How to Give Constructive Feedback - with Examples

What exactly is constructive feedback?

What comes to mind right away once you hear the term feedback? What emotions do you associate with criticism? Feedback discussions are sometimes fraught with fear because it’s considered unfavorable criticism. 

However, there are many ways to use feedback in interpersonal and professional interactions. Not all of them fit into one group or the other. And every kind of criticism can improve a person, a group, or a workplace environment.

Positive reinforcement, for instance, can strengthen positive behavior or significant accomplishments. Real-time feedback is only appropriate in “in-the-moment” circumstances. Leaders would like their peers and subordinates to provide real-time feedback, for example, if they make mistakes in reports.

Constructive criticism, however, is a different game altogether.

Constructive feedback is a helpful technique to enhance the potential of an individual, team, relationship, or environment. Constructive criticism and coaching techniques are often used to create constructive feedback.

Practical examples of constructive feedback that can be used

Your staff members must feel at ease providing feedback for you to fully invest in developing a culture of feedback. We are all human since organizations are made up of people. Even though we all make mistakes, we can all improve. Above all, no employee should have issues living purposefully, clearly, and passionately.

But until your people feel comfortable providing input, we won’t be able to maximize everyone’s potential. It could be simpler to provide some employee feedback as opposed to others, such as suggestions for enhancing a presentation.

Constructive criticism, however, can occasionally be challenging, particularly when it comes to handling team member disputes or correcting poor behavior. Any manager will emphasize to you how important it is to deal with undesirable habits and steer them toward productive ends. Allowing toxic behavior to continue can affect company culture, employee engagement, and your company’s financial health.

No matter where your company stands in terms of feedback, giving your employees real-world examples will help them succeed.

Let’s go over some instances of helpful criticism. It’s usually a good idea to be prepared with concrete examples for each of these elements to support your criticism. We’ll also provide some examples of situations in which these sentences might be most effective and suitable.

 

Examples of constructive criticism for communication

Here are some examples of constructive criticism for communication in the workplace:

 

In team meetings, employees frequently speak over and disrupt others.

“I’ve seen you can interrupt or cut off members of the team. You provide quality work and share a lot of good ideas. I’d like to explore how you could encourage others to share their own thoughts in our team meetings as some communication feedback.”

A team member who doesn’t participate or contribute ideas during meetings.

“I’ve seen that you rarely contribute suggestions during lengthy discussions. But in our private discussions, you offer a lot of insightful and original solutions to issues. Is there anything I can do to make you feel more at ease speaking in the presence of the team?”

 

A worker who is bluntly honest and ruthless in observations.

“I saw you telling a teammate last week that their work wasn’t helpful to you. Although it may be truly the case that their job does not add to yours, the team is also working on projects that will assist us in achieving our company’s objectives.”

“To assist you in developing your feedback abilities, I’d love to collaborate with you to find ways to communicate more effectively. Are there any possibilities for professional development you’d be interested in pursuing?”

 

A worker who finds it difficult to establish connections with clients and potential business partners due to poor communication abilities.

“In our client and prospect meetings, I’ve seen that you go straight into the presentation. Ensure we are getting to understand you, as we need to establish a relationship and rapport. In our subsequent meetings, why not try getting a better understanding of the tasks, priorities, and lives of others outside of work?”

 

Examples of constructive criticism regarding partnership

Here are some examples of constructive criticism regarding partnership in the workplace:

 

A worker who is unreliable when it comes to team or group projects.

“I see that I requested a deliverable from you for this important task by the beginning of the week. I wanted to check in because I haven’t received this deliverable yet. Could you keep me in the loop if a deadline doesn’t fit well with what you can handle? I’d really like to know what you handle effectively without overcommitting yourself.”

 

A worker who loves to safeguard or gate-keep their work, which hinders collaboration and productivity

“For a few months, our units have been working together on this cross-functional project. However, we discovered yesterday that your unit had a problem last week that hasn’t been rectified. If you encounter any difficulties achieving our objectives, I’d love to help. Would you be prepared to communicate about your project plan or offer some assistance in enhancing the transparency of your team’s performance? I believe it would aid in problem-solving and future problem prevention.”

 

Examples of constructive criticism for time management

Here are some examples of constructive criticism for time management in the workplace:

 

A worker who consistently arrives late for one-on-ones or morning meetings.

“It’s come to my attention that you’re frequently tardy to our morning meetings. You’re occasionally late for our one-on-one meetings too. Do you need any assistance developing and getting better with time management? I understand it’s not your intention, but sometimes being late can give the impression that you’re a bit uninterested in the person you’re meeting with or the meeting you’re attending.”

 

A team member that struggles to meet commitments.

“I’m grateful you let me know you would require a delay because you’re running late based on scheduling plans. I’ve noticed that you’ve asked for an extension four times in the last two weeks.

When we next meet one-on-one, could you make a log of the projects you’re working on and how much time you’re devoting to each one? I’m curious if we can analyze your time management and find efficiencies.”

 

A worker who consistently fails to show up for team meetings.

“It’s come to my attention that you haven’t shown up at several team meetings, including the most recent ones. I decided to check if everything was fine, so I checked in. What tasks do you currently have to complete? I worry you’re omitting vital information that could aid you in your career and role.”

Helpful suggestions for giving constructive criticism

Receiving and providing feedback is a difficult task. However, as is common knowledge, more individuals like to take feedback than provide it. If providing constructive criticism seems intimidating, we’ve compiled eight techniques to help you with it. These best practices might assist in ensuring that you offer feedback flawlessly for the best outcomes.

• Be direct and concise (without being mean): Make care to be succinct, direct, and unambiguous. Avoiding the subject altogether serves neither you nor the recipient of your feedback well.
• Give specific illustrations: Be extremely detailed and provide current examples. If you give unclear feedback, the employee may not associate it with their behavior.
• Encourage and support others: It is your responsibility as a manager, especially to assist your team members. Are you offering staff development programs? How can you engender trust and confidence in your team? Do your staff members have access to tools such as coaching?
• Set objectives for the changes you want to see: Set goals with your employee if a habit needs to change, particularly if it occurs frequently. Consider a scenario where one member of the team dominates the talk during team sessions. Could you establish a mark for how frequently they support other group members in speaking up and sharing their thoughts?
• Allow space and time for further queries: Hearing constructive criticism can be challenging. Processing it can take a while as well.
• Understand when to provide critique verbally instead of in writing: Some helpful criticism should be avoided in emails and Slack messages. Choose the appropriate communication channel for your remark.
• Check-in: Seize the opportunity to follow up with the person to see how they are progressing with the requested input. Consider the scenario when you have critiqued a coworker on their presentation abilities. Ask them about their efforts to improve their public speaking abilities. Before a significant meeting or presentation, ask if you may assist them in practice.
• Request a response in return: Sometimes, receiving feedback can feel autocratic and top-down. Ensure you leave the door open so that your staff can provide comments.

 

Conclusion

Meaningful criticism can make all the difference between a group that struggles and one that succeeds. Constructive criticism is a key component in developing a culture of feedback in your company. Consider the impact that coaching can play in empowering your staff to provide feedback and invest in it appropriately.