

In each case, the person is looking to you to provide feedback. In this chapter, you will learn about how to assess the feedback situation, how to offer constructive criticism, and how to graciously receive criticism. Let’s start with how to ask for feedback and listen graciously.

Receiving Feedback

When you ask for feedback from others, receive their feedback as a gift. Someone is taking their time and giving it to you; someone is putting themselves out there and saying things that might cause discomfort, but they are doing it for you.  Individuals vary on how they receive feedback and how comfortable they are with being evaluated.

When receiving feedback, try doing the following:

• Sit in a non-defensive posture. It is tempting to cross your arms and to tense up all your muscles when receiving oral feedback. Keep your body open and loose. Staying open helps them to feel like you really want their suggestions and closed arms can equal a closed mind — keep an open body.
• Do not take feedback as a personal insult.
• If the feedback is verbal, write down the suggestions, even if you disagree with the suggestions. Respect the other person’s opinions by writing them down. It makes them feel like they have been heard and you appreciate the feedback they are giving. Writing the feedback down also helps you to not cross your arms defensively–see suggestion one– and it helps you remember the suggestions.
• Do not take it as a personal insult. Seriously!
• Avoid the temptation to defend yourself. “I did it this way because…” or, “I thought it would be best to…”  You already know why you did things the way you did. Interrupting them to tell them the reasons you did what you did comes off as defensive and reduces the likelihood they will give you all the feedback they have to offer. You already know what you were thinking and by telling them you haven’t advanced your situation. Use this time to learn what they are thinking.
• Do not take it as a personal insult. Really, this is so important.
• Breathe. Most people feel stress when someone is giving them constructive criticism, breathe and relax so you can really listen.
•  Do not take it personally. Do not take it personally. Do not take it personally. This cannot be emphasized enough! Since it is about your performance or your speech writing, it is hard not to feel criticism of your speech as a criticism of your person. Try to take criticism instead as someone caring enough about you to push you to grow.

After Every Speech, Do a Self-Evaluation

Allison Shapira of Global Speaking suggests you do a self-evaluation after each speech:

• What did I do well?
• What didn’t I do so well?
• What am I going to do differently next time?

Write these down and keep this on file for the next time you give a speech.

Constructive Criticism

There will be times when others look to you to read over their speech or listen to them practice and then give them constructive criticism. Constructive criticism is made up of two words: constructive–the building of something, and criticism–the giving of a critique. So constructive criticism is critiquing with the intention of building something. When we give others constructive criticism, our goal should be to help build them to be better speakers.

Give Them Help

Reagel and Reagle came up with a creative way to remember the goal of feedback, it should HELP : Help the speaker improve Encourage another speech Lift self-esteem Provide useful recommendations

Give Them a Sandwich

One way to give constructive criticism is to use the sandwich method. Say something positive, give feedback about something they can work on to improve, and then say something positive. This way, the first and last words out of your mouth are positive.

Ask Questions

Ask honest questions that can help lead them to solutions or ask questions to soften the sound of negative feedback: “What did you mean by…” “Have you considered? ” “Have you thought about…?” “When you said… did you really mean?”

For example: “Have you considered the impact of showing such a gruesome photo on your slide?” “Have you considered starting with a quote? ” “Have you thought about whether the people in the back will be able to see your poster?” “Have you thought about using a microphone so everyone can hear you?”

Beyond the Sandwich: Data Points and Impact Statements

In her video, called “The Secret to giving Great Feedback”, LeeAnn Renninger refers to a 4 Step “Feedback Formula”.

Watch The secret to giving great feedback | The Way We Work, a TED series on YouTube (0 mins)

Video source: TED. (2020, Feb 10). The secret to giving great feedback – The Way We Work, a TED series. Leanne Renninger. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/wtl5UrrgU8c

In our college class, we will focus on steps 2 & 3.

Data points (or clear examples)

• Name specifically what you saw or heard, and leave out any words that aren’t objective. Avoid “blur words”, which are not specific and could mean different things to different people.
• Convert any blur words into actual data points or observations.  For example, instead of saying, “You didn’t engage your audience”, be specific and say “Your introduction didn’t mention what the benefits are to the audience”
• Being specific is also important with positive feedback. Saying “I really liked your presentation” doesn’t offer the other person any clear ideas of what they should keep doing. Instead, try to name specifics: “You made it very easy to understand the process when you described [give the example],” or “The visuals you included showed that [give the example]”.
• Be as clear as you can, so the presenter knows to continue doing these things!

The Impact statement

• Don’t stop at just giving the “evidence” or describing your observations. Keep going – explain how what you saw and heard impacted you.
• You might say “I really liked how you added those stories, because it helped me grasp the concepts faster,” or “the way you opened your presentation surprised me and got my attention.

By providing data points as well as impact statements, your peer critiques will be clear, specific, and provide your classmate with something they can actually use to work on to improve!

Source: Except where otherwise noted, “Beyond the Sandwich: Data Points and Impact Statements” by Amanda Quibell is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.

Different People, Different Types of Feedback

It is no surprise that people give and receive feedback differently. One person might take a feedback statement and be grateful for the corrections while the next person might take it as a complete insult.  Below, you’ll learn about some of the most common differences.

High and Low Self Monitors

Psychology researcher Mark Snyder identified people as being either high self-monitors or low self-monitors. High self-monitors typically try to fit in and play the role according to the context. They are about image, and they are motivated to fit in with their peers. They like to know what is expected, so they can adapt to the situation. Giving them useful feedback may mean pointing out how they can make changes in their message to meet the audience’s expectations. When giving feedback to high self-monitors, focus the feedback on how they can elevate their credibility in the eyes of the audience.

On the other hand, low self-monitors tend to be motivated to act based on their inner beliefs and values. They are motivated to be true to their sense of self and to above all– be genuine. When giving low self-monitors feedback, encourage them to be the best speaker they can be while being true to themselves. Focus on giving them feedback in a way that encourages them to harness their unique talents.

While you may not know exactly whether they are high or low self-monitor, you likely have some idea of what motivates them. The more you can tailor your feedback to them, the more likely it is they will hear what you are saying. If you are curious about your type, you can take the quiz. You can have the person giving you feedback take the quiz as well. This can be a helpful exercise to think about how you give and receive feedback.

Take the high and low self-monitor quiz to find out your type

Cultural Differences

When you know your sickness You’re halfway cured. French saying

In the book, The Culture Map, a Dutch businessman is quoted as saying. “It is all a lot of hogwash. All that positive feedback just strikes us in the face and not in the least bit motivating.” People from different cultural groups have different feedback norms.  As our society grows increasingly diverse, it is important to learn not just how to give good feedback, but to give feedback that demonstrates an awareness of how different cultures give and receive feedback.

Erin Meyer does international training to help business professionals understand differences and similarities and how to bridge the gap:

Managers in different parts of the world are conditioned to give feedback in drastically different ways. The Chinese manager learns never to criticize a colleague openly or in front of others, while the Dutch managers learns always to be honest and to give the message straight. Americans are trained to wrap positive messages around negative ones, while the French are trained to criticize passionately and provide positive feedback sparingly. Having a clear understanding of these differences and strategies for navigating them is crucial for leaders of cross-cultural teams. Erin Meyer, The Culture Map

Upgraders and Downgraders

Meyers identifies cultures as Upgraders and Downgraders. Upgraders use words or phrases to make negative feedback feel stronger. An upgrader might say, “this is absolutely inappropriate.” As you read this, see if you identify more as an upgrader or downgrader.

Upgraders say:

• Absolutely–“That was absolutely shameless.”
• Totally–“You totally missed the point.”
• Strongly–” I strongly suggest that you…”

By contrast, downgraders use words to soften the criticism. A downgrader might say, “We are not quite there yet” or “This is just my opinion, but…”

Downgraders say:

• “Kind of”
• “Sort of”
• “A little”
• “Maybe”
• “Slightly”
• “This is just my opinion.”

When giving and receiving feedback across cultures, it is helpful to be aware of these differences so you can “hear” what they are really saying. Take for example this statement as a Dutch person complains about how Americans give feedback.

The problem is that we cant’ tell when the feedback is supposed to register to us as excellent, ok, or really poor. For a Dutchman, the word “excellent” is saved for a rare occasion and “okay” is…well, neutral. But with the Americans, the grid is different. “Excellent” is used all the time, “Okay” seems to mean, “not okay.” “Good” is only a mild complement. And when the message was intended to be bad, you can pretty much assume that, if an American is speaking and the listner is Dutch, the real meaning of the message will be lost all together. Erin Meyer, The Culture Map.

Nannette Ripmeester, Director of Expertise in Labour Mobility, illustrates these differences to her clients with a chart. This chart shows the differences between what the British say, what they mean, and what the Dutch understand. This is a condensed version of her list.

Chances are as you read this list, you identified yourself in some of the statements and identified someone you know who is in the other list. Hopefully, this made you think about how personal style can be as different as cultural style. The big idea here is when you are giving and receiving feedback, it can be helpful to try to identify their communication style and adjust accordingly.

Politeness Strategies

As you already know, whenever you critique someone’s work, there is a potential to hurt their feelings. There are many factors that influence whether the feedback is helpful or hurtful. In communication, we use the term “face” to mean the sense of self a person projects. People can “take face” by creating a situation where someone looks bad to others or people can “lose face” by doing something that diminishes them in the eyes of others. Optimally, we want people to feel like they “gain-face” and feel encouraged. The way that you give feedback as well as the person’s natural tendencies will influence how “face” is affected.

When giving feedback, you should think about how your feedback takes or gives face. You also need to consider what is at stake for the other person. Is this a small speech assignment or is it a career-defining presentation? In addition, critiquing someone privately vs critiquing someone in front of their boss will have different “face” outcomes.

How much you are willing to “take face” from someone may depend on the importance of the feedback. You will likely want to provide more suggestions for someone who is doing a career speech to get their dream job vs that same person doing a college speech worth minimal points. You will likely be more invested in helping a friend polish a speech to make it just right as opposed to someone you barely know.

Finally, the other thing influencing feedback is the power difference between people. You will likely give feedback differently to your little sister than you would to your boss. The status of the individuals and how important power is to them will impact how “face” is taken and given. For example, a high-power country like China would consider an open critique of a teacher, boss, or elder a huge insult, whereas someone from a low-power country, would be less offended.  In any situation, you will be negotiating power, context, and the need to save face.

Taking all these factors into account, Brown and Levinson created Politeness Theory as a way to explain the different ways we give feedback to save face.

Bald on Record: This type of feedback is very direct without concern for the person’s esteem face. This type of feedback is usually given if there is a small fix the speaker would feel strongly about.

Examples of bald on record feedback:

• “Be sure you bold the headings.”
• “Alphabetize the references.”

Positive Politeness: In this type of feedback, you would build up the face or esteem of the other person. You would make them feel good before you make any suggestions. (It looks a lot like the sandwich method, hunh?)

Examples of positive politeness feedback:

• “You are so organized; this one little fix and it will be perfect.”
• “I love the story you told, a few more details would really help me see the character.”

Negative Politeness:  The name of this type of feedback is a little misleading. It doesn’t mean you are negative. It means you acknowledge that getting feedback may make them feel negative.  You would say things that acknowledge their discomfort. You might minimize the criticism so it doesn’t make them feel bad or find other ways to soften the blow of criticism.

Examples of negative politeness feedback: 

• “I know this critique might sound rough and I hope it helps, but I think you really need to work on the middle section.”
• “This is just me making suggestions, but I would be able to understand more if your slide has a heading.”
• I’m not an expert on this, but I think you might need to have a stronger thesis.”
• “I see what you are trying to do here, but I think some of your audience members might not get it.”

Off Record: When you give feedback that is off the record, you are hinting vaguely that they should make a change.

Examples of off the record feedback. 

• “How many sources are we supposed to have?” (Instead of saying, “You need to have more research”)
• “I thought we were supposed to have slides with our speech, maybe I heard that wrong.”
• “Are other people in the class dressing up?”

Avoidance: Some people are afraid of giving feedback so they will avoid the situation altogether.

Avoid the three C’s

Perform the three r’s.

From Westside Toastmasters

Giving Feedback During a Speech

When you are listening to someone speak, you are giving constant nonverbal feedback. Are you leaning forward listening intently or are you leaned back picking at your fingernails? The way you listen lets the speaker know that you value them and what they are saying. It can be reassuring to the speaker to have people who are in the audience smiling and nodding.

Try this little experiment: If you have a speaker who is average or boring, lean in and listen intently. Don’t be insincere and cheesy, but rather try to be an earnest listener. You will find that when the speaker notices you paying attention, they will usually become less monotone and more engaging. The speaker affects the audience, and the audience affects the speaker.

Asking for Feedback During Your Speech

Appoint someone to be your speech buddy who will give you signals and alert you during your speech, for example: to speak louder or to check your microphone. If you know that you tend to pace, lean on the podium, or say um’s, have them give you the signal.

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. Winston Churchill Former Prime Ministre of the United Kingdom

Key Takeaways

Remember This! 

• Be open to the feedback of others, it can help you improve as a speaker.
• When giving feedback to others consider the context, their needs, the impact on their esteem, and their culture.
• Use the feedback sandwich as a model for giving constructive criticism.

Attribution & References

Except where otherwise noted, this chapter is adapted from “Giving and Receiving Feedback: It is Harder Than You Think ” In Advanced Public Speaking by Lynn Meade, licensed under CC BY 4.0 .

Brown, P., & Levinson, S. (1978). Universals in Language Usage: Politeness Phenomena. In E. Goody (Ed.), Questions and Politeness: Strategies in Social Interaction (pp. 56-310). Cambridge University Press.

Churchhill Central: Life and words of Sir Winston Churchill. https://www.churchillcentral.com/

Gonzales, M. (2017). How to get feedback on speeches. Global Public Speaking. https://www.globalpublicspeaking.com/get-feedback-speeches/

King, P. E., & Young, M. J. (2002). An information processing perspective on the efficacy of instructional feedback. American Communication Journal, 5 http://ac-journal.org/journal/vol5/iss2/articles/feedback.htm

King, P. E., Young, M. J., & Behnke, R. R. (2000). Public speaking performance improvement as a function of information processing in immediate and delayed feedback interventions. Communication Education, 49, 365–374. https://doi.org/10.1080/03634520009379224

Mehra, A., Kilduff, M. & Brass, D.J. (2001). The social networks of high and low self-monitors Implications for workplace performance.  Administrative Science Quarterly, 46 (1), 121-146. https://doi.org/10.2307/2667127

Meyer, E. (2014). The culture map: Breaking through the invisible boundaries of global business. Public Affairs.  https://erinmeyer.com/books/the-culture-map/

Meyer, E. (2014). How to say “This is Crap” in different cultures. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2014/02/how-to-say-this-is-crap-in-different-cultures

Reagle, J.M. & Reagle, J.M. (2015). Reading the comments: Likers, haters, and manipulators at the bottom of the web . MIT Press. https://readingthecomments.mitpress.mit.edu/

Ripmeester, N. Rottier, B., & Bush, A. (2010). Separated by a common translation? How the Brits and the Dutch communicate. Pediatric Pulmonology. 46( 4). 409-411. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppul.21380

Ripmeester, N. (2015). We all speak English, don’t we? https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/we-all-speak-english-dont-nannette-ripmeester/

Smith, C.D. & King, P.E. (2007). Student feedback sensitivity and the efficacy of feedback interventions in public speaking performance improvement. Communication Education 53 (3). https://doi.org/10.1080/0363452042000265152

Snyder, M. (1974). Self-monitoring of expressive behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 30 (4), 526-537. http://www.communicationcache.com/uploads/1/0/8/8/10887248/self-monitoring_of_expressive_behavior.pdf

Toastmasters International. (2017). Giving effective feedback. https://www.toastmasters.org/resources/giving-effective-feedback

Dynamic Presentations Copyright © 2022 by Amanda Quibell is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Effective Presentation Feedback: Examples, Importance, and Tips

• By Judhajit Sen
• August 7, 2024

Learning how to give a good presentation isn’t a talent; it’s a skill that requires time and presentation practice. The same goes for giving feedback. If you’re a manager or leader, your feedback can significantly improve a speaker’s performance and boost their confidence.

Continuous improvement starts with consistent feedback. Providing feedback, positive or otherwise, is crucial for ongoing growth. Everyone is on a journey of personal and professional development, and asking presentation feedback questions is a key part of that process.

Many people find public speaking and presenting intimidating, but feedback can help them get better. It highlights areas for improvement and reinforces strengths. Without feedback, growth is slow, and bad habits can become ingrained.

Feedback targets key aspects of performance, helping individuals focus on specific skills in an organized manner. It drives personal and professional growth by providing clear guidance and structure. Continuous feedback ensures that improvement is ongoing, making the learning process more effective.

