How to deliver constructive feedback effectively

Giving and receiving feedback is an essential part of our culture here at WillowTree. It is one of many ways we learn and grow. However, many people dislike giving constructive feedback to others. There are many potential reasons for this, including not wanting to hurt anyone’s feelings, not knowing exactly what to point out, and not knowing how to deliver feedback without sounding mean.??

The way feedback is worded can impact well-being and productivity, so it is important to consider how we present feedback. There is already a tendency to perceive feedback in a negative way, especially when growth areas are mentioned. But when we reframe constructive feedback as a chance to develop and enhance our skill sets rather than as a criticism, it creates a supportive space in which we feel encouraged and motivated to grow.?

Growing up as a classically trained violinist, the main way my colleagues and I worked towards perfecting our craft and achieving the highest levels of success was by receiving feedback from teachers and by giving feedback to each other. We specifically sought out teachers with high student success rates because of the knowledge and feedback they could pass on. Throughout the years, I’ve analyzed how feedback is delivered from a wide variety of people and how the different delivery styles impact someone’s success.?

The biggest takeaway is that framing constructive feedback in a positive manner is the most effective way to set others up for success. Here are 5 steps you can take to deliver effective feedback:?

1. Start and end with positive feedback

Our brains automatically dwell on negative feedback for much longer periods of time than positive feedback. Starting or ending with negative feedback makes it harder for people to remember and process the positive feedback, no matter how much positive feedback you give.?

2. Frame negatives into positives

Positive feedback motivates people to take action. Negatively worded feedback causes fear and anxiety and can lead to decreased psychological safety and less effective working relationships.?

? Avoid negative words like don’t, can’t, won’t, no, never, lacks, unable, terrible, and bad.

? Instead, suggest things to consider, actions to take, or experiments to try that can help people achieve the result you’re looking for.?

3. Separate the action from the person.?

Wording is very nuanced here, but it is so important. Make the feedback about the way something is done instead of the person doing it.

?? Avoid personal attacks such as:

• [Name] can’t do [growth area] at all.
• You’re terrible at [growth area].?
• [Name] is so much better than you at [growth area].

? Instead, focus specifically on what actions you want the person to take and what results you would like to see from these actions. For example:?

• I would love to see more of [action] so [result] can happen.
• Consider doing [suggestion] and see if that makes a difference with [result].

*Note: You can use “we” when giving feedback to make it feel more approachable and collaborative, such as “We should try [suggestion] next time to achieve [result].” However, it depends on the situation and your relationship to the person, so make sure you use it in the right context.?

4. Be specific?

This applies to both positive and negative feedback. Being specific about positive feedback allows people to understand their strengths and what to continue doing. If something went well, ask the following questions to help you frame your positive feedback:?

• What specifically went well??
• What actions were taken to make it successful?
• Did anything happen as a result of this success? If so, what?

It is helpful for people to know what to continue doing as well as what needs additional practice. If an area has room for improvement, ask the following questions:?

• What areas need a bit more practice???
• Are there specific steps that can be taken to get to the next level? If so, what are they??

*Note: When giving constructive feedback, turn the focus to actionable next steps instead of harping on what didn’t go as well. Focusing on negative results will not change what happened, nor will it motivate someone to get better at something.

5. Make it actionable

Think about what steps people can take to improve. It doesn’t have to be anything big. Even something as simple as practicing a few times can go a long way towards turning a growth area into a strength. If you get stuck, think of tips that have been successful for others in that situation or different examples, tools, or pathways that can be utilized by the person receiving the feedback.?

Putting everything together, here is a sample framework for a piece of constructive feedback:?

Positive:?

[Name] did a great job with [what went well]. It was successful because of [reasons]. Because of this, [result] happened.?

Constructive:?

Here are [#] things to consider for [time period]:?

Option 1: [What went well] went really well because of [reason]. I would love to see [growth areas] get to the same level of success. It would be great if you could experiment with [suggestion] and see if that helps you [result].??

Option 2: I noticed that [action] wasn’t as effective this time. I wonder if that’s because of [reason]. You might want to consider [suggestion] in order to achieve [result].??????

Option 3: I believe that [result] happened as a result of [action]. Next time, try doing [suggestion] and see if that gets you to [result].?

Option 4: I really liked the way you did [action]. It would be great if you could do more of [suggestion] in the future, which will allow [result] to happen.

Option 5: The way you do [action] is already really good, but I found myself wanting it to be a bit more like [result]. [Time period], it might be useful to try [suggestion].

Positive:?

Reiterate what went well, what you enjoy about your working relationship, anything encouraging about the person’s progress, or anything else that you appreciate about the person’s work and contributions.

Everyone is going to say things differently, but this framework should help you get you started. If you are interested in joining a culture that values personal and professional growth, please take a look at WillowTree’s job openings!