How to Provide Constructive Feedback for Development

Ever received feedback that felt like a slap in the face? 7 tips to make sure your team never feels that way. Feedback can either build you up—or tear you down. Which one have you experienced? I’ve been on both sides. A moment I’ll never forget: Let's call her Sally. A month into her new role, she received an email from a senior leader three levels above her. Except it wasn’t feedback—it was an exhaustive list of everything she’d done wrong after one customer meeting. Several people were copied on the email—including me. I wasn’t even the target, but I felt uneasy just reading it. It felt more like an attack than feedback. It was brutal—like a wrecking ball to her confidence. And this one email impacted Sally for over a year. I realized then that feedback should never leave someone feeling this way. It should empower, not dismantle. That email taught me exactly what NOT to do when giving feedback. Because feedback can be right and kind—not cruel. It should lift people up, not tear them down. In over a decade of leading teams, I’ve learned this: The way you deliver feedback can shape careers—or break them. 7 Tips for Delivering Feedback That Inspires: 1️⃣ Give it in private. No audience is needed, in person or virtually. Privacy is a safe space for real growth. 2️⃣ Start with curiosity. Ask questions. Understand their perspective before offering feedback. 3️⃣ Focus on actions, not the person. Address specific behaviors and their impact. Not their character. 4️⃣ Acknowledge individuality. Avoid comparisons. Everyone has their own journey. 5️⃣ Be specific. Offer clear, actionable feedback. Provide real examples. 6️⃣ Listen fully. Let them share their thoughts. Don't interrupt. 7️⃣ Encourage, then move forward. Don’t hold it against them. Discuss steps to improve, then focus on the future. Great feedback builds trust, respect, and confidence. It’s the key to inspiring growth. If this resonates, share it with your network to help others give kind feedback. And hit 'Follow' for more actionable insights on leadership.

"Keep up the good work!" "You're doing a great job!" "I really enjoyed your presentation." "You handled that call really well." Unspecific positive feedback is not helpful. How would any of those statements actually help a person grow? How would any of those statements even help a person duplicate what they did? They won't. If someone is doing a great job, tell them how. What specifically did you like about their presentation? What were 3 things they did during the call that made it a success? Why are those things important? Would something have gone wrong had they not done them? Try something like: "You handled that call really well. I like how you set a prep call with me before-hand so we could get on the same page. You facilitated a good discussion and made everyone feel heard, while ensuring we got through the whole agenda. You then circulated clear action items on your own, without my asking you to do it. Because you did that, there's a great chance we can wrap up this project on time." "Great job" might feel a lot better than "Plz revise thx". But it's just as (un)likely to lead to any growth. #management #growth #feedback #development

Most leaders avoid feedback conversations because they fear what might break. But what if the real risk is what you'll never build? According to Gallup, 80% of employees who receive meaningful feedback on a weekly basis are fully engaged (2019). Yet 37% of leaders admit they're uncomfortable giving feedback to their teams. That silence isn't kindness. It's career sabotage. I discovered this while coaching a brilliant VP who avoided giving feedback for 6 months. His reasoning? "I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings." Meanwhile, his team was stuck in a loop of repeated mistakes, missed growth, and mounting frustration. The quiet cost of silence was crushing their potential. The truth? Feedback delayed is development denied. Here's the T.R.U.S.T.™ Feedback Framework I teach my executive clients: 1/ Time it right → 60% of employees want feedback weekly → But 39% wait over three months to hear anything → Create a rhythm, not just reactions to problems 2/ Real, not rehearsed → "In yesterday's client call, I noticed..." → Specific moments create specific growth → Vague praise and vague criticism both waste time 3/ Understand the person → Different team members need different approaches → Some need direct words, others need gentle questions → Personalize delivery, not just content 4/ Safe to receive → Ask "What support do you need with this?" → Make feedback a conversation, not a verdict → This transforms defensiveness into development 5/ Two-way street → End with "What feedback do you have for me?" → Your willingness to receive transforms your right to give → This builds feedback culture, not just compliance The most powerful leaders build teams where truth flows freely in all directions. Because when feedback feels like genuine care, not criticism, performance soars. What feedback conversation have you been avoiding that could unlock someone's potential? 📌 Save this framework for your next growth conversation ➕ Follow Loren Rosario - Maldonado, PCC for human leadership