Key Takeaways

• Feedback Drives Improvement: Providing consistent feedback helps speakers refine their skills, boost confidence, and address both strengths and weaknesses.
• Engage Your Audience: Collect feedback through presentation feedback sheets and forms or direct interaction to gauge engagement and improve future presentations.
• Balance Positive and Negative Feedback: Use specific PowerPoint presentation feedback examples to highlight what went well and offer practical advice for areas needing improvement.
• Receive Feedback Openly: Listen carefully, avoid taking feedback personally, and reflect on it to make meaningful changes in your presentation skills.

Importance of Presentation Feedback

Evaluation for a presentation is essential for several reasons. Firstly, it serves as a gauge for audience engagement . While we might think our presentations are perfect, there’s always room for improvement. Feedback, whether positive or negative, helps us grow. If you complete a presentation and receive no feedback, it might not be a sign of perfection but rather an indication that the audience was disengaged. Without their attention, they can’t provide feedback.

To avoid this, make it easier for your audience to engage and provide feedback on a presentation example. Consider using feedback forms to collect responses. These tools allow your audience to share their thoughts conveniently. Additionally, direct interaction can be beneficial. If there’s an opportunity to chat with attendees after the presentation, don’t hesitate to ask for their feedback. Most people are willing to help.

Secondly, feedback directly contributes to improving your public speaking skills. When people provide feedback, they often comment on your delivery or slides. You might hear things like, “You command attention well,” or “Your slides could be more visually appealing.” Candid criticism, such as, “Your facial expressions were distracting,” is also valuable. 

It’s crucial to actively seek, receive, and act on this feedback. By addressing the comments and suggestions, you can enhance both your presentation skills and the quality of your slides. Continuous improvement through feedback leads to better presentations and a more engaged audience.

Presentation Feedback Examples

Positive Feedback

Positive feedback in presentations highlights the strengths of the speaker and their effective delivery. It should:

Acknowledge Strengths: Point out what the speaker did well.

Provide Specific Examples: Mention moments that exceeded expectations.

Having good things to say about a presentation is about recognizing the speaker’s efforts beyond basic expectations. Instead of generic praise like “Good job!” specify how:

– The presentation flowed logically, enhancing audience understanding.

– Detailed research strengthened the presentation’s credibility.

– Inclusion of relevant slides demonstrated audience awareness.

– Engaging icebreakers established authority and captured attention.

– Complex topics were simplified for better audience comprehension.

– Real-life examples made the topic relatable and significant.

– Visual aids effectively supported key points, maintaining audience focus.

– Interactive elements encouraged audience engagement and clarity.

– Professional yet passionate delivery sustained audience interest.

– Conclusion effectively summarized key points while encouraging further exploration.

– Attention to detail in slides and delivery enhanced overall impact.

– Confident body language underscored authority and engagement.

– Additional resources provided enriched learning opportunities for all audience members.

Recognizing these specific strengths helps speakers refine their skills and deliver even stronger presentations in the future.

Constructive Feedback

Constructive feedback focuses on areas that need help while offering guidance on how to address those issues in future presentations. The goal is to build up the speaker, not tear them down, by highlighting specific weaknesses and providing practical advice.

When giving candid feedback, it’s important to focus on the presentation, not the presenter. If you notice a recurring problem, provide a few examples instead of pointing out every instance. Asking the speaker about their thought process before critiquing their slides or speech can help identify knowledge gaps.

Here are some examples of constructive feedback for a presentation:

Engage the Audience: Start with a thought-provoking question or an interesting statistic to grab the audience’s attention right away.

Eye Contact: Making eye contact helps connect with the audience and boosts your confidence.

Clarity and Pace: Speak with clarity and at a slower pace. Recording yourself and listening back can help you improve.

Interactive Elements: Include time for audience questions to make the presentation more engaging.

Audience Knowledge: Tailor your content to the audience’s knowledge level. Remove unnecessary parts and focus on what’s relevant.

Presentation Structure: Organize your presentation from general to specific to make it easier to follow.

Real-World Examples: Use real-world examples to make your points more relatable and understandable.

Visuals: Balance text and visuals on your slides to maintain audience interest.

Humor and Media: Use humor and GIFs sparingly to enhance transitions, not distract from the content.

Confidence and Preparation: Practice regularly and consider a script or outline to keep on track and improve pacing.

Additionally, understand your audience’s body language and social cues to adjust your presentation style and tone. Preparing for tough questions and remaining calm during debates can help maintain a positive discussion. Practicing consistently will build your confidence and improve your overall presentation skills.

Candid feedback on how to perform a presentation is about continuous improvement, helping speakers refine their skills and deliver more impactful presentations in the future.

Things to Look for When Providing Presentation Feedback

Giving feedback on a presentation can seem daunting, but breaking it down into specific areas can make the process easier and more effective. Here are key aspects to consider:

Understanding: Did the speakers know who their audience was?

Context: Was the amount of context provided suitable for the audience’s knowledge level?

Engagement: Did the speaker allow time for audience questions?

Tone: Was the presentation’s tone appropriate for the audience?

Body Language and Presence

Approachability: Did the speaker appear approachable and confident?

Clarity: Was the speaker speaking clearly and at a good pace?

Eye Contact: Did the presenter make eye contact with the audience?

Nonverbal Cues: Were the presenter’s nonverbal cues appropriate and not distracting?

Clarity: Was the information clear, specific, and easy to understand?

Relevance: Was the material relevant to the topic and audience?

Examples: Did the presenter include real-world examples to illustrate points?

Relevance: Were the visuals relevant to the content?

Clarity: Were the visuals easy to see and understand?

Balance: Was there a good balance between text and visuals?

Professionalism: Did the slides look professional and well-designed?

Communication

Key Messages: Were the key messages clear and concise?

Objectives: Did the presenter clearly communicate the objectives of the presentation?

Takeaways: Did the presenter provide clear takeaways for the audience?

Voice: How well did the presenter’s voice carry in the presentation space?

Engagement: Was the presentation engaging and interactive?

Capturing Attention: How well did the presenter capture and maintain audience attention?

Accessibility: Was the presentation accessible to all audience members?

Using a checklist based on these categories can help you provide structured and transparent feedback on the quality of a presentation, highlighting both strengths and areas for improvement.

Tips to Give Effective Presentation Feedback

Giving effective feedback on presentations is a skill that takes practice to master. Here are some tips to help you provide constructive and positive feedback to presenters:

Prepare What You’d Like to Say  

Before giving feedback, think carefully about what you want to communicate. Prepare your thoughts to avoid knee-jerk reactions that can be unhelpful. Practice your feedback with a coach if possible to ensure clarity and effectiveness.

Use the Feedback Sandwich

Start with something positive, then offer candid feedback, and end with another positive comment. This method helps balance your feedback and shows the presenter what they did well.

Be Specific and Concrete  

Use specific examples from the presentation when giving feedback. Avoid vague comments like “ improve your communication skills .” Instead, say, “I suggest adding a slide with key agenda items to help the audience follow along.”

Focus on Behavior, Not Personality  

Address actions and behaviors rather than personal traits. For example, instead of saying, “You seemed nervous,” say, “I noticed that you were fidgeting, which can be distracting.”

Use “I” Statements  

Frame your feedback with “I” statements to make it clear that you’re sharing your perspective. For instance, say, “I felt the presentation could benefit from more examples.”

Give feedback as soon as possible after the presentation. This ensures that the details are fresh in your mind and provides more accurate and helpful feedback.

Offer Solutions or Suggestions

When pointing out areas for improvement, offer actionable advice. For example, “I recommend practicing with a friend to improve your pacing.”

Create Dialogue

Encourage a two-way conversation by asking the presenter for their thoughts on their performance. This helps them reflect on their strengths and areas for improvement.

Lead with Empathy

Be clear and direct, but also kind. Feedback should come from a place of care and support, making the recipient feel valued.

Check in with the presenter after some time to see how they are progressing. Offer continued support and share any positive changes you’ve noticed.

Choose the Right Setting

Provide feedback in a private and comfortable setting where the presenter feels safe to receive and discuss it.

End on a Positive Note  

Finish with a sincere compliment to reinforce positive behaviors and encourage growth. For example, “I was really impressed with your opening—it grabbed everyone’s attention.”

By following these tips, you can give feedback that is constructive, supportive, and effective, helping presenters improve their skills and confidence.

Tips to Constructively Receive Presentation Feedback

Once you’ve learned how to give good feedback, it’s time to focus on receiving it. Here’s how to make the most of feedback after your presentation:

Pay Close Attention

When you ask for feedback, stop talking and listen. Avoid justifying your actions or steering the conversation. Simply listen to what the person has to say.

Don’t Take it Personally

Pay attention to how you respond to feedback, including your body language and facial expressions. Don’t take feedback personally, as this might make the person giving it feel like they’re hurting your feelings. This can lead to less honest feedback, which isn’t helpful. Create an environment that allows honest and constructive dialogue.

Be Open-minded

To grow, be open to all feedback you receive. Closing yourself off from feedback hinders your progress and development. Embrace feedback as a chance to improve.

Understand the Message

Before making any changes based on feedback, ensure you fully understand the message. Avoid changing something that’s working well. Confirm that you’re addressing the right issues before taking action.

Reflect & Process

After receiving feedback, take time to reflect and process it. Compare the feedback with your own self-evaluation. Look for differences between your perspective and the feedback you received. Remember, no presentation is perfect, and it’s challenging to meet everyone’s expectations.

Always follow up after receiving feedback. This shows you value the input and are committed to improvement. It also demonstrates that you’ve taken action based on their advice.

Wrap-up: Presentation Feedback

Presentation feedback is crucial for improvement and confidence building. It involves both positive and constructive elements that help speakers refine their skills. Positive feedback highlights what went well, offering specific praise to reinforce strengths and encourage continued success. Constructive feedback, on the other hand, focuses on areas for growth, providing actionable advice to address weaknesses. This balanced approach ensures ongoing development and enhances presentation quality.

Effective feedback should be specific, timely, and empathetic, aiming to support rather than criticize. By actively seeking and integrating feedback, presenters can enhance their delivery, engage their audience better, and continuously improve their skills. Embracing feedback as a tool for growth helps transform challenges into opportunities for learning and achievement.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Why is feedback important for presentations?  

Feedback helps improve presentation skills by highlighting strengths and areas needing improvement. It boosts confidence and ensures ongoing growth, making presentations more effective and engaging.

2. How can you provide effective feedback to a speaker?  

Focus on specific behaviors and provide actionable advice. Use examples from the presentation, offer solutions, and maintain a supportive tone to help the speaker improve without discouraging them.

3. What is the best way to receive feedback?  

Listen carefully without getting defensive. Be open-minded, understand the feedback fully, and reflect on it before making changes. Following up shows you value the input and are committed to improvement.

4. How can I make feedback easier for my audience to give?  

Use feedback forms or engage directly with your audience after the presentation. This makes it convenient for them to share their thoughts and ensures you get valuable insights for improvement.

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At Prezentium, we understand that effective presentation feedback is essential for growth and improvement. Whether you’re refining your skills or seeking to make a lasting impression, our AI-powered services can make a difference. Our Overnight Presentations service ensures you receive expertly designed, visually compelling presentations. For ongoing improvement, our Accelerators team transforms your ideas and notes into polished presentations and custom templates. And with Zenith Learning , we offer interactive workshops that combine structured problem-solving with visual storytelling to enhance your communication skills.

Don’t let feedback intimidate you—let it be a tool for excellence. Partner with Prezentium to receive the insights and support you need to shine. Contact us today to see how we can help you deliver outstanding presentations and continuously improve your skills.

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16 constructive feedback examples — and tips for how to use them

Giving constructive feedback is nerve-wracking for many people. But feedback is also necessary for thriving in the workplace. 

It helps people flex and grow into new skills, capabilities, and roles. It creates more positive and productive relationships between employees. And it helps to reach goals and drive business value.

But feedback is a two-way street. More often than not, it’s likely every employee will have to give constructive feedback in their careers. That’s why it’s helpful to have constructive feedback examples to leverage for the right situation. 

We know employees want feedback. But one study found that people want feedback if they’re on the receiving end . In fact, in every case, participants rated their desire for feedback higher as the receiver. While the fear of feedback is very real, it’s important to not shy away from constructive feedback opportunities. After all, it could be the difference between a flailing and thriving team. 

If you’re trying to overcome your fear of providing feedback, we’ve compiled a list of 16 constructive feedback examples for you to use. We’ll also share some best practices on how to give effective feedback . 

What is constructive feedback? 

When you hear the word feedback, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? What feelings do you have associated with feedback? Oftentimes, feedback conversations are anxiety-ridden because it’s assumed to be negative feedback. Unfortunately, feedback has this binary stigma, it’s either good or bad.

But in reality, there are plenty of types of feedback leveraged in both personal and professional relationships. They don’t all fall into one camp or the other. And each type of feedback is serving a purpose to ultimately better an individual, team, or work environment. 

For example, positive feedback can be used to reinforce desired behaviors or big accomplishments. Real-time feedback is reserved for those “in the moment” situations. Like if I’ve made a mistake or a typo in a blog, I’d want my teammates to give me real-time feedback . 

However, constructive feedback is its own ball game. 

What is constructive feedback?

Constructive feedback is a supportive way to improve areas of opportunity for an individual person, team, relationship, or environment. In many ways, constructive feedback is a combination of constructive criticism paired with coaching skills. 

16 constructive feedback examples to use 

To truly invest in building a feedback culture , your employees need to feel comfortable giving feedback. After all, organizations are people, which means we’re all human. We make mistakes but we’re all capable of growth and development. And most importantly, everyone everywhere should be able to live with more purpose, clarity, and passion. 

But we won’t unlock everyone’s full potential unless your people are comfortable giving feedback. Some employee feedback might be easier to give than others, like ways to improve a presentation. 

But sometimes, constructive feedback can be tricky, like managing conflict between team members or addressing negative behavior. As any leader will tell you, it’s critical to address negative behaviors and redirect them to positive outcomes. Letting toxic behavior go unchecked can lead to issues with employee engagement , company culture, and overall, your business’s bottom line. 

Regardless of where on the feedback spectrum your organization falls, having concrete examples will help set up your people for success. Let’s talk through some examples of constructive feedback. For any of these themes, it’s always good to have specific examples handy to help reinforce the feedback you’re giving. We’ll also give some sample scenarios of when these phrases might be most impactful and appropriate. 

Constructive feedback examples about communication skills  

An employee speaks over others and interrupts in team meetings.

“I’ve noticed you can cut off team members or interrupt others. You share plenty of good ideas and do good work. To share some communication feedback , I’d love to see how you can support others in voicing their own ideas in our team meetings.” 

An employee who doesn’t speak up or share ideas in team meetings.

“I’ve noticed that you don’t often share ideas in big meetings. But in our one-on-one meetings , you come up with plenty of meaningful and creative ideas to help solve problems. What can I do to help make you more comfortable speaking up in front of the team?” 

An employee who is brutally honest and blunt.

“Last week, I noticed you told a teammate that their work wasn’t useful to you. It might be true that their work isn’t contributing to your work, but there’s other work being spread across the team that will help us reach our organizational goals. I’d love to work with you on ways to improve your communication skills to help build your feedback skills, too. Would you be interested in pursuing some professional development opportunities?”  

An employee who has trouble building rapport because of poor communication skills in customer and prospect meetings.

“I’ve noticed you dive right into the presentation with our customer and prospect meetings. To build a relationship and rapport, it’s good to make sure we’re getting to know everyone as people. Why don’t you try learning more about their work, priorities, and life outside of the office in our next meeting?” 

Constructive feedback examples about collaboration 

An employee who doesn’t hold to their commitments on group or team projects.

“I noticed I asked you for a deliverable on this key project by the end of last week. I still haven’t received this deliverable and wanted to follow up. If a deadline doesn’t work well with your bandwidth, would you be able to check in with me? I’d love to get a good idea of what you can commit to without overloading your workload.”  

An employee who likes to gatekeep or protect their work, which hurts productivity and teamwork .

“Our teams have been working together on this cross-functional project for a couple of months. But yesterday, we learned that your team came across a roadblock last month that hasn’t been resolved. I’d love to be a partner to you if you hit any issues in reaching our goals. Would you be willing to share your project plan or help provide some more visibility into your team’s work? I think it would help us with problem-solving and preventing problems down the line.” 

An employee who dominates a cross-functional project and doesn’t often accept new ways of doing things.

“I’ve noticed that two team members have voiced ideas that you have shut down. In the spirit of giving honest feedback, it feels like ideas or new solutions to problems aren’t welcome. Is there a way we could explore some of these ideas? I think it would help to show that we’re team players and want to encourage everyone’s contributions to this project.” 

Constructive feedback examples about time management 

An employee who is always late to morning meetings or one-on-ones.

