Emma manages a small team at a local newspaper, and she’s spent most of the last hour sighing. There’s a stack of articles on her desk that Ray, a young up-and-coming writer, has left for her. Emma knows she’ll have to chat with Ray about the quality of his work. It wasn’t terrible but wasn’t up to his usual standards.
If she’s honest, this conversation has been coming for a while, but Emma was unsure how to approach it without damaging their working relationship. And she liked Ray. She knew what he was truly capable of.
This scenario happens in workplaces around the world every day. Managers and leaders often struggle with giving feedback, and employees dread receiving it. But the thing is – feedback isn’t a box-ticking exercise. It’s necessary, and when it’s done correctly, constructive feedback can boost performance, help employees grow and create a positive work environment. It can also help people to see their blind spots, celebrate their strengths and give them a clear path to improvement.
But obviously, feedback is a bit of an emotional minefield. Get it wrong and you’re liable to crush someone’s confidence and sour relationships quicker than you can say ‘performance improvement plan’.
So, how can we make feedback work? How can managers like Emma (and you) approach these conversations confidently, and how can employees like Ray receive feedback without fear? Let’s look at some practical tips to use the power of feedback positively.
1. Pick the right time
Timing is everything when it comes to feedback. Emma has been putting off her chat with Ray for weeks, which wasn’t ideal. The best time to give feedback is when the issues are still fresh. Waiting too long to bring up ‘challenges’ won’t help anyone – the specifics will have faded from memory, and any bad habits may have already become ingrained.
For Emma, the right time to talk to Ray would have been straight after she noticed the dip in the quality of his work. She should have said something like: “Ray, I’ve noticed a change to your articles over the past few days. Can we have a chat about it?”
You do have to remember, though that if you’re the receiver of feedback, like Ray, the timing may not be right. They could be in the middle of a stressful project, or even dealing with personal issues. It’s ok to reschedule. They might reply: “I appreciate you wanting to discuss this. Would it be alright to schedule this for next week when this project has been wrapped up?”
This is perfectly acceptable. Just take notes about what you want to say and ensure the follow-up does actually happen.
2. Plan your feedback
You shouldn’t wing feedback, or you’ll end up saying something you didn’t mean. That’s what happens in the heat of the moment. You don’t have to script every word but planning the main points you’re going to cover beforehand is crucial.
In Emma’s case, she needs to think about the specific issues she has with Ray’s articles. Is it the length? Is he reporting key information wrong? She also needs to consider his strengths and how to frame this feedback in a way that’s personalised and meaningful to him.
Planning like this helps you focus on the most important things to improve. Simply dumping a list of criticisms on someone would be overwhelming, and counterproductive. Emma should pick the top two or three issues to address with Ray.
And, if you’re expecting to receive feedback, you can plan too. Consider your recent work. Is there anything you’re proud of? Where might you have fallen short? Self-reflection like this can make the feedback session more productive when it happens.
3. Be specific
Giving vague feedback is about as useful as a chocolate teapot. Just saying “This work is bad and needs improving” tells the person exactly nowt about what they need to do differently. Clear feedback offers clear direction.
Instead of telling Ray that his reports aren’t up to scratch, Emma could say “In your last three articles, you’ve missed out on some critical eye-witness information. Compare that to the ones you wrote last month and the difference is stark”.
Specificity works for positive feedback, too. Rather than just a generic “Good Job, Ray”, Emma could say, “Your report on the local card-skimming scandal was top-notch. It was concise, highlighted the key points clearly, and made it easy for the readers to grasp the issue quickly”.
If you’re on the receiving end of feedback, well, if it’s not specific enough, ask for examples. Ray could ask: “Could you show me an example comparing last month’s article to a recent one to help me understand what to include in future ones?”
4. Open dialogue
You probably think of feedback as a one-way conversation. But it isn’t, it’s a dialogue. It’s not about Emma telling Ray what she things, it’s about a chat where both of them can share their perspectives.
Emma doesn’t have to dive straight in with feedback. She could start by asking Ray how he feels his work has been going lately. It’ll give him a change to share any challenges he’s faced or bring up issues Emma might not have been aware of.
