Want to learn about constructive feedback, including, crucially, how to do it well?
Constructive feedback is tricky to get right.
But done well, it can reap huge rewards.
We all know the power of feedback, especially 360 feedback. But how do we manage constructive feedback?
In this blog, we’ll go through:
- What constructive feedback is
- Some examples of constructive feedback
- Tips to give better constructive feedback
Let’s get started.
💡 Pro Tip
Read how to collect and give feedback in your LMS to see how your biggest learning tool can be used to connect learning to performance.
How to collect feedback in your LMS
What is constructive feedback? Understanding the basics
Constructive feedback is a type of communication aimed at providing specific, actionable suggestions to help someone improve their performance, behavior, or understanding in a particular area.
Where criticism simply points out mistakes or flaws without offering suggestions or advice, constructive feedback acknowledges mistakes but offers specific suggestions for improvement.
Delivered with empathy and respect, this feedback is intended to foster growth and development.
It plays a crucial part in creating a supportive culture for employees. The outcome should always be positive, to help the employee learn and grow without feeling personally attacked.
It can also be used to recognise great work too, suggesting ways to improve and grow further.
By recognising good work with constructive feedback, this reinforces the behaviour.
And it’s also a great morale booster!
Related: Why giving feedback in learning is vital
Key characteristics of constructive feedback
There are some key characteristics of constructive feedback that are important to consider when looking at feedback back to your employees.
Specific
Constructive feedback is clear and precise. Instead of general comments like “Good job” or “You need to improve,” it targets specific behaviors or outcomes.
For example, “I noticed you handled the client’s objections very effectively by providing detailed explanations” is more helpful than a vague compliment.
Actionable
Effective feedback includes suggestions for improvement that the recipient can act upon. It goes beyond identifying issues to offering practical steps or strategies.
For example, “Next time, try to structure your presentation with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion to enhance clarity.”
Objective
Constructive feedback is based on observable facts and behaviors rather than personal opinions or feelings. This objectivity helps the recipient understand exactly what needs to be addressed without feeling personally attacked.
Balanced
A good feedback session includes both positive and negative points.
Highlighting what the individual did well alongside areas for improvement makes the feedback more balanced and easier to accept.
Timely
Feedback is most effective when given soon after the observed behavior or performance.
Timeliness ensures that the details are fresh in both the giver’s and receiver’s minds, making the feedback more relevant and impactful.
Examples of constructive feedback
Now we know what constructive feedback is, we’re going to explore some examples of good delivery of constructive feedback.
You can see how it can be used in response to both positive and negative situations:
Feedback on team collaboration
If a team member isn’t collaborating well with the team, or speaking over other colleagues in a meeting, a good way to bring this to their attention without discouraging them is by saying:
“Thank you for your contributions during team meetings. Going forward, it would be beneficial if you could actively listen to others’ ideas and offer opportunities for other team members to share their ideas.”
Feedback on customer service
If a staff member delivers good service to a customer, recognising this with constructive feedback encourages the behaviour and helps them to grow even more:
“The way you handled that customer query was very professional and helpful, well done. Next time consider giving the customer some more information on complimentary products to help them further.”
Feedback on conflict management
What if the employee has had to handle conflict in their roles?
They may not have handled it well, but instead of focussing on the negative it can be turned into a learning opportunity:
“I know that situation was difficult to handle, and things did get heated. Next time something like this comes up it would be better to intervene at an earlier stage to try and solve any issues before they escalate.”
Feedback on work accuracy
An employee might produce great work, but often it contains small errors and typos as they are lacking a solid proofing process.:
“You’ve done some great work recently, but I’ve noticed there are some minor typos and errors. It would be great if you could add in an extra step and proof the work before sending it out to help make sure it’s accurate.”
Feedback on missed deadlines
An employee might have started consistently missing deadlines. This is frustrating but can be an opportunity to provide constructive feedback:
“Thanks for letting me know you’re running behind schedule. It would be good to sit down and look through your workload and see whether there’s anything we can move around the team to help you manage your workload? We can also look at time management training which might be beneficial too.”
The importance of constructive feedback
Nothing kills productivity and morale quicker than criticism without opportunity to grow.
We all make mistakes in our work and have our weaker areas with room to grow.
While criticism has its place and is needed to ensure high quality work, turning criticism into constructive feedback can highlight mistakes while providing opportunities to learn.
Related: Key employee feedback statistics
Generally, it can be summed up into these 4 points:
- Highlight strengths and weaknesses
- Develop relationship between you and your team
- Create a feeling of trust and respect
- Improve morale and engagement
Let’s look at each in a bit more detail:
Highlight strengths and weaknesses
As you could see from the previous section, you’re highlighting good things about an employee before giving them direction on where to improve.
Everyone has strengths and weaknesses.
Constructive criticism allows you to identify these within your employee and express it to them.