“I’ve noticed that you’re often late to our morning meetings with the rest of the team. Sometimes, you’re late to our one-on-ones, too. Is there a way I can help you with building better time management skills ? Sometimes, the tardiness can come off like you don’t care about the meeting or the person you’re meeting with, which I know you don’t mean.” 

A direct report who struggles to meet deadlines.

“Thanks for letting me know you’re running behind schedule and need an extension. I’ve noticed this is the third time you’ve asked for an extension in the past two weeks. In our next one-on-one, can you come up with a list of projects and the amount of time that you’re spending on each project? I wonder if we can see how you’re managing your time and identify efficiencies.” 

An employee who continuously misses team meetings.

“I’ve noticed you haven’t been present at the last few team meetings. I wanted to check in to see how things are going. What do you have on your plate right now? I’m concerned you’re missing critical information that can help you in your role and your career.” 

Constructive feedback examples about boundaries 

A manager who expects the entire team to work on weekends.

“I’ve noticed you send us emails and project plans over the weekends. I put in a lot of hard work during the week, and won’t be able to answer your emails until the work week starts again. It’s important that I maintain my work-life balance to be able to perform my best.” 

An employee who delegates work to other team members.

“I’ve noticed you’ve delegated some aspects of this project that fall into your scope of work. I have a full plate with my responsibilities in XYZ right now. But if you need assistance, it might be worth bringing up your workload to our manager.” 

A direct report who is stressed about employee performance but is at risk of burning out.

“I know we have performance reviews coming up and I’ve noticed an increase in working hours for you. I hope you know that I recognize your work ethic but it’s important that you prioritize your work-life balance, too. We don’t want you to burn out.”  

Constructive feedback examples about managing 

A leader who is struggling with team members working together well in group settings.

“I’ve noticed your team’s scores on our employee engagement surveys. It seems like they don’t collaborate well or work well in group settings, given their feedback. Let’s work on building some leadership skills to help build trust within your team.” 

A leader who is struggling to engage their remote team.

“In my last skip-levels with your team, I heard some feedback about the lack of connections . It sounds like some of your team members feel isolated, especially in this remote environment. Let’s work on ways we can put some virtual team-building activities together.” 

A leader who is micromanaging , damaging employee morale.

“In the last employee engagement pulse survey, I took a look at the leadership feedback. It sounds like some of your employees feel that you micromanage them, which can damage trust and employee engagement. In our next one-on-one, let’s talk through some projects that you can step back from and delegate to one of your direct reports. We want to make sure employees on your team feel ownership and autonomy over their work.” 

8 tips for providing constructive feedback 

Asking for and receiving feedback isn’t an easy task. 

But as we know, more people would prefer to receive feedback than give it. If giving constructive feedback feels daunting, we’ve rounded up eight tips to help ease your nerves. These best practices can help make sure you’re nailing your feedback delivery for optimal results, too.

Be clear and direct (without being brutally honest). Make sure you’re clear, concise, and direct. Dancing around the topic isn’t helpful for you or the person you’re giving feedback to. 

Provide specific examples. Get really specific and cite recent examples. If you’re vague and high-level, the employee might not connect feedback with their actions.

Set goals for the behavior you’d like to see changed. If there’s a behavior that’s consistent, try setting a goal with your employee. For example, let’s say a team member dominates the conversation in team meetings. Could you set a goal for how many times they encourage other team members to speak and share their ideas? 

Give time and space for clarifying questions. Constructive feedback can be hard to hear. It can also take some time to process. Make sure you give the person the time and space for questions and follow-up. 

Know when to give feedback in person versus written communication. Some constructive feedback simply shouldn’t be put in an email or a Slack message. Know the right communication forum to deliver your feedback.   

Check-in. Make an intentional effort to check in with the person on how they’re doing in the respective area of feedback. For example, let’s say you’ve given a teammate feedback on their presentation skills . Follow up on how they’ve invested in building their public speaking skills . Ask if you can help them practice before a big meeting or presentation. 

Ask for feedback in return. Feedback can feel hierarchical and top-down sometimes. Make sure that you open the door to gather feedback in return from your employees. 

Start giving effective constructive feedback 

Meaningful feedback can be the difference between a flailing and thriving team. To create a feedback culture in your organization, constructive feedback is a necessary ingredient. 

Think about the role of coaching to help build feedback muscles with your employees. With access to virtual coaching , you can make sure your employees are set up for success. BetterUp can help your workforce reach its full potential.

Understand Yourself Better:

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Madeline Miles

Madeline is a writer, communicator, and storyteller who is passionate about using words to help drive positive change. She holds a bachelor's in English Creative Writing and Communication Studies and lives in Denver, Colorado. In her spare time, she's usually somewhere outside (preferably in the mountains) — and enjoys poetry and fiction.

5 types of feedback that make a difference (and how to use them)

17 positive feedback examples to develop a winning team, how to give constructive feedback as a manager, become a pro at asking for feedback (and receiving it), should you use the feedback sandwich 7 pros and cons, are you receptive to feedback follow this step-by-step guide, why coworker feedback is so important and 5 ways to give it, how to get feedback from your employees, how managers get upward feedback from their team, 30 customer service review examples to develop your team, how to give feedback using this 4-step framework, how to give negative feedback to a manager, with examples, start, stop, continue: how to implement this retrospective model, how to embrace constructive conflict, 25 performance review questions (and how to use them), stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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.css-1qrtm5m{display:block;margin-bottom:8px;text-transform:uppercase;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5714285714285714;-webkit-letter-spacing:-0.35px;-moz-letter-spacing:-0.35px;-ms-letter-spacing:-0.35px;letter-spacing:-0.35px;font-weight:300;color:#606F7B;}@media (min-width:600px){.css-1qrtm5m{font-size:16px;line-height:1.625;-webkit-letter-spacing:-0.5px;-moz-letter-spacing:-0.5px;-ms-letter-spacing:-0.5px;letter-spacing:-0.5px;}} Best Practices Become a better presenter -- with a little help from your friends

by TED Masterclass Team • May 12, 2020

Getting useful feedback can be a critical step in developing an effective presentation - it can also be harder to find than you might expect. Honest feedback calls on you to be vulnerable, and forces your feedback partner to sometimes deliver difficult constructive criticism. The good news is that this type of deep and authentic feedback can encourage personal growth and a willingness to take creative risks.

Get high-quality feedback that elevates your presentation skills by putting in a little extra preparation and focus.

First, decide who to ask for feedback

Feedback can feel personally risky if it’s coming from a close friend or colleague. Because these relationships are so important to us, honest feedback can end up feeling critical. In these situations, it can become tempting to give non-critical feedback, but that’s not helpful.

The person you work with to give you feedback should be someone:

• You want to learn from, who pushes you to think creatively
• With a different perspective - it can help to look beyond the people you spend a lot of time with personally or professionally
• Who shares your enthusiasm for acquiring new skills and is excited for you to become a better presenter

Then, prepare to receive feedback

Just as important as deciding who will be giving you feedback, is creating an environment and mindset where giving and receiving constructive feedback is easy.

• Create a distraction-free time and space for getting feedback. Ideally both of you should be present, focused, and open. If we’re feeling stressed or pressed for time, it’s hard to be a good feedback partner. That’s why it’s wise to tune in to how you’re feeling before you schedule a session.
• Remind the person that you’re looking for honest feedback to be the best presenter you can be.
• Before getting started, tell the person if there are any specific aspects of your idea or talk that you’d like them to focus feedback on.

Finally, ask the right questions

Giving feedback can be overwhelming for your partner if they don’t know what they should be focusing on. Decide on these areas ahead of time, and let your partner know. Then follow up with questions that will help them hone in on the most helpful feedback points for you.

Get overall feedback using these three questions:

• What works?
• What needs work?
• What’s a suggestion for one thing I might try?

Get specific feedback using these questions:

• Delivery: How is it landing for you overall? Are there places where your attention is wandering? What’s distracting?
• Content: Do you get this - will the audience? What questions do you have? Where are you engaged? Surprised? Moved? Is there a clear takeaway for the audience? Do you have any clarifying questions?

Good feedback is a gift that can really elevate your presentation skills. Make the most of your feedback opportunities with a little preparation.

© 2024 TED Conferences, LLC. All rights reserved. Please note that the TED Talks Usage policy does not apply to this content and is not subject to our creative commons license.

Blog > Effective Feedback for Presentations - digital with PowerPoint or with printable sheets

Effective Feedback for Presentations - digital with PowerPoint or with printable sheets

10.26.20   •  #powerpoint #feedback #presentation.

Do you know whether you are a good presenter or not? If you do, chances are it's because people have told you so - they've given you feedback. Getting other's opinions about your performance is something that's important for most aspects in life, especially professionally. However, today we're focusing on a specific aspect, which is (as you may have guessed from the title): presentations.

The importance of feedback

Take a minute to think about the first presentation you've given: what was it like? Was it perfect? Probably not. Practise makes perfect, and nobody does everything right in the beginning. Even if you're a natural at speaking and presenting, there is usually something to improve and to work on. And this is where feedback comes in - because how are you going to know what it is that you should improve? You can and should of course assess yourself after each and every presentation you give, as that is an important part of learning and improvement. The problem is that you yourself are not aware of all the things that you do well (or wrong) during your presentation. But your audience is! And that's why you should get audience feedback.

Qualities of good Feedback

Before we get into the different ways of how you can get feedback from your audience, let's briefly discuss what makes good feedback. P.S.: These do not just apply for presentations, but for any kind of feedback.

• Good feedback is constructive, not destructive. The person receiving feedback should feel empowered and inspired to work on their skills, not discouraged. You can of course criticize on an objective level, but mean and insulting comments have to be kept to yourself.
• Good feedback involves saying bot what has to be improved (if there is anything) and what is already good (there is almost always something!)
• After receiving good feedback, the recipient is aware of the steps he can and should take in order to improve.

Ways of receiving / giving Feedback after a Presentation

1. print a feedback form.

Let's start with a classic: the feedback / evaluation sheet. It contains several questions, these can be either open (aka "What did you like about the presentation?") or answered on a scale (e.g. from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree"). The second question format makes a lot of sense if you have a large audience, and it also makes it easy to get an overview of the results. That's why in our feedback forms (which you can download at the end of this post), you'll find mainly statements with scales. This has been a proven way for getting and giving valuable feedback efficiently for years. We do like the feedback form a lot, though you have to be aware that you'll need to invest some time to prepare, count up and analyse.

• ask specifically what you want to ask
• good overview of the results
• anonymous (people are likely to be more honest)
• easy to access: you can just download a feedback sheet online (ours, for example, which you'll find at the end of this blog post!)
• analysing the results can be time-consuming
• you have to print out the sheets, it takes preparation

2. Online: Get digital Feedback

In the year 2020, there's got to be a better way of giving feedback, right? There is, and you should definitely try it out! SlideLizard is a free PowerPoint extension that allows you to get your audience's feedback in the quickest and easiest way possible. You can of course customize the feedback question form to your specific needs and make sure you get exactly the kind of feedback you need. Click here to download SlideLizard right now, or scroll down to read some more about the tool.

• quick and easy to access
• easy and fast export, analysis and overview of feedback
• save feedback directly on your computer
• Participants need a working Internet connection (but that usually isn't a problem nowadays)

3. Verbal Feedback

"So, how did you like the presentation?", asks the lecturer. A few people in the audience nod friendly, one or two might even say something about how the slides were nice and the content interesting. Getting verbal feedback is hard, especially in big groups. If you really want to analyse and improve your presentation habits and skills, we recommend using one of the other methods. However, if you have no internet connection and forgot to bring your feedback sheets, asking for verbal feedback is still better than nothing.

• no prerequisites
• open format
• okay for small audiences
• not anonymous (people might not be honest)
• time consuming
• no detailed evaluation
• no way to save the feedback (except for your memory)
• not suitable for big audiences

Feedback to yourself - Self Assessment

I've mentioned before that it is incredibly important to not only let others tell you what went well and what didn't in your presentation. Your own impressions are of huge value, too. After each presentation you give, ask yourself the following questions (or better yet, write your answers down!):

• What went wrong (in my opinion)? What can I do in order to avoid this from happening next time?
• What went well? What was well received by the audience? What should I do more of?
• How was I feeling during this presentation? (Nervous? Confident? ...)

Tip: If you really want to actively work on your presentation skills, filming yourself while presenting and analysing the video after is a great way to go. You'll get a different view on the way you talk, move, and come across.

Digital Feedback with SlideLizard

Were you intrigued by the idea of easy Online-feedback? With SlideLizard your attendees can easily give you feedback directly with their Smartphone. After the presentation you can analyze the result in detail.

• type in your own feedback questions
• choose your rating scale: 1-5 points, 1-6 points, 1-5 stars or 1-6 stars;
• show your attendees an open text field and let them enter any text they want

Note: SlideLizard is amazing for giving and receiving feedback, but it's definitely not the only thing it's great for. Once you download the extension, you get access to the most amazing tools - most importantly, live polls and quizzes, live Q&A sessions, attendee note taking, content and slide sharing, and presentation analytics. And the best thing about all this? You can get it for free, and it is really easy to use, as it is directly integrated in PowerPoint! Click here to discover more about SlideLizard.

Free Download: Printable Feedback Sheets for Business or School Presentations

If you'd rather stick with the good old paper-and-pen method, that's okay, too. You can choose between one of our two feedback sheet templates: there is one tailored to business presentations and seminars, and one that is created specifically for teachers assessing their students. Both forms can be downloaded as a Word, Excel, or pdf file. A lot of thought has gone into both of the forms, so you can benefit as much as possible; however, if you feel like you need to change some questions in order to better suit your needs, feel free to do so!

Feedback form for business

Template as PDF, Word & Excel - perfect for seminars, trainings,...

Feedback form for teachers (school or university)

Template as PDF, Word & Excel - perfect for school or university,...

Where can I find a free feedback form for presentations?

There are many templates available online. We designed two exclusive, free-to-download feedback sheets, which you can get in our blog article

What's the best way to get feedback for presentations?

You can get feedback on your presentations by using feedback sheets, asking for feedback verbally, or, the easiest and fastest option: get digital feedback with an online tool

Related articles

About the author.

Pia Lehner-Mittermaier

Pia works in Marketing as a graphic designer and writer at SlideLizard. She uses her vivid imagination and creativity to produce good content.

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The big SlideLizard presentation glossary

Co-located audience.

Co-located Audience means that the speaker talks to the audience in person. It is used verbal and non-verbal methods to communicate a message. The speaker makes gestures with their hands, changes their face expression and shows images.

Keynote is a programme which, like PowerPoint, is used to create digital screen presentations. It is mainly used by Apple users.

External Communication

External communication is the exchange of information between two organisations. For example, it can be an exchange with customers, clients or traders. Feedback from a customer also counts as external communication.

PowerPoint Online

PowerPoint Online is the web version of PowerPoint. You can present and edit your PowerPoint presentation with it, without having PowerPoint installed on your computer. It's only necessary to have a Microsoft - or a Microsoft 365 account.

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Speak & Present Effectively

6 How to give & receive feedback

In this chapter you’ll learn how to give effective feedback that supports and encourages people. you’ll also learn how to accept feedback to improve your presentations., why is effective feedback important.

Effective feedback helps us improve. You may have heard of the Johari Window, which describes 4 parts of our self-awareness:

• Open  What we know about ourselves, and is also known by others
• Blindspot  What we don’t know about ourselves, but is known by others
• Hidden  What we know about ourselves, but is not known by others.
• Unknown   What we don’t know about ourselves, and is not known by others. [1]

Good feedback helps us learn about our Blindspot – what we don’t see about ourselves, but others do.

What makes feedback e ffective ?

Effective feedback has 7 qualities:

• Timely   Soon after the presentation
• Kind  Help the listener build skills; don’t embarrass or shame them
• Positive  Tell the listener what to do, not what not to do
• Honest  Don’t lie to be nice. “Great job!” is kind but not useful
• Useful  Suggest practical, actionable improvements
• Brief  Focus on only 2 improvements (the most important ones). More will confuse the listener
• Specific  Be precise and give examples

How to give feedback

There are many ways to give feedback. This simple 3-step method is easy to remember and use:

• Keep   Describing the best part, what they should keep doing
• Improve   Then describe the most important thing to improve, and why it’s important. Focus on ‘next time’ or ‘in future.’ For example, Speak slower so we can understand. Your topic seemed interesting and I’d like to hear all of it.
• Ask  the recipient if they have questions, if what you said makes sense

How to receive feedback

We often feel ashamed or embarrassed when receiving feedback. It’s similar to the shame wave described in  Chapter 2: Why am I so nervous? Most of us have a really mean inner critic who will start yelling at us for not being perfect. This makes it hard to listen and learn.

Try to silence your inner critic so that you can benefit from the feedback. These strategies will help:

Listen actively.