And, after sharing her own observations, Emma should give Ray plenty of opportunity to respond. She might ask “What’s your take on this, Ray? Is there anything that’s been making it difficult to include the relevant information in the articles, compared to last month?”
If, like Ray, you’re receiving feedback, don’t just sit there nodding along. Engage in the conversation. Ask for clarity if you don’t understand. Share your perspective respectfully. Ray might say: “I see what you mean about the comparisons between last month’s articles and my latest. I’ve been leaving that information out because I thought it wasn’t relevant here, people hadn’t mentioned it so I just assumed it wasn’t necessary. Can we discuss how I can add this back successfully?”
5. Focus on behaviour
Never make judgements about personality or natural ability when it comes to giving feedback. Stick to specific behaviours instead. That way, there’s no room for doubt about what’s going well and what isn’t. It makes the actions which must be taken to improve clearer to the recipient.
Instead of the critical “You’re not detail-orientated enough, Ray”, Emma could say “I’ve noticed that you’ve missed out key eye-witness information from your articles recently. Double-checking that these are included before submitting to me would really improve the quality of these pieces.”
This focus on behaviour applies to positive feedback too. Emma shouldn’t say “You’re a good writer”. She should say: “The way you wrote last month’s ‘Romance scammer’ article was so insightful. You simplified this complex topic so well that it was broken down nicely for the readers to understand and relate to.”
If you’re the recipient of feedback, try to hear it in terms of behaviours that you can change. Like Ray, hearing that you aren’t “detailed enough” could make you think that well, that’s just who you are, and you can’t change it. But if you hear that you just need to double-check something, that’s something concrete to act on.
Putting it all together
Let’s go back to Emma and Ray to see how these points might work in practice.
Emma schedules a meeting for Ray the following day, which gives them both time to prepare. She plans her feedback, concentrating on the main issues she’s noticed.
When they meet, Emma starts by asking Ray how he feels his work has been going. Ray replies that he’s been feeling a little overwhelmed by the volume of articles he’s had to write lately, and with tight deadlines, he’s been rushing.
Emma understands, and nods, saying “I appreciate you sharing that Ray. I’ve noticed that compared to last month’s articles, there are a couple of things missing these past few days, like key eye-witness information. These are important details that readers need in order to relate. Can you talk me through why these were left out?”
Ray explains that he thought these weren’t especially relevant, and left them out in order to save time when reporting in the field. Emma clarifies that they are important and suggests ways to make them applicable.
In the end, Ray concedes that he’s been rushing a little, and through checking his schedule, Emma agrees to reduce his workload slightly to accommodate. They also come up with the idea of peer reviewing for a while, so someone checks against a list of things that must be included so that important information isn’t forgotten.
Throughout the conversation, Emma makes sure to highlight Ray’s strengths, too. She praises his clear writing style and his knack for simplifying complex topics. By the end of the meeting, Ray has a clear understanding of what he needs to work on, and Emma understands the challenges Ray has been facing. They schedule a check-in for a couple of weeks to see how things are progressing.
The power of feedback in the workplace
Feedback, when done well, it’s a powerful tool for growth and improvement. It’s not about assigning blame, instead, its about working together to combat challenges and get better results.
For managers like Emma, mastering the art of effective feedback can lead to stronger teams, better performance and that oh-so important positive work environment. For employees, like Ray, learning to receive feedback openly can help with personal growth and ultimately, career development.
Feedback is a skill, and like any skill, it’ll take practice to het better. The more you do it, the more comfortable (and effective) you’ll become.
In Emma and Ray’s case, their feedback conversation led to noticeable improvements. Ray’s articles became more insightful, and he felt more confident in his work. Emma found that the team’s overall performance improved as she got better at delivering timely, specific feedback.
When you’re faced with giving or receiving feedback, don’t sigh like Emma. Embrace it for what it really is: an opportunity for growth. With the right approach, feedback can be the key that unlocks potential and drives success in your workplace.
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