What you’re left with is someone with a clearer idea on where they need to improve.
Develop relationship between you and your team
Delivering feedback can feel a bit awkward, but done well, and it shows what a great manager and leader you are.
They’ll know that they’re in a safe space where they can get things wrong, but it’s not held over them.
This environment fosters good relationships, better working experiences and space to develop.
Create a feeling of trust and respect
Not only will your team feel safe, they will also trust you more.
By creating a safe space to feedback to them, you’re also creating a space for them too.
Whether they’re struggling personally, or have issues in work, you are potentially allowing them to have deeper conversations so that you can better understand how they work. It creates a space where feedback is weclomed and can be shared.
Improve morale and engagement
Hopefully it’s clear, but all of the above improves morale and engagement.
Better management, more enjoyable work spaces and a deeper drive to grow means you’re left with a team that wants to improve and is open to feedback.
That gives you room to be agile and leads to a stronger and more collaborative team as employees feel valued and supported in their career journey.
How to give constructive feedback
Now you know how important it is to incorporate constructive feedback into your working life, let’s get down to how.
These top tips will get you started on implementing constructive feedback day to day.
Follow these and you and your team will be feeling the benefits in no time:
Set the right tone
It’s important when giving constructive feedback to set the right tone from the get go.
Make sure you clearly explain the purpose of the meeting. This helps with any anxiety the team member might be feeling ahead of the meeting.
Sometimes the situation may be tense, particularly if the conversation is difficult and mistakes are being highlighted.
As a manager you need to be ready to face this with empathy and emotional intelligence.
The last thing this should feel like is a personal attack; only a chance to grow.
Encourage conversation
When giving constructive feedback, it should always be a two way conversation.
Encourage the recipient to put across their views and explain their view on the situation, good or bad. This gives you the chance to hear their views, and understand their perspective.
Armed with this knowledge you can adapt your communication style. Offer more personalised advice and build a trusting relationship with your colleagues and team.
Be respectful
No matter what has happened, or what might have gone wrong, always remain respectful.
If mistakes have been made, this may be a sensitive time for colleagues.
Remember to speak calmly and clearly and be mindful of the language you use.
A respectful and calm authoritative tone will get your message across much better than anger or berating.
By keeping things respectful, you can help your colleague improve their performance without jeopardising your relationship with them.
Offer support on how to improve
If something didn’t quite work out, then offering support on how to improve with actionable insights is key to ensuring the team member isn’t demoralised.
Offering support and discussing with the colleague what went wrong, and how to avoid the situation happening again rather than blaming will be welcomed by the employee.
A supportive meeting delivering constructive feedback will keep a positive relationship between you and your colleague. And they are more likely to take your advice.
Choose the right time and place
Time and setting are key.
A neutral location will work best for delivering constructive feedback during a difficult conversation.
Make sure to pick somewhere that both you and your colleague are comfortable. And of course, it should be private as this feedback is just for the team member.
Show appreciation for the employee’s efforts
Whether a good or bad outcome, the employee will have put effort and time into their tasks.
Make sure you show your appreciation for their work. And that their efforts don’t go unnoticed.
Nothing demoralises an employee more than putting in effort and not gaining any recognition.
When delivering constructive feedback to your team, ensure that you recognise the work and effort they have put in to keep things positive and productive.
Use the SBI model
Describe the specific situation where the behavior occurred. Be precise to avoid misunderstandings.
Focus on the observable behavior, not the person.
For example, “During the team meeting, I noticed you interrupted several colleagues.”
Explain the impact of the behavior on the team, project, or workplace environment. For instance, “This disrupted the flow of the meeting and made it difficult for others to share their ideas.”
Wrapping up
Overall, constructive feedback if delivered correctly is a great way to create strong relationships with your team and your colleagues.
Keeping a positive attitude while giving actionable insights into how to improve performance will benefit both businesses and individuals.
If you’re looking for a way to support your team and help them grow and develop professionally, then constructive feedback is a great place to start.
Book a demo to see how BuildEmpire can support better conversations around feedback and development.
FAQs
What is constructive feedback?
Constructive feedback focuses on specific behaviours or outcomes and is designed to help the receiver improve. It combines positive reinforcement with actionable suggestions, avoiding judgmental or personal criticism
Why is constructive feedback important?
It drives personal and professional growth, enhances performance, builds self-awareness, fosters trust, and promotes a culture of open communication.
How does constructive feedback differ from criticism?
Constructive feedback emphasises future improvement and balances praise with guidance, while criticism often focuses on past faults in a judgmental tone.
What are the key elements of effective constructive feedback?
Best practices include:
Empathy & body language – create a supportive environment
Specificity & objectivity – focus on facts, not opinion
Timeliness – deliver feedback close to the event
Balanced tone – include positive reinforcement and areas to grow
Actionability – offer concrete suggestions