Tips for giving constructive feedback

Feedback is a valuable gift that you can give to your organisation to help them inform important decisions. Giving feedback is a skill, and like all skills, it takes practice to get it right. How you phrase your feedback can impact whether it gets actioned.

 

Here are some helpful tips to consider when framing your feedback.

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1. Provide constructive rather than negative feedback

Before you give feedback, it's important to understand the difference between constructive and negative feedback:

• Constructive feedback usually centres around things an organisation can do to improve.

• Negative or destructive feedback puts the organisation down instead of letting them what they can do to be better.

Approach your feedback with the intention of helping your organisation grow—even if you feel frustrated, avoid criticising your organisation. 

• "It would be great if..."
• "I recommend" / "I suggest..."
• "[suggestion] would help to..."
• "Perhaps we could..."
  
  

2. Answer the question

Joyous questions are centred around specific topics that organisations are trying to positively impact. Your feedback helps to inform which actions are taken on the topic.

Avoid giving general feedback and try and answer the posed question as best you can.

 

3. Be specific and provide examples

When you're giving feedback, it's important to be as specific as possible. Avoid using general phrases such as "need better tools", "better training", "improve support", or "streamline our systems and processes". It's difficult to action these requests.

Instead:

• Specify what type of support or training you need.
• State which systems or processes need improving and what needs improving.
• Describe what tools are missing or need upgrading.

4. Offer expert solutions

Joyous is about unlocking your expertise to identify actionable themes and solve critical business challenges. 

If you identify issues or challenges, draw on your expertise and experiences at work to provide ideas, suggestions, and solutions. 

Try to focus on the solution rather than the issue.

5. Discuss outcomes rather than people

It may be tempting to call out people or teams for their mistakes and inefficiencies.

Instead, frame your feedback in a way that helps to prevent mistakes or inefficiencies, and offers a constructive solution.

 

6. Make your points clear and concise

Clear and concise feedback is more likely to be actioned and engaged with because it is easy and quick to understand.

To ensure your feedback is clear and concise:

• Avoid talking in circles
• Use bullet points where appropriate
• Avoid colloquial, metaphorical, or poetic language
• Check your sentences for typos