• Make eye contact with the person giving you feedback
• Take notes – you’ll forget what they said
• Summarize what they said
• Ask questions

Be respectful & professional.

• Watch your tone, words and body language
• Look for what’s true and what’s useful
• Avoid arguing or explaining; try to drop your defenses

Ask questions to clarify doubts and get precise details and examples.

For example:

• “Can you say more about…?”
• “Can you explain that further, please?”
• “What advice can you give me?”
• “How can I build that skill?”
• “Where could I learn more about…?”
• “What do you recommend?”

Appreciate the feedback.

• See the good in the feedback and the person who gave it to you
• Thank the speaker and show appreciation for their time and energy
• See how the feedback can help your skills and career

Reflect & grow.

Reflect on the feedback and decide your next steps:

• What did you learn?
• How will you use the feedback to improve your skills?
• What will you do next time?

 Test your knowledge 

• Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham, "The johari window," Human relations training news 5, no. 1 (1961): 6-7, http://www.richerexperiences.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Johari-Window.pdf ↵

Business Presentation Skills Copyright © 2021 by Lucinda Atwood and Christian Westin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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How to Give (and Receive) Critical Feedback

• Patrick Thean

It can make or break your relationships with your team.

New leaders often procrastinate difficult discussions at the expense of themselves and their teams. At the root of this feeling is usually a lack of experience and practice — both of which can be gained with intention and time. Here are two especially “spicy” conversations that all new managers face, and how to navigate them now and in the future:

• Giving Feedback to Direct Reports: You should be having regular weekly or biweekly one-on-one meetings with each of your team members to check in on their work and offer your support. This is a great time to share feedback (both positive and negative). When delivering critical or negative feedback, take a coaching approach. Instead of telling your direct report, “Hey, you filled this report out all wrong. I need you to fix it,” begin by giving them the benefit of the doubt and then offer them guidance.
• Receiving Feedback from Direct Reports: First, you need to create a psychologically safe space where your team members feel comfortable expressing thoughts, doubts, and perspectives without the fear of a consequence. You can do this by sharing vulnerably when the opportunity arises and openly appreciating team members who do the same. If people seem hesitant to approach you, directly ask for feedback and show your appreciation by taking it seriously when received. When a direct report expresses their opinions and frustrations, repeat back what they say to you to be sure you’re on the same page.

What’s the biggest challenge new managers face when trying to grow in their roles? Answers could include broad, complex, and difficult-to-qualify problems like figuring out how to fulfill the company’s vision, retain clientele, or lead a productive team. While these goals are worthy of pursuit, there is one overarching skill needed to see them come to fruition: building strong relationships with your direct reports.

• PT Patrick Thean is an international speaker, USA TODAY, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, CEO coach and serial entrepreneur. He is the author of Rhythm: How to Achieve Breakthrough Execution and Accelerate Growth .

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How To Give & Receive Constructive Presentation Feedback

Table of contents, why feedback is important.

We’ve heard it before, to never stop learning. To strive for continuous growth and personal improvement. As intuitive as it sounds, it can be harder than expected.

How do you know what to improve on or why to improve on certain key points? Our personal bias of performance and fear of failure blinds us from our weaknesses. You pinpoint what needs improvement based on feedback.

Feedback is important because it promotes personal and professional growth by targeting key aspects of one’s performance. With ongoing constructive feedback, an individual is able to hone in on individual skill sets in a very organized way.

Without feedback, the progression of growth is slowed. Bad habits are often overlooked and become permanent habits and giving up is more likely to occur as proper structure and guidance isn’t given.

At Presentation Geeks, we’ve completed multiple presentation designs for some of the world’s best speakers and companies . We’ve created downloadable visual presentations , sizzle reels , e-learning solutions and business forecasts reports. What we’re trying to say is we’ve seen it all. By seeing it all, we’ve also heard it all. Feedback is second nature to us and one of the foundational blocks in which our business is built upon. We know how important receiving and giving feedback is.

With that being said, we’ve outlined and gone into more detail on two reasons why feedback is important.

Gauges Audience Engagement

Feedback is important because it can be used as a gauge for audience engagement.

As perfect as we’d like to think we are, everyone has an opportunity to grow. Even a good presentation has at least a couple of things in which it can improve on. With opportunities to grow means feedback to be received. There will always be feedback to receive whether positive or negative.

If you have just completed a presentation and request feedback but receive none, you might think to yourself, “Excellent! There is absolutely nothing I need to improve on.” which unfortunately can mean quite the opposite.

Receiving no feedback could be an indication that you lost the audience’s attention. How can they provide feedback when they weren’t even listening to begin with?

Before jumping to the worst case scenario, there are a few things you can do to help weed out whether your presentation was not engaging .

First, try adding easier ways for the audience to engage with you and provide feedback. By having audience members sign-up online, you can get their email address and follow up with a feedback form such as SurveyMonkey .

Feedback forms are great because it allows the audience to easily provide feedback without needing to go out of their way to do it.

You might also take the approach of getting direct feedback. If there is an opportunity after the presentation to interact with the crowd and break off into small group chats, don’t be afraid to ask for feedback. Most people are more than happy to provide feedback and want to!

Improves Presentation Skills

Asking for feedback will also help improve your presentation skills .

When people are asked to give feedback on a presentation, most of the feedback you will receive will be on your delivery or the slides.

You’ll receive feedback such as, “You effectively command attention.” or, “Your slides could be more visually appealing.” or, “You overdid it on the facial expressions and they became a bit distracting.”.

The feedback you’ll receive will be both positive and negative. Don’t forget, it’s up to you to ask for the feedback, receive the feedback and take action on it. By taking action on the feedback as it relates to your presentation skills or your presentation slides, you’ll ultimately improve on your presentation skills.

Now that we know why feedback is important, let’s go over how to give and receive feedback.

How To Give Constructive Presentation Feedback

People are always looking for feedback yet not enough people give honest, good, constructive feedback. The feedback received is rarely helpful.

Giving constructive presentation feedback is an art you should master. By being able to not only receive constructive criticism, but give it as well, you’ll get a better appreciation for other people’s presentation skills and reflect upon yours. It will make navigating your own feedback journey easier.

Below you’ll find ways on how to give constructive feedback next time you’re asked.

Focus On Behaviour, Not The Person

When giving feedback, make sure it’s on the skills a person can control and change such as their behaviour rather than themselves as a person.

When you give feedback which targets a person’s character rather than their behaviour, they’ll become defensive and the feedback comes across as harsh criticism rather than constructive feedback.

Be Actionable

When giving feedback, follow up with an actionable item the person can do to work towards improving.

For example, if you felt their presentation didn’t flow well and you were lost as an audience member, don’t just leave it at that. Expand upon your comment by suggesting they add a slide outlining key agenda items. Take it a step further and explain why you suggested this.

You may say, ” I would suggest adding a slide which outlines key objectives because it will give the audience clear takeaways as to what to expect throughout the presentation. This is something I felt was missing.”

This is an actionable item someone can take away and implement and you’ve backed it up with a strong reason as to why they should do it.

Be Specific

Make sure the feedback you’re providing is specific.

Don’t just say someone needs to improve their communication skills. Be specific!

You could frame the feedback in a way that targets different forms of communication. You could pinpoint to their body language or their oral presentation. Both are forms of communication skills and without being specific, they wouldn’t know what to improve upon.

Be Realistic

Learning and growing is an ongoing progression. We can’t go from 0 – 100 overnight. We need to set realistic boundaries with the feedback we provide.

You want to be realistic when you communicate key points someone can improve on to ensure they don’t get discouraged and quit.

If requested to give feedback, be sure to do it in a timely manner.

Providing feedback in a timely manner will not only benefit the one asking, but you as well as you’re able to provide more accurate feedback.

As time goes on, you’ll begin to forget the small details that made up the entire presentation. By giving feedback in a timely manner, you’ll be able to provide more accurate and effective feedback.

Offer Continuing Support

Continuing support will take your ability to provide feedback to the next level and is immensely helpful.

Offer continuing support will allow you to establish a long-lasting rapport with people. These same people will most likely be providing you with feedback in the future.

Giving ongoing support will also allow you to become a master of your craft. The best way of fully understanding a topic is by teaching it. To become a master of presenting, you also need to be open to giving feedback. It will help you remain consistent.

End On A Positive Note

Lastly, end all feedback on a positive note.

The best growth and learning stems from positive reinforcement which can be as simple as ending things off with a positive note. Be mindful and honest with what positive note you want to end on.

A sincere compliment is far more effective than one that feels forced.

How To Receive Constructive Presentation Feedback

Once you’re able to effectively give good constructive feedback, we can now focus on receiving feedback.

What good is asking and receiving feedback if you don’t know what to do with the information. Instead of squandering golden nuggets of information, here is what you should do when asking for feedback after your own presentation.

Listen Carefully

Once you’ve asked for feedback, stop talking and listen.

Don’t try to justify your reasoning, don’t try and steer the conversation in a direction which favours your actions, just listen.

Be Aware Of Your Responses

Be aware of your responses to feedback. This includes body language, facial expressions and social cues.

You don’t want to come across as if you’re taking the feedback too personally. This will make the person providing the feedback feel like they’re hurting your feelings and they should stop or begin sugarcoating the feedback.

This will only result in inauthentic feedback which is not constructive. You want to be creating a space which can create dialogue surrounding helpful feedback.

You’ll receive a bunch of feedback over your life and the only way to grow is to be completely open with all the feedback you’ll receive.

The moment you start to close yourself off from feedback, is the moment you hinder your progression and growth.

Understand The Message

Before you leave with the feedback, make sure you fully understand what the person was trying to say.

The worst thing you can do is change something that isn’t broken. Before you walk away to start changing things, always make sure you know what you’re about to change is correct.

Reflect & Process

After you received the feedback, take time to reflect and process. This is a perfect time to conduct a self-evaluation on how you believe you did with your presentation.

Does the other person feel the same way? What are the differences they saw in my presentation that I didn’t see?

Don’t forget, we are perfectly imperfect human beings. You will never have a perfect presentation. With varying audiences all interested in something unique, you will have a hard time crafting presentation material with key messages that is compelling to everyone.

Always follow up.

Following up allows you to take action and measure your success to see if you’ve changed for the better.

Following up also makes sure the other person feels heard. What is the point of giving feedback if the person you give it to does nothing with it?

By following up, it shows you’ve taken their feedback to heart and you’re taking action.

Author:  Ryan

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How to Give Feedback on Presentation (Step by Step Guide)

Presentations can be a powerful tool to inform, persuade, or inspire. But let's be honest, they can also be nerve-wracking experiences. You pour your heart and soul into crafting the content, but the real test lies in how it resonates with your audience.

Did your message land? Were you able to communicate key points effectively? The answer often hinges on one crucial element: presentation feedback.

Here's the thing: Feedback isn't just about pointing out flaws. It's a double-edged sword that can elevate your presentation skills and drive you towards becoming a confident and impactful presenter. 

Constructive feedback provides valuable insights that can help you refine your delivery, strengthen your content, and connect with your audience on a deeper level. Presentation feedback acts as a mirror, reflecting our strengths and weaknesses and empowering us to continuously hone our craft.

But how do you ensure you're giving and receiving feedback that's truly helpful? This blog will equip you with the tools to navigate the feedback process effectively. 

Characteristics of Effective Feedback

Not all feedback is created equal. Effective feedback is a carefully crafted message that provides clear direction for improvement while fostering a positive learning environment.

Here are the key characteristics that define effective feedback on presentations:

(1) Specific

Ditch vague comments like "good job" or "it needs work" . Instead, pinpoint specific aspects of the presentation that were strong and areas where improvement is possible.

For example, "Instead of saying 'your slides were a bit crowded,' you could offer: 'The information on slide 5 seems overwhelming. Consider breaking it down into two slides or using bullet points to improve readability.'"

Another example of effective feedback might be: "The data you presented on target audience demographics was clear and well-organized (positive note).

However, consider briefly explaining how this data will be used to tailor the campaign message for different audience segments (actionable suggestion)."

(2) Actionable

Good feedback goes beyond simply identifying issues. It provides concrete suggestions for improvement.

Instead of saying, "Your body language seemed stiff," offer actionable advice like "Focusing on maintaining eye contact with different audience members can help project confidence and connect with the audience on a more personal level."

(3) Respectful

Remember, the goal is to provide constructive criticism, not tear someone down. Maintain a respectful and encouraging tone.

Phrase your feedback in a way that focuses on the presentation itself, not the presenter's personality.

(4) Future-Oriented

Effective feedback should be focused on something other than past mistakes. Frame your suggestions in a way that guides the presenter towards future presentations.

(5) Balanced

While constructive criticism is important, don't neglect to acknowledge the presenter's strengths.

A positive note at the beginning or end of your feedback can create a more receptive environment and reinforce positive behaviors.

Giving Feedback Like a Pro: A Step-By-Step Guide

So, you're ready to provide effective feedback on a presentation, but where do you begin? 

This step-by-step guide will equip you with the tools to deliver clear, actionable feedback that is ultimately well-received.

Step 1: Preparation

Before diving headfirst into feedback, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the context of the presentation. Review the presentation material beforehand, focusing on the topic, objectives, and key messages the presenter aimed to convey.

Understanding the presenter's goals allows you to tailor your feedback for maximum impact.

Step 2: Active Observation

Shift your mindset from passive observer to active listener. Pay close attention to the presenter's delivery, both verbal and nonverbal.

This includes:

• Content:  Is the information clear, concise, and well-organized? Does it effectively support the  key points ?
• Delivery:  Is the pace appropriate? Does the presenter use vocal variety to keep the audience engaged?
• Visual Aids:  Are the slides visually appealing and easy to understand? Do they complement the spoken content or create distractions?
• Body Language:  Does the presenter maintain good posture and eye contact with the audience? Does their body language convey confidence and enthusiasm?

Step 3: The Feedback Framework

Now for the heart of the matter: delivering your feedback!

Here's a framework to ensure your message is clear and constructive:

(1) Set the Stage

Briefly acknowledge the topic and  objectives  of the presentation. This helps the presenter understand the context within which you're providing feedback.

(2) Specificity is Crucial

Avoid vague comments. Instead, highlight specific aspects of the presentation that were effective and areas for improvement.

For example, "The opening story did a great job of grabbing the audience's attention (positive note). However, some of the technical terminology on the following slides might have been confusing for a non-specialist audience (actionable suggestion)."

(3) The Positive Sandwich

Frame your feedback with a positive note. Compliment the presenter on something they did well before offering constructive criticism. This creates a more receptive environment for feedback.

(4) Open-Ended Questions

Don't just tell; prompt discussion. Use open-ended questions to encourage the presenter to reflect on their delivery and explore potential improvements.

For example, "How did you feel the audience responded to that particular statistic?"

(5) Focus on the Future

Instead of dwelling on what went wrong, frame your feedback in a way that guides the presenter towards future presentations.

For example, "Consider adding a real-world example to illustrate that point for your next audience."

(6) Delivery Matters

Remember, even the most valuable feedback can fall flat if delivered poorly. Maintain a respectful and encouraging tone, and avoid accusatory language.

Focus on providing helpful suggestions for improvement.

(7) Consider the Audience

Tailoring your feedback to the audience can also be beneficial. If you're providing feedback to a colleague for a client presentation, your focus might be on the clarity and persuasiveness of the message.

For internal presentations, you might emphasize the organization and flow of the content.

Receiving Feedback Gracefully: A Practical Guide

So you've just delivered a presentation, and now comes the feedback.

While constructive criticism can feel daunting, it's actually a gift – a valuable opportunity to identify areas for improvement and elevate your presentation skills. But how do you ensure you receive feedback with grace and a growth mindset?

Here are some practical tips to help you navigate the process effectively:

(1) Maintain a Positive Attitude

It's natural to feel defensive when receiving feedback, especially if it's critical. However, resist the urge to get discouraged.

Remember, the goal is to learn and grow. Approach the feedback session with an open mind and a willingness to listen. Thank the person for their time and effort, and express your genuine interest in their insights.

(2) Active Listening is Key

Don't just hear the feedback; actively listen. Pay close attention to the specific points being raised. Ask clarifying questions if needed to ensure you fully understand the feedback.

Taking notes can also be helpful to remember key points for later reflection. If taking notes manually feels distracting and difficult, consider utilizing AI note-taking assistants like  Wudpecker .

Wudpecker's AI features automatically transcribe meetings and generate summaries, capturing key points and decisions. This will free you from the burden of note-taking, allowing you to fully engage in the discussion. 

(3) Separate Feedback from Emotion

It's easy to take feedback personally. However, try to separate the feedback from your own emotions.

Focus on the content of the message, not the delivery. Remember, the feedback is about the presentation, not you as a person.

