As a speaker and a leader, if you want to elevate your skills, learning to accept feedback is paramount. There are aspects of our behaviour where there are “blind spots,” where we are unconscious or unaware. Feedback helps us to improve our skills when it comes to these blind spots.

There is a difference though between delivering effective feedback and criticism. When you deliver feedback to a recipient and it’s done appropriately, it’s a gift to the recipient as it helps them to improve. Criticism that is posited as feedback is not really feedback if you’re just listing the negative aspects about someone without delivering points of value to help the person improve. The way that feedback is delivered is so important because it can enhance or damage a relationship. The suggestions below will help you deliver effective feedback.

1. Intent
I know the old adage that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, your intent; however, in delivering feedback is important. When delivering feedback to another individual, your feedback should be designed to be positive, motivational and encouraging. Your feedback will be more effective if it’s designed to highlight the strengths of the individual as well as the areas that require improvement.

2. Be Sincere
When you assist another person with their personal growth through your feedback, it requires honesty and sincerity. When delivering feedback highlight the receipient’s strengths and be sincere if there are genuine areas of improvement. You want to be honest about their strengths without glossing over or sugarcoating your feedback.

3. Immediate
Feedback is most effective and has the greatest impact when it’s delivered after a behaviour has occurred. When feedback is not immediately given, it may lose its potency. The recipient of the feedback also may not directly link the feedback with the behaviour that requires improvement if it’s not given immediately, for example, an aspect of an employee’s work performance. When you give immediate feedback, the recipient is able to correlate or link your feedback with a specific behaviour. They are then able to start implementing your suggestions for improvement.

4. Specific
For feedback to be effective and have an impact it should be specific. Giving specific feedback with examples will enable the recipient to take action to improve because they have specific information that they can implement. They will not be working with vague generalities.

5. Method
When you deliver feedback make sure that you have a method you can use. One effective method is called,”the sandwich technique” or approach. With this technique, you start by delivering the feedback on a positive note. In the middle of your feedback, the constructive part i.e. the areas of improvement are delivered. Lastly, you end the feedback again on a positive note. The reason that this technique is so effective is because the “constructive criticism” is “sandwiched” between two positive pieces of feedback. The sandwich approach is very effective technique to use as it “softens” the feedback somewhat, so that is does not come across strictly as criticism or in an accusatory tone to the recipient.

6. Use I Language
When you’re delivering feedback, remember to use personalized language or “I” language, such as I felt, I suggest, my recommendation is etc. The reason being is that when you speak from the 1st person when you deliver feedback, the tone of the feedback appears to be less harsh. Using “I” language also reflects that it’s your opinion and not facts written in stone. When you don’t use I language when delivering feedback and instead use the word “you” all the time i.e. you did this, you must do this etc. the language appears to be more accusatory in nature rather than collaborative.

By following these suggestions, you’ll be able to deliver effective feedback. What’s your experience with feedback? For you, what differentiates good from bad feedback? Let’s hear your thoughts.

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