Make your feedback concrete

We all either give or receive feedback on work performance. While we say it’s important, we don’t always treat it as important. It often devolves into barroom generalities, personality-based observations, or negative stereotypes. My eyes were opened by a very actionable article published on November 1, 2024, in the Harvard Business Review titled “High Performers Need Feedback, Too,” by Rocki Howard, a thought leader in HR, inclusion, and work culture.

Avoid vapid language

What’s the problem with the following employee feedback?

“Your questions in last week’s meeting were great! You rarely miss a chance to show your thinking skills, and it was helpful to all of us.”

Is the employee better off after hearing this comment? No. It’s too much fluff, like telling a person not to drive faster than the speed limit.

Make it useful instead: “Your questions were insightful because they opened up the discussion on how we’ll approach the Q4 earnings call.”

This is concrete. It uses the key word “because.” Specificity is key.

Never make it personal!