(4) Identify Actionable Items

As you listen to the feedback, identify specific, actionable items you can work on to improve your future presentations.

This might involve refining your content structure, incorporating new visual aids, or practicing your delivery techniques.

(5) Don't Try to Defend Yourself

The urge to defend your choices is understandable but resist it. Instead, acknowledge the feedback and take time to process it later.

You can always ask follow-up questions for clarification, but avoid getting into a defensive debate.

(6) Express Gratitude

Thank the person for their feedback, regardless of whether it's positive or critical. Their willingness to share their insights is a valuable asset to your growth as a presenter.

(7) Reflect and Refine

Once you've received the feedback, take some time to reflect on it. Consider which points resonate most and identify areas where you can make improvements.

Develop a plan to incorporate the actionable items into your presentation skills development strategy.

Enhancing Presentation Skills Through Feedback

We've established that presentation feedback is a powerful tool for improvement. But how exactly can you leverage this feedback to enhance your presentation skills and become a more confident and impactful communicator? 

Here are some ways to turn feedback into action:

Self-Evaluation and Targeted Feedback

Seeking feedback doesn't have to be a one-time event. Develop a habit of self-evaluation after each presentation. Consider areas where you felt strong and areas where you could improve.

Based on your self-assessment, identify specific aspects you'd like to get targeted feedback on from colleagues or mentors. This targeted approach allows you to delve deeper into specific skills and receive focused insights.

Embrace Diverse Feedback Sources

Don't limit yourself to feedback from just one or two people. Seek feedback from a diverse audience whenever possible.

This could include colleagues, managers, clients, or even friends and family who witnessed your presentation.

Each person will have a unique perspective, offering valuable insights into how your message resonated with different audience members.

Leverage Technology

Technology can be a powerful tool for gathering feedback. Consider using online feedback forms or survey tools to collect anonymous feedback from a wider audience.

You can also record your presentations and watch them back to identify areas for improvement in areas like pacing, body language, and vocal variety.

Practice Makes Progress

Once you've identified areas for improvement based on feedback, it's time to put that knowledge into action!

Practice your delivery with a focus on the specific skills you're working on.

Role-play with a colleague, record yourself practicing, or join a public speaking group to gain experience and refine your presentation style.

Consistency Is Key

Remember, presentation skills don't develop overnight. The key to becoming a confident and impactful presenter lies in consistent effort and dedication.

Integrate feedback into your ongoing development plan, actively seek opportunities to present, and continuously strive to refine your craft.

Presentations can be powerful tools for informing, persuading, and inspiring, but mastering the art of delivery takes dedication and continuous improvement.

This blog has equipped you with the knowledge to harness the power of presentation feedback. You've learned how to provide clear, actionable feedback that empowers presenters, and you've explored strategies for receiving feedback with grace and a growth mindset.

Remember, the journey to becoming a captivating presenter is an ongoing process. Embrace the power of feedback, actively seek opportunities to practice, and never stop refining your skills.

By consistently seeking improvement, you'll transform those nervous presentation jitters into the confidence and clarity needed to deliver truly impactful presentations that resonate with any audience.

What Is an Example of Feedback on a Presentation?

Scenario:  You listened to a presentation on the benefits of switching to a new project management software. 

Here's how you could provide constructive feedback:

Positive Aspects:

• Clear Introduction:  "The introduction did a great job of grabbing the audience's attention by highlighting the common pain points associated with traditional project management methods. It effectively set the stage for the presentation."

Areas for Improvement:

• Visual Aids:  "The slides felt a bit text-heavy at times. Consider incorporating more visuals like charts, graphs, or even screenshots to illustrate the features and benefits of the new software."
• Content Depth:  "While you covered the key features of the software, it might be beneficial to delve deeper into how it addresses specific challenges faced by different user groups within the company (e.g., project managers vs. team members)."

Actionable Suggestions:

• "For your next presentation, you could try including a short demo of the software in action to showcase its user-friendliness."
• "Consider adding a slide that compares the new software to existing options, highlighting its unique advantages."

How Do You Comment on a Good Presentation?

Here are some ways to comment on a good presentation:

Highlight Specific Strengths:

• Content:  "The information you presented was clear, concise, and well-organized. It was easy to follow and understand." (focuses on clarity and structure)
• Oral Presentation:  "You delivered the presentation with great enthusiasm and confidence. Your use of vocal variety kept the audience engaged." (highlights delivery skills)
• Visual Aids:  "The slides were visually appealing and effectively complemented your spoken points. They were easy to read and understand." (focuses on visuals)
• Structure:  "The flow of the presentation was logical and well-paced. You transitioned smoothly between topics and kept the audience engaged throughout." (highlights structure and audience engagement)

Focus on Impact:

• "Your presentation was very informative and insightful. I learned a lot about [topic]."
• "You did a great job capturing the audience's attention and keeping them engaged throughout the presentation."
• "Your presentation was well-organized and easy to follow. I felt like I had a clear understanding of the key points."
• "I particularly enjoyed [specific aspect of the presentation, e.g., the real-world example you used, the humor you incorporated]."

Positive and Encouraging Tone:

• "Overall, it was a very impressive presentation. Well done!"
• "I can tell you put a lot of effort into this presentation, and it showed. Great job!"
• "Thank you for sharing your insights with us. It was a very informative presentation."
• "I look forward to seeing more presentations from you in the future."
• Be genuine and specific in your compliments. Make sure you are giving constructive feedback.
• Tailor your comments to the presenter and the presentation content.
• Focus on both the delivery and the content itself.
• End with a positive feedback and encouraging note.

How Do You Give Peer Feedback to a Presentation?

Here are some things to keep in mind when giving peer feedback on presentation:

Before the Feedback:

• Preparation:  Review the presentation topic and objectives beforehand (if available) to understand the presenter's goals.
• Mindset: Approach the feedback with a positive and helpful attitude.

Delivering the Feedback:

• Start Positive:  Start by acknowledging the presenter's effort and highlighting your observed strength.
• Specificity is Key:  Focus on specific aspects of the presentation, both positive and areas for improvement. Avoid vague comments.
• Actionable Suggestions:  Don't just point out problems; offer suggestions for improvement. Use "I" statements to frame your feedback (e.g., "I found the opening story engaging. Perhaps adding a visual element could enhance it further").
• Respectful Tone:  Maintain a respectful and encouraging tone throughout the feedback session.
• Focus on the Future:  Frame your suggestions in a way that guides the presenter towards future presentations.
• Open-Ended Questions:  Consider asking open-ended questions to encourage discussion and reflection (e.g., "How did you feel the audience responded to that statistic?").

Here’s an Example of How You Might Structure Your Feedback:

"Thanks for the presentation, [presenter's name]. I really enjoyed the way you [positive aspect, e.g., explained the technical details clearly and concisely]. I noticed that [area for improvement, e.g., some of the slides seemed text-heavy]. Perhaps you could consider [actionable suggestion, e.g., using bullet points or visuals to break up the text]."

Additional Tips for Constructive Feedback:

• Tailor Your Feedback:  Consider the audience and purpose of the presentation when providing feedback.
• Be Mindful of Time:  Keep your feedback concise and focused on the most important points.
• Offer to Help:  If you have specific skills or resources that could benefit the presenter, offer your help.
• Welcome Questions:  Encourage the presenter to ask clarifying questions or seek further feedback.

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Essential Guide for Giving and Receiving Feedback

February 15, 2021 - Dom Barnard

Feedback provides a great opportunity to develop skills and identify areas you need to improve. We’ve highlighted key points to think about when both receiving and giving feedback, which can be applied to a wide range of situations.

Feedback is important for a number of reasons, it allows you to:

• Identify areas which need improving , areas which you might not have realised otherwise
• Create a continuous learning loop , where you can iterate and improve your skills over time
• Quantify hard to measure areas  such as presentation skills, performance in a team and behaviour
• Give people an opportunity to ask for help  if they are performing badly in an area, this is particularly true when receiving feedback from your manager

Giving and receiving feedback is a powerful process but needs to be  handled carefully . Use this guide to help you get the most out of any feedback session.

Humans have been coming up with ways to give constructive criticism for centuries, but somehow we’re still pretty terrible at it. LeeAnn Renniger shares a scientifically proven method for giving effective feedback.

Guide for giving feedback

If you are giving feedback, it needs to:

1. Be specific

To be useful for development you need clear guidance. Often people say things like “you could be a bit more welcoming”. How does this translate into an action? More specific would be “I would have liked it if you had smiled when you welcomed us”.

2. Give evidence

You will be more likely to change your behaviour if you can identify precise aspects of it. Being reminded of the actual words you said or movements you made will make the feedback more effective.

So if your colleague says, “I thought you were a bit aggressive” this is not as clear as “you leant forward and pointed your finger at me when you said ‘I need to see results’ and that was quite aggressive”.

3. Describe any emotional impact

If you are working with a colleague either making a presentation or role-playing a situation, it will be useful for you to know what the impact of your behaviour is on them. “I felt included”, “I felt reassured” and other statements will help you know you are getting the effect you want.

4. Focus on being constructive

When giving feedback you must always balance what you want to say with what you feel will be useful. Restrict your feedback to three positive points and maybe one or two points for development. There are only so many things you can work on at the same time and it can affect your motivation if you receive a list of “negatives”.

• For further tips, read  How to give Constructive Criticism

5. Use ‘I’ statements

Try and give feedback from your perspective. This way you avoid labelling the person and it remains your opinion. Say, “I felt that you rushed the part when you explained how the product is used by customers”, instead of “You rushed how your product is being used by customers”.

6. Prioritise areas to focus on

Adults can only focus on and work on a few concepts at a time. Discuss with the participant if there are areas in particular they want feedback on, such as hesitation words or pace of voice for a presentation. This will help you focus in on those areas when providing feedback.

7. Align with goals

Often the feedback that people give is based on the giver’s personal beliefs or preferences, and yet the most useful feedback starts with an understanding of what their goals and objectives are, for example, why are they giving this presentation?

When a feedback giver says “Her jokes were very funny” what they are usually saying is “Her sense of humour matches mine so I enjoy it.” Talk with the participant about their goals to help guide your feedback and give you areas to focus on.

Guide for receiving feedback

If you are receiving feedback, remember:

1. Feedback is impersonal

The feedback given by the observer should be on what they saw in that moment of your behaviour. This is not a comment on you as a person nor is there an implication that you exhibit this behaviour all the time. It is what the observer saw now.

2. Listen and don’t interrupt

Try not to interrupt, contest or explain while you are receiving feedback.  Listen with an open mind  and make notes of what is said. You may then review and clarify what has been observed. Remember, you may not think you were being evasive, manipulative etc but this may be the effect of your behaviour.

3. Get feedback from junior people

Senior people need to get coaching from junior people

Robert Steven Kaplan explaining the importance of senior people within an organisation getting feedback and coaching from junior people, who know their faults and what they should improve.

Watch the full video here:  What To Ask The Person In The Mirror

4. Put it into action

You must turn the feedback into positive action on your part. Think about what you will change as a result of the feedback you have received. If possible act on it straight away by trying the same situation or presentation again.

5. Follow up

The whole purpose of feedback is to improve performance. You need to measure whether or not that is happening and then make adjustments as you go. It’s a good ideas to use the same person or group of people to practice with, as they’ll be able to tell you what is working and what needs to be modified. Keep a document of your conversations and discuss changes with them.

Creating feedback that is truly useful requires more care and attention than is typically invested. Like any skill – painting, swimming, learning English – offering feedback requires that we pay attention to and do many things effectively and simultaneously.

In order to give effective feedback, you need to understand how to receive it constructively. Doing this on a  regular bases  will help you appreciate feedback from the other persons perspective.

When done correctly, feedback is a powerful means of personal development and shouldn’t be a negative or resentful process – remember that the more practice you get the better you will become at it.

Acting on feedback will make future presentations more effective, improve personal development and help with career progression.

• Self-Improvement

How to Give and Receive Feedback at Work: The Psychology of Criticism

Former Director of People @ Buffer

No matter what we do or how well we do it, some criticism is eventually going to come our way.

And those moments are often some of the toughest we all face in work and life. Hearing potentially negative things about yourself is probably not your favorite activity, and most of us would rather avoid the awkwardness that comes with telling someone else how they could improve.

But what do we lose out on when we avoid these tough conversations? One of the fundamental skills of life is being able to give and receive advice, feedback and even criticism.

If given and received in the right spirit, could sharing feedback—even critical feedback —become a different, better experience than the painful one we’re accustomed to? Could feedback become a valued opportunity and even a bonding, positive experience ?

In this post, we’ll explore how to give and receive feedback at work in the best ways possible, along with some of the psychology behind handling critical feedback (in both directions). I’ll also share with you some of the methods in which we offer and receive feedback at Buffer to try and make the experience less scary and more loving.

What happens in our brains when we receive criticism

It’s hard for us to feel like we’re wrong, and it’s even harder for us to hear that from others. As it turns out, there’s a psychological basis for both of these elements.

Our brains view criticism as a threat to our survival

Because our brains are protective of us, neuroscientists say they go out of their way to make sure we always feel like we’re in the right— even when we’re not .

And when we receive criticism, our brain tries to protect us from the threat it perceives to our place in the social order of things.

“Threats to our standing in the eyes of others are remarkably potent biologically, almost as those to our very survival,” says psychologist Daniel Goleman .

So when we look at Maslow’s famous hierarchy of needs, we might suppose that criticism is pretty high up on the pyramid—perhaps in the self-esteem or self-actualization quadrants. But because our brains see criticism as such a primal threat, it’s actually much lower on the pyramid, in the belonging or safety spectrums.

Criticism can feel like an actual threat to our survival—no wonder it’s so tough for us to hear and offer.

We remember criticism strongly but inaccurately

Another unique thing about criticism is that we often don’t remember it quite clearly.

Charles Jacobs, author of Management Rewired: Why Feedback Doesn’t Work , says that when we hear information that conflicts with our self-image, our instinct is to first change the information, rather than ourselves.

Kathryn Schulz, the author of Being Wrong , explains that that’s because “we don’t experience, remember, track, or retain mistakes as a feature of our inner landscape,” so wrongness “always seems to come at us from left field.”

But although criticism is more likely to be remember incorrectly, we don’t often forget it.

Clifford Nass, a professor of communication at Stanford University, says “almost everyone remembers negative things more strongly and in more detail.”

It’s called a negativity bias . Our brains have evolved separate, more sensitive brain circuits to handle negative information and events, and they process the bad stuff more thoroughly than positive things. That means receiving criticism will always have a greater impact than receiving praise.

How to offer criticism the best way possible

So now that we know what a delicate enterprise criticism can be, how can we go about offering it up in the right spirit to get the best results? Here are some tips and strategies.

Reflect on your purpose

The most important step is to make sure that your potential feedback is coming from the right place. Here’s a list of some of the main motivating factors behind offering up feedback.

“When we have difficult feedback to give, we enter the discussion uneasily, and this pushes us to the side of fear and judgment, where we believe we know what is wrong with the other person and how we can fix him,” writes Frederic Laloux in his book Reinventing Organizations . “If we are mindful, we can come to such discussions from a place of care. When we do, we can enter into beautiful moments of inquiry, where we have no easy answers but can help the colleague assess himself more truthfully.”

Focus on the behavior, not the person

After entering the conversation with the best intentions, a next guideline is to separate behavior or actions from the person you’re speaking to.

Focusing the criticism on just the situation you want to address—on what someone does or says, rather than the individual themselves—separates the problematic situation from the person’s identity, allowing them to focus on what you’re saying without feeling personally confronted.

Lead with questions

Starting off your feedback with a few questions can help the other person feel like an equal part in the conversation as you discuss the challenge together.

Neal Ashkanasy, a professor of management at the University of Queensland in Australia, shared with Psychology Today the story of overcoming a tough feedback challenge—firing an assistant—with questions:

Ashkanasy began by asking her how she thought she was doing. That lead-in gives the recipient “joint ownership” of the conversation, he says. Ashkanasy also pointed to other jobs that would better match the skills of his soon-to-be-ex employee. That promise of belonging helped relieve her anxiety about being cast out of the group she already knew.

Inject positivity: The modified ‘criticism sandwich’

“Sandwich every bit of criticism between two heavy layers of praise.” – Mary Kay Ash

One well known strategy for feedback is the “criticism sandwich,” popularized by the above quote from cosmetics maven Mary Kay Ash. In the sandwich, you begin with praise, address the problem, and follow up with more praise.

In fact, the more of the conversation you can frame positively, the more likely your recipient is to be in the right frame of mind to make the change you’re looking for.

The blog Zen Habits offers up some phrases to try to inject more positivity into your feedback, like: “I’d love it if …” or “I think you’d do a great job with …” or “One thing that could make this even better is …”

Follow the Rosenberg method: Observations, feelings, needs, requests

In his exploration of the next phase of working together, Reinventing Organizations , Frederic Laloux explores some of the world’s most highly evolved workplaces. One of the cultural elements common to all of them is the the ability to treat feedback as a gift rather than a curse.