As an EY Partner, I gave feedback to thousands. Master the art of feedback - skyrocket your leadership: Bad feedback creates confusion. Good feedback sparks growth. Use the CSS (Clear, Specific, Supportive) framework to make your feedback land without friction. No more awkward silences or sugarcoating disasters: 1. Give positive feedback that actually feels valuable. ❌ Don’t say: “Great job!” ✅ Instead say: “Hey [Name], I really liked how you [specific action]. It made a real impact on [outcome]. Keep doing this—it’s a game-changer.” Why it matters: → Reinforces what actually works 2 Address underperformance without demotivating. ❌ Don’t say: “You need to improve.” ✅ Instead say: “I appreciate your effort on [project]. One area to refine is [specific issue]. A great way to improve would be [solution or resource]. Let’s check in next [timeframe] to see how it’s going.” Why it works: → Pinpoints the issue without personal criticism 3. Redirect someone without crushing their confidence. ❌ Don’t say: “This isn’t what I wanted.” ✅ Instead say: “I see where you were going with [work]. One way to make it even stronger is [specific suggestion]. What do you think about this approach?” Why it works: → Keeps feedback constructive, not critical 4. Push back on an idea (without sounding like a jerk). ❌ Don’t say: “I don’t think this will work.” ✅ Instead say: “I see the thinking behind [idea]. One challenge I foresee is [issue]. Have you considered [alternative approach]? Let’s explore what works best.” Why it works: → Keeps it a discussion, not a shutdown 5. Handle conflict without escalating it. ❌ Don’t say: “You’re wrong.” ✅ Instead say: “I see it differently—here’s why. Can we walk through both perspectives and find common ground?” Why it works: → Creates space for solutions, not arguments 6. Help someone level up their leadership. ❌ Don’t say: “You need to be more of a leader.” ✅ Instead say: “I see a lot of leadership potential in you. One way to step up is by [specific behavior]. I’d love to support you in growing here—what do you think?” Why it works: → Focuses on potential, not deficits 7. Coach someone who is struggling. ❌ Don’t say: “You need to step up.” ✅ Instead say: “I’ve noticed [specific challenge]. What’s getting in the way? Let’s find a way to make this easier for you.” Why it works: → Focuses on support, not blame 8. Give feedback to a peer without sounding like a boss. ❌ Don’t say: “You should have done it this way.” ✅ Instead say: “I had a thought—what if we tried [alternative]? I think it could help with [goal]. What do you think?” Why it works: → Encourages shared ownership of improvement 9. Close feedback on a high note. ❌ Don’t say: “Just fix it.” ✅ Instead say: “I appreciate the work you put in. With these adjustments, I know it’ll be even better. Looking forward to seeing how it evolves!” Why it works: → Ends on a motivating note — ♻️ Repost it to help others grow.

I’m a huge fan of “radical candor,” but it has been abused to just “swoop and poop” with one-way feedback that makes people feel like crap. I can genuinely say this model for constructive feedback was life-changing. The person providing the feedback is asked to listen and engage with curiosity, not just share “constructive criticism”. It’s called SHARED. Rebecca Zucker introduced it to everyone Costanoa Ventures at one of our CEO Summits. This is how I describe it: 1️⃣ Lead with your intent. “I’m sharing this feedback because I believe in your potential as a leader, and I want to help you work on what might be in the way.” 2️⃣ Share what you observed. Include context. “In last week’s meeting, you said there was an issue getting the presentation done on time for sales. But you didn’t say the timeframe in which they should now expect it. I could sense the sales teams’ frustration, and it didn’t make clear you were doing all you could to get things back on track.” 3️⃣ Ask for their experience of the situation. This is the important part. Engage with curiosity and listen to what’s said and also what it infers. It's how to build shared understanding and points to where assumptions are getting in the way. “I assumed by my saying things had slipped that people would know I was doing all I could to get things back on track. It’s hard to hear that I don’t have enough credibility in the organization that people wouldn’t just assume I was doing everything I could. I work really hard for the team”  4️⃣ Close with a coaching conversation. You now have each sides’ perspective so you know what needs to be coached. In this particular situation, you can coach what proactive management of a situation looks like to most as well as address something that was presumed but not said that clearly hurt someone’s feelings. This person is equating hard work with getting the job done. And is making the feedback about their effort overall and not the situation at hand. These are important things to address during the coaching part of the feedback. People aren’t left wondering what is thought of them and you can coach on what the actual situation at hand is. I give more examples and the details of the SHARED model in the article. This feedback framework helped me give more constructive feedback and make feedback I'm getting feel more constructive. Save the world from swoop and poop moments and please share! #leadership #management #productmanagement #marketing #marketingstrategy #startups #prodmgmt #talent #careers #CEO