As Laloux puts it, “feedback and respectful confrontation are gifts we share to help one another grow.”

Many of these organizations use the Rosenberg Nonviolent Communication method , pictured here, to deliver feedback.

This method provides a simple and predictable framework that takes some of the volatility out of giving and receiving feedback.

The best way to prepare for and receive criticism

So now we know some strategies for offering feedback with an open heart and mind. How about for receiving it?

Ask for feedback often

The best strategy for being caught off guard by negative feedback? Make sure you invite feedback often, especially from those you trust. You’ll be better able to see any challenges ahead of time, and you’ll gain experience in responding positively to feedback.

You can begin by preparing some open-ended questions for those who know you well and can speak with confidence about your work. Here are some great example questions :

• If you had to make two suggestions for improving my work, what would they be?
• How could I handle my projects more effectively?
• What could I do to make your job easier?
• How could I do a better job of following through on commitments?
• If you were in my position, what would you do to show people more appreciation?
• When do I need to involve other people in my decisions?
• How could I do a better job of prioritizing my activities?

Ask for time to reflect on what you’ve heard, one element at a time

When receiving feedback, it might be tempting to become defensive or “explain away” the criticism. Instead, let the other person finish completely and try to listen deeply. Then ask questions and reflect thoughtfully on what you’ve heard.

Stanford Professor Nass says that most people can take in only one critical comment at a time.

“I have stopped people and told them, ‘Let me think about this.’ I’m willing to hear more criticism but not all at one time.”

So if you need some time to reflect on multiple points of feedback, don’t be afraid to say so.

Cultivate a growth mindset

While some of us have a hard time hearing negative feedback, there are those who thrive on it. This group has what’s known as a growth mindset. They focus on their ability to change and grow—as opposed to those with a fixed mindset—and are able to see feedback as an opportunity for improvement.

You can learn more about how to develop a growth mindset here .

Take credit for your mistakes and grow

It’s easy to take credit for our successes, but failure is something we don’t like to admit to . For example, we’re more likely to blame failure on external factors than our own shortcomings.

But lately, the idea of embracing failure has emerged, and it’s a great mindset for making the most of feedback.

“Continual experimentation is the new normal,” says business psychologist Karissa Thacker. “With risk comes failure. You cannot elevate the level of risk taking without helping people make sense of failure, and to some extent, feel safe with failure.”

Take a page from the “embracing failure” movement and treasure the opportunities you’re given to improve and grow.

How we give and receive feedback at Buffer

As with many of the things we do at Buffer, the way we give and receive feedback is a continuous work in progress as we experiment, learn and grow.

Previously, the feedback process was more or less formalized in a process we call the mastermind . Each team member would meet with a team leader every two weeks in a format with the following structure:

• 10 minutes to share and celebrate your achievements
• 40 minutes to discuss your current top challenges
• 10 minutes for the team lead to share feedback
• 10 minutes to give feedback to the team lead

This process had a few really good things going for it: Feedback was a regular, scheduled part of our discussions, which removed a lot of the fear that can surround it; and feedback always went both ways, which made it feel like a sharing process between two equals.

These days, masterminds happen weekly between peers and we’ve moved away from the formalized feedback section altogether as we strive for a more holacratic , less top-down way of working together .

But feedback is still an important part of the Buffer journey, and it is offered and received freely by any of us at any time it is applicable.

Since feedback often can be sensitive and personal, it tends to be one of the only elements we exempt from our policy of radical transparency . It most often takes the form of one-on-one Hipchat messages, emails or Sqwiggle conversations.

Our values guide the feedback process

Buffer’s 10 core values are our guide to offering and receiving feedback with joy instead of anxiety.

Looking at our value of positivity through a lens of feedback, I see lots of great instruction on offering constructive criticism, including focusing on the situation instead of the person and offering as much appreciation as feedback.

Since we each take on this goal of positivity, it’s very easy to assume the best of the person offering their feedback to you and that their intent is positive.

Additionally, our value of gratitude means that we each focus on being thankful for the feedback as an opportunity to improve in a particular area.

Finally, our value of self-improvement means we have a framework for taking feedback and acting on it in a way that moves us forward.

Although feedback isn’t generally made public to the whole team, it’s not uncommon for team members to share feedback they’ve received and the changes they’re making as a result in pair calls or masterminds.

I’m sure our ideas will evolve even further on this idea (in fact, during the time it took me to write this we opened up a whole new discussion on feedback and resolving issues). Maybe you can give us a hand?

I’d love to hear your best tips for giving and receiving feedback in the best spirit, or to learn how you handle feedback at your workplace! Share your thoughts with me in the comments.

Image credits: Wikimedia Commons , 7Geese, In the Library with the Lead Pipe , Visual.ly , Puddle Dancer Press , Brain Pickings

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Giving and receiving feedback

Oct 20, 2014

660 likes | 1.69k Views

Jane Burgneay April 2013. Giving and receiving feedback. Feedback. Information about performance or behaviour that leads to action to affirm or develop that performance or behaviour. Feedback. A two-way process Gives us evidence of our performance and effectiveness in communication

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Presentation Transcript

Jane Burgneay April 2013 Giving and receiving feedback

Feedback Information about performance or behaviour that leads to action to affirm or develop that performance or behaviour

Feedback • A two-way process • Gives us evidence of our performance and effectiveness in communication • Enables us to build up a picture of how others see us and how we affect others • Vital ingredient in evaluation process • Constructive not destructive

Purpose of Feedback • Enables the receiver to recognise what they do well so they can continue doing it • Enables the receiver to understand where he/she needs to develop and change

Does feedback work? Black and William 1998 – meta analysis of >250 studies of formative assessment with feedback since 1988 from all educational sectors Feedback resulted in positive benefits on learning and achievement across all areas, knowledge and skill types and levels of education

Conditions for successful feedback • For receivers to benefit from feedback, the receiver must • possess a concept of the goal/standard or reference level being aimed for • compare the actual (or current) level of performance with that goal or standard • engage in appropriate action which leads to some closure of the gap • Often point 2 is the focus of feedback and falls short on point 3 Sadler 1989

Before giving feedback Always ask yourself: • What is my intention behind giving this person feedback? • How am I feeling about giving it? • How is the other person feeling; if they have had a stressful day, might be best left for another occasion. It is important they are in the right frame of mind to accept it BOTH PEOPLE SHOULD FEEL CALM

Giving feedback • Better when invited rather than imposed • Be descriptive not evaluative • Describing what you actually see or hear reduces the need of the receiver to act defensively • Reveal your own position or feelings • “I got a bit confused trying to follow that statement” • Be specific rather than general • Be selective • Concentrate on one or two areas for improvement

Giving feedback • Be balanced – the good and the bad • Direct feedback towards behaviour that can be changed or controlled • Timing is critical • Sooner rather than later • Unless situation inappropriate • When receiver can listen and concentrate – time to reflect

Giving feedback • Ensure receiver understands the feedback • In group situations check and ensure accuracy of statements with other members • Take into account the receiver’s needs as well as your own

Receiving feedback • Listen carefully to person • treat as genuine, helpful and with respect what they are describing and suggesting • Be receptive and accept feedback as a gift • Ask for clarification and seek examples • Give the feedback serious consideration • Weigh up consequences of no change • Express thoughts on alternatives

Receiving feedback • Communicate your decisions to the giver • This is a two way process and the giver also needs feedback • Tell them what they could do which might help you to change • Teaching, practice, tiny prompts etc. • Thank the giver for their concern and help • Feedback may not have been easy to give • Be genuine, do not reject feedback and definitely not sarcastic or rude

Receiving feedback • It is up to the receiver what they do with feedback • Keep notes • Give it time to sink inand get into perspective and reflect • Address areas for improvement • Try not to feel devastated by small criticisms and try not to be defensive and make excuses

Impact of feedback The person receiving the feedback can react with: • anger – ‘I’ve had enough of this’ • denial – this reaction often accompanies the initial shock of feedback ‘I can’t see any problem with that’ • blame – ‘It’s not my fault. What can you expect when the patient won’t listen? • rationalisation – finding excuses to try and justify their behaviour ‘I’ve had a particularly bad week’ ‘Doesn’t everyone do this?’ • acceptance • renewed action

Transactional Analysis • Interaction between people • Berne (1968) – “The games people play” • The three selves • Parent • Adult • Child • Ego states which exist in all of us • Each affects tone of communication and verbal feedback http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Games_People_Play_(book) http://www.businessballs.com/transactionalanalysis.htm

The Parent • Acts according to how we perceived our parental figure • Prescribes limits of behaviour • Protecting, nurturing, fostering, teaching etc. • Parental tones of voice and expressions • Teaching is often considered a parental type approach

Adult • Gathering and processing information • Rational action in the real world • Ruled by reason rather than emotion • Not necessarily synonymous with “mature” • Taking data - rationalising it, processing it, choosing alternatives and then decision making

Child • Residue of emotional responses from childhood • Internal reactions to external events • May be related to trigger events • Frustration, anger, fear, rebelliousness – in response to parental imposition • Curiosity, creative delight, desire to explore, spontaneity and also trust • Competitiveness and dependency – have some founding in childhood – sibling rivalry and bonding

Transactions • P, A C type transactions • C to P • “The library is rubbish I cannot find anything” • P to C • “If you take time to read the map and attend the library course you would find it easier” • A to C • “What are you looking for I may have a copy you can borrow” • C to C • “That’s not my fault or my problem – grow-up”

Johari Window

Johari Window Some will be known to ourselves and to other people. This is shared knowledge and is the basis for all of our mutual dealings with one another. Usually called the “Arena”, effective communication is enhanced when we work at maximising the size of this pane.

Johari Window Some will be known to us but not to the people we deal with. Called the “Mask” or the “Facade”, this is the pane which encourages us to engage in games-playing, trickery, and the like. The larger this pane, the less chance we have of developing truly meaningful and open relationships with others because such relationships are usually based heavily on trust.

Johari Window Some will be known to others but not to ourselves, This is the “Blind-spot” or the “Bull in the China Shop”. This is potentially very dangerous to us because we risk exposing ourselves to weaknesses which we don’t know about and which can be exploited by others.

Johari Window Some will be unknown to anyone – ourselves and other people. This is the great “Unknown” (it might even be labelled, as were the maps of old, “Here There Be Dragons”!). This is a potential source of personal creativity and other resources which we may never have even suspected.

Johari Window The way to increase the size of the Arena, while decreasing the size of the other panes is first through self-disclosure (sharing information about the real you with others and thus increasing their knowledge about you) and secondly through obtaining Feedback (getting open and honest information about yourself from those who witness you and your performance at work and elsewhere).

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Nine Tips for Giving Better Feedback at Work

Matt Dailey, a software engineer for a data management company, was managing a team with an engineer who wasn’t performing well. This was clear to Dailey—and to the employee. Yet, as I describe in my new book Mastering Community , Dailey said he “wasn’t bridging the gap of how to make the situation better.” His team missed their deadline.

Dailey realized part of the problem was his inability to provide the kind of feedback this employee and their team needed. He explained, “I just didn’t have the tool set to do it—to have the conversation—at that point.”

Giving and receiving feedback at work can be challenging. It didn’t help that Dailey worked in a culture of what author and CEO coach Kim Scott calls “ruinous empathy” —which occurs because you want to spare other people’s short-term feelings, so you don’t tell them things they need to know about themselves. Dailey wasn’t getting the necessary feedback from his boss, or the person who worked with Dailey’s boss. His professional network lacked the tools that would have allowed them to discuss structure, deadlines, and competencies directly.

The ability to give and receive appropriate feedback is key to your development, as well as the development of your team or organization. Research (including some that I’ve done myself as a professor at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business) has uncovered many ways that feedback can increase our well-being at work, improve performance, and deepen our relationships—as well as better ways to share feedback with each other.

The benefits of feedback at work

A person who receives constructive feedback stands to benefit by becoming more competent. Feedback typically leads to improved decision-making and collaboration, as well as increased productivity and performance. And this benefits not just the individual, but the team as a whole because they have the advantage of a stronger contributor. The snowballing of these benefits, from individual to workplace, can have huge consequences.

In my study of over 20,000 people across industries and organizations with Tony Schwartz, we found that higher levels of feedback are associated with 89% greater thriving at work, 63% more engagement, and 79% higher job satisfaction. People who receive more feedback are also 1.2 times more likely to stay with the organization.

Positive feedback that comes in the form of recognition of the contributions of individual members is one of the best ways to boost morale . It’s also a way to make members feel a part of the workplace, which affects the likelihood of their staying with the organization. A 2015 Gallup survey found that 67% of employees whose managers focused on their strengths were fully engaged in their work, as compared to only 31% of employees whose managers focused on their weaknesses. IBM’s WorkTrends survey in 2013–2014 of over 19,000 workers in 26 countries, across industries and (thousands of) organizations, revealed that employees who receive recognition are almost three times more engaged than those who do not. The same survey showed that employees who receive recognition are also far less likely to quit.

For example, in 2015 LinkedIn launched Bravo! , a recognition and rewards program in which peers can recognize a colleague for their contributions and for living the organization’s core values. The data showed not only the ripple effect that occurs in terms of performance (54% of employees who received three or more awards showed a year-over-year increase on their performance rating), but the transformation of praise recipients into praise providers. As people became happier and more engaged, they became part of the process of making their colleagues more positive and engaged, too.

Giving each other honest, careful feedback creates deeper, more fulfilling relationships. As members of the team help one another improve and hold each other accountable, they create a feedback loop in which each person both gets and provides useful feedback. The more this happens, the stronger the connections among team members, with those who receive this feedback feeling that those who provide it are partners or coaches who have a personal stake in their development. The workplace thus becomes an incubator, a safe, protected space, within which its members can grow stronger. 
 People need attention , especially to what they do the best. High performers offer more positive feedback to peers; in fact, high-performing teams share nearly six times more positive feedback than average teams. Meanwhile, low-performing teams share nearly twice as much negative feedback as average teams.

Positive feedback, or recognition, makes team members feel valued, reduces power and status differences between them, and may increase everybody’s sense of belonging. Although recognition costs virtually nothing, it’s one of the tools that is most underutilized by leaders and their organizations. A mere 42% of the over 20,000 people we surveyed believed that their manager recognized and appreciated their work.

How to improve feedback delivery at work

Here are some tips on how to give feedback in a constructive way, several of which are highlighted by organizational psychologist Adam Grant .

Use the Situation-Behavior-Impact model to guide you. Describe the specific situation in which the behavior occurred. Try to keep this description short and succinct. Give observable descriptions of the behavior in question. Avoid inflammatory language. Describe the result of the behavior and how it affected others.

Don’t give the “feedback sandwich.” Though many of us like to open with a compliment and end on a high (positive) note, putting the negative meat in the middle may mean that it gets lost in the feedback sandwich, Grant explains . Why? One potential problem is that we often remember the first and last things we hear in a conversation. The criticism in the middle may get buried. Another problem is that many of us are anticipating a negative—we’re accustomed to receiving negative feedback, especially in a conversation about our performance. When we hear praise, Grant says, we often begin to brace ourselves such that we fail to appreciate the initial positive. We may think that compliment is meant to soften the blow.

Instead, use radical candor. According to Kim Scott, radical candor requires that you show that you care before you offer a critique—her shorthand for this is “caring personally while challenging directly.” You can show you care by acknowledging others, listening attentively, and thanking people.

Explain why you’re giving this feedback. Starting with your intention can lower defenses, Grant explains. In one study, researchers made feedback 40% more effective by prefacing it with this: “I’m giving you these comments because I have very high expectations and I know that you can reach them.” If you’re giving feedback at home, psychiatrist Edward Hallowell offers something similar to use with children: “I’m asking more from you because I know you have it in you.” He explains that you want to challenge, but not in a punishing way.

Level the playing field. People naturally feel threatened by negative feedback. To minimize this reaction, Grant suggests you make yourself vulnerable and human. You might say something like , “I’ve grown a lot from managers’ and friends’ feedback, and I’m trying to pay that forward.” Or “Now that we’ve worked together, it would be great if we could help each other improve by providing feedback.”

Ask if they want feedback. For example , “I noticed a couple of things about your work recently. Are you interested in some feedback?” If people take ownership of receiving feedback, Grant says, they will be more open to it and less defensive.

If you see a problem, offer feedback immediately or shortly thereafter , depending on the situation. The sooner the better, because people may not remember the situations you’re describing.

If at all possible, deliver any negative feedback in private rather than in public. Positive feedback delivered in public is typically welcome, and it’s a good way to reinforce behaviors you want. However, some people are embarrassed and uncomfortable with public feedback. If you’re unsure, ask them.

Pay attention to your non-verbals and facial expressions when you deliver feedback. How you say things is just as important as what you’re saying. Researcher Marie Dasborough studied feedback by observing two groups—one whose members received negative feedback accompanied by positive emotional signals such as nods and smiles, and the other whose members received positive feedback delivered critically, with frowns and narrowed eyes. People who received positive feedback accompanied by negative emotional signals reported feeling worse about their performance than participants who received good-natured negative feedback. The delivery of feedback can often be more important than the message itself.

Researchers Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer have shown that a sense of progress is the most powerful motivator in the workplace, even stronger than personal recognition or pay. Encourage people’s strengths by providing your coworkers with specific feedback on how they are helping your team or community. Focus on how you deliver the feedback. By providing compassionate candor, you can ignite your team members, helping them—and you—thrive.

About the Author

Christine Porath

Christine Porath, Ph.D. , is a tenured professor at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business. She's the author of Mastering Community: The Surprising Ways Coming Together Moves us from Surviving to Thriving and Mastering Civility , and co-author of The Cost of Bad Behavior .

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How to run an effective feedback workshop

Giving effective feedback is an important skill for leaders and teams. Managers who learn how to give (and take) feedback effectively are better positioned to solve problems, improve team performance and create a happier, more productive workplace. Running a feedback workshop to help your team understand how to give and receive constructive feedback. 

In this guide from Skye Suttie, a facilitator with over 10 years of experience in people management, you can see how to run a workshop that will give your team the skills to process and provide great feedback more effectively. Let's dive in!

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This guide is designed to walk you through facilitating The Art of Effective Feedback workshop template . I will share facilitation tips and tricks as well as going into depth about the content and session design choices you’ll find within the agenda. 

This will not be a slide-by-slide breakdown but is instead intended to focus on specific elements of the workshop and to help you deliver the best possible feedback training to your participants. 

Note that while this original workshop design is intended for managers, it is equally applicable to team members at any level who might wish to learn how to give more effective feedback.

Let’s get started! 

When should I run this effective feedback workshop?

Effective feedback is one of the cornerstones of a high-performing workplace. When teams don’t know how to give feedback, it can result in resentment, miscommunication, and inefficient working processes. This workshop is helpful for teams that need a primer on effective feedback, have had problems with giving feedback in the past, or where problems haven’t always surfaced. 

Giving honest and helpful feedback doesn’t come naturally for everyone, and workplace politics can also play in part in making groups less likely to give one another feedback. This workshop is designed to help teams see the value of feedback and understand how to give more effective feedback too. 

It’s also great to run with new teams who are just starting to work together. Creating a culture of feedback can help improve working relationships, and team trust and lead to better outcomes for everyone! 

In my own experience, difficult working relationships or continuing problems were all resolved once we activated a culture of bilateral feedback. Often, this means encouraging team members to go beyond just receiving feedback from their managers and instead, empowering them to give feedback to one another too.

Preparing for the effective feedback workshop

All great workshops and training sessions start with thorough and methodical preparation. While the workshop template is a great place to start, you’ll want to take some additional steps to prepare.

These might include adapting the session for your specific group and client, doing some feedback research as necessary, and becoming familiar with the agenda. Let’s walk through these steps now!

Conduct Learning Needs Analysis with Your Client

Understanding the specific needs of your team or client is important when designing and delivering any workshop. Start the process by having a meeting with your client to assess their needs and establish the right working relationship.

In my experience, adopting a business advisor mentality during this first meeting will establish a connection between you and your client so that you move beyond being a facilitator and toward being a partner. 

In this meeting, you will get context and insights which will enable you to ensure the feedback training is a value add and addresses a tangible business need. Here are some questions you might want to ask as part of this meeting.

• What needs of the participants and team will this session address? What are the day-to-day problems looking to be solved?

Asking this question also helps you because it gives you parameters to tailor the content and any additional changes or updates you make . 

• Is there specific language or team jargon you should be aware of and that you should build into the training? 

By customizing the training, it doesn’t feel generic and it will help with participant buy-in. It also helps to build your credibility as the facilitator, especially if you’re new to the group. Using familiar language will help you to come across as less of an outsider and will help to build trust. 

• Review the feedback practice scenarios together – how can those potentially be adjusted so that participants see what’s in it for them explicitly by recognizing the scenarios and issues? Should they be adjusted or kept as is to give some distance/not hit too close to home?

This also is a direct tie-in to American educator Malcolm Knowles’ work from the 1970s using the Andragogy theory (a term coined by German educator Alexander Kapp) where he explains, “Adults are driven by internal motives. They will learn if they want to learn…For instance, a compelling answer to the ‘what’s-in-it-for-me’ question is a powerful internal motivation.”

• Is assigning pre-work an option? 

Here’s why you should REALLY ask this: If managers prepare to discuss a current feedback challenge they’re navigating and it should be one they feel comfortable sharing and workshopping in a group space, this magnifies the impact of this training, not to mention, it taps into another principle of Experiential Learning Cycle (ELC with David A. Kolb we hit on earlier) called Active Experimentation (AE) which “through role-playing activities and other hands-on tasks let learners apply the learning and thus truly ‘learn by doing.’”

• What are your desired outcomes for this effective feedback workshop? What specific tools do you want participants to walk away with? 

As you have this conversation (either over the phone, remotely, or in-person) other questions will organically come up, and you should walk away with a clear picture of the purpose behind this session plus how you can bring that purpose to light for participants. 

Session Review and Facilitator Prework

After you review and implement the insights and feedback from your client, it’s recommended you take a look at the SessionLab template for this session so you can familiarize yourself with the flow and make intentional adjustments based on your Learning Needs Analysis. Remember that every group is different and while the effective feedback workshop is a great place to start, be sure to tailor the design to best fit the needs of the team.

To help give you a bigger picture of some of the guidelines, watch the following TED talk, The Secret to Giving Great Feedback with Leann Renninger which touches on some of the giving feedback techniques found within the workshop.

As with the delivery of any concept, it really pays to do your research and be familiar with the subject. Here are a few other great resources for giving effective feedback that can help strengthen your knowledge in this area.

• How to Give Feedback
• Stop Asking for Feedback
• A 6-Part Structure for Giving Clear & Actionable Feedback
• 5 Employee Feedback Stats That You Need to See
• Feedback: You Need to Lead It

Running the effective feedback workshop 

After you’ve prepared for the session and made any adjustments to the template, you’ll arrive ready to lead the workshop. 

In this section, I’ll share some tips for some key parts of the agenda and share some reflections on my own experience of leading the session. I’ll also include some references to various learning theories and resources that have helped me shape this workshop so you can investigate further.

Opening the feedback workshop

Let me paint you a picture of how opening the effective feedback workshop might go. 

You’re about to start the session and have the first slide projected. One of your participants walks in and scoffs at the warm-up activity. What do you do? How do you handle it? 

By showing them the door, obviously. Just kidding – definitely don’t do that! Let’s back up and talk about why this activity was included.

This is called an “unofficial start” which is a way to immediately and purposefully engage participants as explained by Chad Littlefield and Will Wise in their incredibly useful book, How to Make Virtual Engagement Easy: A Practical Guide for Remote Leaders and Educators . They stress the importance of connection before content (a phrase coined by Peter Block) throughout the training (regardless of whether it’s virtual or in-person), more specifically, they encourage facilitators to:

• Connect to the purpose. Make it clear why people are there.
• Connect people to each other without obligatory small talk like, “How was your weekend?”
• Create choice and space for authenticity and vulnerability 

Sometimes, Littlefield and Wise contend, we sacrifice efficiency for connection, but with an unofficial start, we can be efficient with our time and connect right at the outset of the meeting. This workshop was designed for connection and not just consumption and this activity hopes to start things off on the right foot.  

Another useful tool from Littlefield and Wise is the “We! Connect Cards: Create Conversations that Matter.” You can find some free cards here or you can purchase the toolkit here . I’ve been using this kit for a couple of years and have found the content incredibly useful in designing engaging and impactful training, both virtually and in person. 

Another way to think about this is discussed by Priya Parker in The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters , where she encourages us to focus on meeting for purpose rather than time. Think about why you’re meeting and how the tools you use will add value to the time everyone spends together. 

In the case of this workshop on effective feedback, creating connections and developing a better understanding of one another is a key elements of giving and receiving feedback.

Setting intentions for the feedback workshop

We have another hat tip to Littlefield and Wise with our Session Intentions section on slide 4.

You’re likely more familiar with using “Session Goals” or “Session Objectives,” but by starting with intentions, you are asking what the participants want or need to get out of this feedback training. It’s another concept that does double duty by both helping to introduce key elements of good feedback and also creating a good workshop environment. 

It helps to start with a couple as you see in the presentation deck, and it’s also an opportunity to engage the participants from the start by empowering them to self-reflect and identify what they are hoping to get out of the training. 

This connects to another adult learning theory principle of Malcolm Knowles’ called the “ Need for Knowledge ” which presents a great way of thinking about this stage of the process. Knowles states that “Adults need to know the ‘why’ they should learn” and this stage of knowing then leads to the “ Willingness ” to learn which “comes from perceiving the relevance of the knowledge.” 

Showing the importance of feedback

A significant portion of this workshop is designed to show the importance of giving feedback and help the group explore why they might not have given feedback in the past.

Slide 11 is part of how you’ll guide the conversation around the importance of feedback. Leading up to showing the below word cloud, which you could also create in real-time with the participants using the tool Mentimeter , you might want to consider taking the training to a deeper level by asking the group “ why do people shy away from giving or receiving feedback? ” or a variation of this question.

Essentially, you’re trying to get the participants to name and thereby diminish the power of any obstacles. If those obstacles are mentionable, they’re manageable, and what they fear about giving or receiving feedback can be overcome together.

Now perhaps you’re thinking, but what if they don’t fear giving feedback? And you’re right, perhaps they aren’t fearful of it and view feedback as a data point to help them improve – that’s great! But research, like in this Harvard Business Review article has shown time and time again that people DREAD (←that’s not a typo) giving feedback. Let’s dig in, shall we? And the following information is included as something you could share with the participants, too. 

It helps to understand two specific parts of the brain when we hear negative feedback. We want the message to go to the neocortex part of the brain. The neocortex has many functions including our language skills, consciousness, our social/emotional processing, learning, and thinking about the future. But when we feel threatened, a different part of the brain – the amygdala, two almond-shaped clusters – takes over and prevents the information from getting to the neocortex. 

What happens?

Instead of learning, we go into fight or flight mode and feel the need to protect ourselves. It’s that fast, instinctive, reactive part of the brain that makes us duck when something is thrown at us. In psychology, we call this phenomenon amygdala hijacking , a term coined by American psychologist Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence : Why It Can Matter More than IQ . 

When our amygdala gets hijacked, it’s a quick, sudden outburst/response to a situation. You can’t build trust or connection when this happens because our system gets flooded with adrenaline, and it can take up to 18 minutes for that adrenaline rush to level off. 

What can we do? 

Check-in with ourselves. We’re the only ones who can self-regulate, although sometimes our amygdalas can get hijacked if our blood sugar drops (ever get ‘hangry’ ?)

In his work, Goleman proposed “5 basic competencies that are essential for increasing emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills.” 

You can share these competencies with the participants, but be mindful of not derailing the training too far from the session intentions. For some groups, it can be especially useful to identify some of the physiological elements that can contribute to being unable to give feedback or feeling overwhelmed in feedback meetings.

Acknowledging that something is happening in our bodies and brains in those situations but that we can also do something about it can be impactful learning for many!

Guidelines for giving and receiving feedback

One of the most useful sections of the feedback workshop is learning some guidelines for giving and receiving better feedback. For this portion, you’ll lead the group through a discussion of core feedback concepts they can begin to use with their team.

Start by introducing the general feedback guidelines and inviting the group to highlight what stands out and mention anything they might agree or disagree with. What’s a feedback workshop without the opportunity for everyone to voice their opinion and explore it with the group?

These feedback techniques are practical examples that the group can take away with them and use immediately. Take the time to explore everything from a Micro-Yes to Align/Comment to help your group add to their feedback toolkit. Not every concept works for every manager or team, but by exploring these feedback guidelines, your group can find what works for them.

Remember to mention that these methods speak to a very real need. As an Interact survey showed, a majority (69%) of managers said they’re often uncomfortable communicating with employees. Over a third (37%) of the managers said they’re uncomfortable having to give direct feedback about their employees’ performance if they think the employee might respond negatively to the feedback.

The benefit of having separate guidelines for giving and receiving feedback is two-fold. First, you help new managers use these techniques to make feedback interactions more pleasant and productive for both parties. Second, you can also encourage them to solicit feedback from their team too. Feedback should be a two-way street and these guidelines help make that happen!

During these discussions, It’s also important to give the group chance to share what they’ve used before, including what has worked and what hasn’t. This is a great time to underline that giving and receiving better feedback is a combination of theory, technique, and practice!

Giving feedback with group practice

Putting what the group has learned about effective feedback into practice with a practical feedback activity is a core part of this workshop. These group practice methods are designed to be run in groups of three and have people rotate roles between the giver, receiver, and observer of feedback.

This is an effective way of cementing the learnings so far and starting the process of practicing effective feedback. Giving feedback is not always easy or straightforward, and this is a great moment to remind participants that the best way to improve is to practice!

As mentioned earlier, the scenarios found within the template can also be adjusted to reflect current situations (anonymously, of course) that are being faced by the team. Additionally, this is also a chance for managers to bring current situations they’re navigating and workshop out the scenarios leveraging peer-to-peer learning and support. 

Note that we also take the time to practice in a large group and adjust some example feedback before moving into breakouts. Proper framing can really help people take on each of the three roles and get a better grasp of how to go beyond basic feedback and adhere to the feedback guidelines provided.

Closing the effective feedback workshop

By the end of your session, all your participants have learned about the principles of effective feedback and had a chance to both give and receive feedback. Now it’s time to close the workshop and empower the group to take the learnings of the workshop back to their day-to-day work. 

Remember that the way you close your session impacts how participants will take what they’ve learned and apply it after the session ends. 

A couple of potential ways to close the session include:

• Invite participants to share their key takeaways and impressions of the workshop. 
• Ask everyone in the group to think about one word that describes what they’re thinking about at the end of the meeting. 
• Connect back to the intentions of the session and ask the group to reflect on whether they were met.
• Ask for feedback on the session you just lead!

You’ll also want to set the follow-up assignment for the feedback workshop, which involves each participant taking what they’ve learned and applying it to their team. It’s worth noting that effective feedback goes both ways and so they need to both give and receive feedback for the assignment.

Depending on your arrangement, it’s also a great idea to follow up with the group in some way to see how the assignment went. Learning how to give and receive great feedback can be the project of a lifetime. Continuing to reflect, learn, and practice over extended periods is often a valuable part of this journey!

In Conclusion 

Learning how to give and receive effective feedback can be the solution to many of the problems that face teams. The way we communicate our needs, challenges, and grievances can fundamentally impact our working relationships.

By delivering a feedback workshop, you can help your group be more open, effective, and empowered to solve problems. We really hope this guide and the accompanying workshop template help you and your team 

Want to share how you used the template or want to ask questions about the design? Get in touch in the comments below! We’d love to receive your feedback (ha!) and hear how you deliver effective feedback training and learn about your experiences! 

About Skye Suttie

An educator with experience in secondary, post-secondary, and workforce training settings, I’ve been in adult learning for over 15 years.

During my career I’ve had the opportunity to leverage adult learning theory to create and deliver effective learning solutions for students ranging in age from 17-60+.

I’ve found that by tapping into people’s existing knowledge and their experiences, it creates a layered learning environment guided by applicability and practicality. 

I love to create facilitator content and training materials and for this particular template on feedback, I wanted to make a topic that many tend to shy away from, more approachable and user-friendly so we can all engage in more impactful conversations that contribute to our personal and professional evolution.

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How to give and receive feedback effectively

Georgia hardavella.

1 Dept of Respiratory Medicine, King’s College Hospital, London, UK

2 Dept of Respiratory Medicine and Allergy, King’s College London, London, UK

Ane Aamli-Gaagnat

3 Dept of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

4 Faculty of Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, UK

Ilona Rousalova

5 1st Dept of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Care, 1st Medical School and General University Hospital, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic

Katherina B. Sreter

6 Dept of Clinical Immunology, Pulmonology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Centre “Sestre Milosrdnice”, Zagreb, Croatia

In most European countries, feedback is embedded in education, training and daily professional activities. It is a valuable tool for indicating whether things are going in the right direction or whether redirection is required. In the world of healthcare professionals, it is intended to provide doctors with information about their practice through the eyes of their peers. Feedback is a valuable tool for doctors to gather information, consolidate their awareness of strengths and areas to improve, and aims to support effective behaviour. Doctors of all levels may be approached by peers or juniors to give feedback, or they may ask others to give feedback on their own performance.

Short abstract

Giving and receiving effective feedback are skills that are central in healthcare settings http://ow.ly/zZ1C30eVrH1

Feedback is the breakfast of champions . Ken Blanchard

Feedback is the fuel that drives improved performance . Eric Parsloe

Giving and receiving feedback is not an easy task and poses significant challenges for both sides. In this article, we will discuss pragmatic feedback models, how to overcome barriers to an effective feedback and tips for giving effective feedback, as well as how to receive feedback and make the most out of it.

Types of feedback

• Informal feedback is the most frequent form. It is provided on a day-to-day basis, and is given on any aspect of a doctor’s professional performance and conduct, by any member of the multidisciplinary team. It is usually in verbal form.
• Formal feedback comes as part of a structured assessment; it can be offered by any member of the multidisciplinary team, but most frequently by peers or superiors. It is usually in written form.
• Formative feedback, “for learning”, is about a learner’s progress at a particular time through a course or during the acquisition of a new skill. It provides opportunities to gain feedback, reflect and redirect effort (where appropriate) before completing a final assessment. It gives you the experience of writing or performing a task without it having a direct impact on your formal progress and relies on continuous encouragement.
• Summative feedback, “of learning”, measures performance, often against a standard, and comes with a mark/grade and feedback to explain your mark. It can be used to rank or judge individuals

For the purpose of this article, we will focus on formal and informal feedback.

Why is feedback important?

As a general rule, it seems that learners value feedback more when it is given by someone they respect as a role model. Appropriate feedback contributes significantly in developing learners’ competence and confidence at all stages of their professional careers; it helps them think about the gap between actual and desired performance, and identify ways to narrow the gap and improve. For health professionals in particular, it promotes reflective and experiential learning ,which involves “training on the job”, and reflecting on experiences, incidents and feelings. More importantly, feedback aims to develop performance to a higher level by dealing with underperformance in a constructive way.

If we do not give feedback, this will come with a cost. The learner can assume that everything is fine and will continue practicing in the same way. This leads into a false assessment of their own skills and abilities, and builds up a false perception.

Who gives feedback?

In professional life, your patients and anyone working with you as a member of the multidisciplinary team can give you feedback. Feedback in these cases is meant to be given reciprocally, i.e. you will also need to give feedback to your peers. We have listed the most common sources of feedback in figure 1 .

Sources of feedback.

Educational or clinical supervisors

Your educational or clinical supervisor can be a major source of feedback. They are meant to act as your mentor, monitor your clinical and educational progress, and ensure you receive appropriate career guidance and planning. Educational or clinical supervisors do not formally exist in all respiratory medicine training programmes across Europe and this role may be informally undertaken ad hoc by the clinical lead of the department, a supervising consultant or a PhD/MSc supervisor. Regardless of the role allocation, feedback is integral to the process, and should cover clinical and academic practice, professional conduct, complaints and/or serious incidents that should be discussed in a reflective, nonjudgmental manner to allow improvement and personal development. Should this occur in a structured and organised manner with a delegated supervisor, it will be helpful for the learner.

As previously stated, the feedback process should be reciprocal. Departmental trainee feedback is essential to monitor and improve the quality of specialty training. Trainees’ feedback must be used with other sources of information to review and improve the training programmes and posts. Obtaining this type of feedback can sometimes be challenging as it may be biased by the fear of identification and labelling of trainees; therefore, in some countries, it is given anonymously. This feedback should also be an opportunity to raise concerns about patient safety or colleague bullying and undermining.

Peers and colleagues

People you work with as members of a multidisciplinary team are expected to provide their feedback in a constructive manner, being open and supportive. This multisource feedback aims to improve your own understanding of where things stand; it is a clear “reality check” and, at the same time, gives a clear direction of travel in terms of improving behaviours, attitudes and skills. If you have not received such feedback, ask for it.

Patients’ feedback provides valuable information about what patients and service users think about the healthcare services offered. Examining patients’ feedback will give a direct insight into what is working well and what needs further improvement in the way care is delivered. Furthermore, patient feedback to healthcare professionals is also important as it highlights examples of good practice where lessons can be learnt and areas of concern where improvements can be made. Measuring patients’ feedback and experiences of care/treatment highlights areas that need to improve to provide a patient-led healthcare service.

Feedback models

There are several different models of giving feedback. Not every model is applicable in all daily cases of providing feedback. Below we have listed some feedback models.

The “feedback sandwich”

The feedback sandwich starts and concludes with positive feedback, and what can be considered as the more critical feedback is “sandwiched” between the positive aspects. This can be applicable in everyday clinical practise. However, if you use this method continuously, it might lose its effectiveness. The person receiving our feedback will only wait for the “but” in the middle of your sentence. In this case, make sure to give positive feedback on its own when the opportunity arises. If your coworkers feel acknowledged daily, they will be more open to all kinds of feedback when applicable. A couple of examples of the feedback sandwich follow.

“You have done really well in the acute take; you prioritised cases efficiently and your management plans were well structured. I was thinking we could discuss a few things I believe you can further improve such as timely communication of messages to the nursing staff and emphasising the urgency of particular tasks. After completing your management plan in the medical notes, you can consider discussing verbally the urgency of some tasks with the nurse looking after the patient so that they are alerted and can proceed with them promptly rather than relying on them going back to read the medical notes, which can take longer due to the overwhelming emergency department. Additional verbal communication will complement the excellent quality of your work, will ensure your well-structured management plan is implemented in a timely manner for the patient’s benefit and will further improve your patient’s outcome.”

“I noticed you made the patient and relatives feel very comfortable while you explained the bronchoscopy test to them, and your explanation was very clear. It would have helped further if you had given them patient information leaflets, as at times they were looking a bit overwhelmed. However, you have set a time for meeting with them again, and this will give you the opportunity of answering any questions and giving the leaflets.”

“Chronological fashion” feedback

Chronological fashion feedback focuses on reflecting observations chronologically, reiterating the events that occurred during the session back to the learner. For instance, an observer can go through a learning session and give feedback from beginning to the end.

“The first thing you did really well when you entered the room was to introduce yourself to the patient. Then, you proceeded with physical examination without getting the patient’s consent for this and at that point, the patient looked distressed. It was after that when you explained what you would do and got their consent, and consequently, the patient was more relaxed during the rest of the physical examination.”

This is helpful for short feedback sessions but you can become bogged down in detail during long sessions.

Pendleton model

The Pendleton model was developed in 1984. It is more learner centred, conversation based and identifies an action plan or goals: “reflection for action”. The facilitator needs to check whether the learner wants and is ready for feedback. Then, the learner gives some background about what is being assessed and states what was done well. This aims to create a safe environment first by highlighting positives and consequently this prevents defensiveness. The facilitator then reinforces these positives and the learner suggests what could be improved. This is important, as weaknesses are dissected to offer opportunities for reflection. The facilitator advises how this could be improved and a mutually agreed action plan is formed. The main idea is to use open questions and give the learner the opportunity to think and reflect.

“What do you think went well?”

“What do you think could be done differently?”

“What could be further improved?”

“How can this be achieved?”

Barriers to effective feedback

Various factors can impact on effective feedback and act as barriers ( table 1 ). It is important to be able to identify and overcome them. Effective feedback is dependent on communication skills and as such, it is vital that the message intended by the sender is understood by the receiver in the same terms.

Generalised feedback that is not related to specific facts and does not give advice on how to improve behaviour

Generalised feedback is unhelpful and can be confusing. The person receiving feedback remains unclear about the actual purpose of the session and usually starts exploring hidden agendas that might have triggered the feedback. It disrupts professional relationships and causes unnecessary suspicion.

A lack of respect for the source of feedback

We all tend to accept feedback more from people we value. In the opposite case, it is advised that you ask another colleague that was present to provide informal feedback rather than doing it yourself as otherwise, this might impact on professional relationships and feedback will be ignored.

Fear of upsetting your colleague or damaging your professional relationship with them

The person giving feedback might be different from the recipient in terms of sex, age, hierarchy, and educational and cultural background. These factors may result in a demotivating feedback session. Therefore, feedback needs to be given in a supportive, empathic and relaxed manner, and on a background of a working relationship based on mutual respect.

The recipient of feedback being resistant or defensive when receiving it

Poor handling of situations in which the recipient is resistant or defensive can result in a dismissive approach; therefore, feedback will be disregarded.

Physical barriers

Giving feedback loudly in a noisy corridor, or in the presence of other colleagues or patients, is inappropriate. Such feedback loses its objectivity and the recipient may consider this as an insult that will impact their professional relationship with their peers and patients.

Language barrier or lack of knowledge regarding cultural diversity

Language and cultural barriers convey unclear messages and result in unclassified assumptions. It is important to confirm the message sent is the message that is actually received. All feedback sessions should be held in a respectful and supportive manner.

Personal agendas

Personal agendas should not influence feedback. As soon as you realise this is a possibility, it is best not to give feedback as this will be perceived by the recipient negatively. Personal reflection will identify the reasons behind this and will be crucial in improving this aspect.

Lacking confidence

A person given feedback who lacks confidence may exhibit shyness, difficulty in being assertive, or lack of awareness of their own rights and opportunities.

Tips for and principles of giving effective feedback

When preparing to give feedback, think about what you would like to achieve. What do you want to highlight, what went well and where could there be some improvements? Table 2 summarises tips on giving feedback. Planning in advance is crucial to the process. Planning should encounter to whom you are giving feedback. There is no “one-size fits all” approach; feedback should be tailored to each individual and the corresponding situation. It is of vital importance that you reflect carefully about how you want to convey your message and focus on a couple of key points without overwhelming the learner. The learner might not be ready ( i.e. not receptive), which could have adverse effects. Therefore, think about how they will react to the feedback and what your response might be.

Tips on giving effective feedback

Generally, you will provide one-on-one feedback and you must make sure to give it privately. Offering public feedback will only be perceived as a criticism by the learner and overall it may have detrimental effects on departmental relationships. The learner may feel insulted and undermined whereas their self-confidence will also be affected as they feel this may result in losing their colleagues’ respect. On some occasions, it is possible to give group feedback but then you need to restrict your feedback to the group as a whole without singling out individuals.

It is best to ensure that feedback is given in a timely manner, i.e. as soon after the event as possible, and most organisations will have a regular feedback scheduled (weekly or monthly). However, should the situation mandate it, you can schedule an ad hoc session. Feedback and reflection work best when the memory is still fresh. When feedback is given with great delay ( i.e. months after the incident), then its objectivity will be debated.

In preparing for the feedback, think of specific situations and, if you want to highlight some negative actions, potential alternatives. Do not bring up past actions unless you wish to underscore a certain behaviour or pattern. Also, focus on tasks, actions and objective events rather than personality traits, which tend to be more subjective.

When giving feedback, start off gently trying to implement one of the feedback models mentioned above. For example, you could ask the learner how they think things went. This will give you insight into their experience and enables you to assess how well they can judge their actions, behaviour or performance. Encourage self-reflection as this will allow the learner to be mindful of their actions or behaviour ( table 3 ). As a rule, start with the positive and then move on to negative events. Be very specific and give examples of certain actions or situations, and use “I” when giving feedback.

Open-ended questions for giving feedback that encourage self-reflection

“When you said…, I thought that you were…”

Moreover, link the feedback to the learner’s overall development and/or stated outcomes, which might provide an additional reason for being receptive to the feedback.

Finally, be aware of nonverbal clues, such as your facial expression, body language, posture, voice and eye contact. These might convey their own message, which could be in contrast with what you are trying to achieve.

• Emotions are deduced through facial expression. Thus, smile in the correct manner to express warmth and goodwill.
• Eye contact creates a feeling of connection but can also be too intense. Make eye contact without staring.
• The way we feel about different people effects the way we speak. The tone and the volume of your voice can give away how you feel. Try to match body language, how you use your voice and tone in a natural way.
• Avoid looking strict by keeping your arms crossed or like you don’t care by sitting slumped. An open posture gives the expression of an open conversation.
• Stressed situations make us breathe faster; when we are tired, it is easy to sigh more. Long breaths make us calmer and are likely to make people around us calmer. Try to take a few deep breaths before giving feedback.
• Smartphones and screens with emails, Facebook messages, recent meetings or phone calls: there are so many things to steal our attention and this can only be evident. The person in front of you will notice when you are looking at the screen, and you are less likely to hear and understand what they are saying. Focus your attention on the person in front of you when giving feedback and when you are listening. After giving the feedback, reflect on how it went. Did it go as you expected and how do think it was perceived by the learner? Sometimes, you can misjudge the delivery of your feedback but make sure you learn from this for the next time. Every learner is different and requires a different approach.

In the end, remember to summarise the session in a letter/e-mail and to follow up on what has been discussed. Feedback aims to improve performance and it is advised that time is given to the recipient of feedback to rectify behaviours, then proceed with a follow up session to measure whether or not that is happening, and then make adjustments as you go.

Receiving feedback

A learner-centred approach is often recommended to effectively receive feedback. This involves adopting an open-minded listening strategy, reflection and a willingness to improve one’s performance. The recipients of the feedback are asked to evaluate their own performance and assess how their actions impact others. This approach works best when the feedback is ongoing, regular, supportive, and originating from a wide range of reliable and valid external sources. When this is not the case, the learners may not have sufficient understanding to self-assess and correct behaviours that may hinder their development. However, when constructive feedback is used wisely, it can positively impact the learners’ personal and professional development.

It is very helpful to receive feedback from leaders/teachers in real time and firsthand. When the learner is unable to respond positively, however, this often inhibits the feedback providers from giving direct face-to-face, personalised feedback on a regular basis. Learners’ responses to criticism may present in negative ways ( i.e. anger, denial, blaming or rationalisation), particularly when they discount their own ability to take responsibility for their learning. It is important to view feedback as a means to reflect on strengths and weaknesses, and build on previously learned competencies. The result will be increased confidence and independence, while facilitating a stronger rapport with colleagues, other medical staff and patients.

In order for feedback to be effective, it has to be received well. How a recipient interprets and reacts to feedback is very important to the outcome of the teacher–learner relationship and future learning opportunities. Differing interpretations or uptakes of feedback may be based on a number of factors that include: personality, fear, confidence, context and individual reasoning processes. It is essential to develop an open dialogue between the person giving feedback and the recipient. Differences of opinion should be handled in a professional manner. Both parties should be comfortable, and able to focus on actively listening, engaging, reflecting and developing action points for future development. Effective communication is key to a successful feedback interaction.

Table 4 presents tips to the learner on receiving constructive feedback.

Tips for receiving feedback

Be a good listener

First, truly listen to what the feedback provider is saying, instead of immediately preparing a response, defence or attack. The feedback provider will feel more comfortable giving feedback if you are approachable and welcoming.

When in doubt, ask for clarification

If you did not hear it clearly the first time, politely ask for it to be repeated, then restate it in your own words. This will help you understand more about yourself and how others interpret your actions.

Embrace the feedback session as a learning opportunity

Assume that the feedback is constructive until proven otherwise, then consider and use those elements that are truly constructive. Thinking about your own actions in the context of the feedback provider’s comments is beneficial to making appropriate changes.

Remember to pause and think before responding

Your aim is to have a professional conversation that benefits you. Focus on understanding the feedback first, not on your immediate innate reaction. Reflection, and particularly self-reflection, is essential to feedback acceptance.

Avoid jumping to conclusions, and show that you are invested in the learning process and keen to improve

Ask for clarification and examples if statements are general, unclear or unsupported. It is important to validate the feedback by inviting details and specifics about the criticism. Assuming the feedback provider’s comments as reality, in the context of their perceptions and impressions, defuses your own negative feelings in the face of criticism.

Think positively and be open to helpful hints

You will get more out of the feedback session if you accept the comments positively (for consideration) rather than dismissively (for self-protection). You may disagree with the criticism if the facts are incorrect but this should be done in a graceful manner.

Learn from your mistakes and be motivated

Ask for suggestions of ways you might modify or change your behaviour. Do not be afraid to ask for advice on what and how to do differently. Seek to meet expectations and promptly address the undesired behaviours.

Be a good sport and show appreciation

Be respectful throughout the discussion and thank the person giving feedback. Being polite and appreciative will encourage future feedback.

Be proactive

Try out some of the suggestions, and make careful notes regarding any improvements and changes in behaviour. Following-up with the feedback provider enables the receiver to share how the feedback was helpful.

Giving and receiving effective feedback are skills that are central in healthcare settings. The whole process is closely linked with professional development and improved performance. Both of these impact the quality of healthcare services and patient satisfaction. Feedback should be constructive by focusing on behaviours that can be improved. Developing robust professional relationships is a prerequisite for giving/receiving constructive feedback that will act as a powerful motivator.

Conflict of interest None declared.

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