feedback presentation means

Effective Presentation Feedback: Examples, Importance, and Tips

• By Judhajit Sen
• August 7, 2024

Learning how to give a good presentation isn’t a talent; it’s a skill that requires time and presentation practice. The same goes for giving feedback. If you’re a manager or leader, your feedback can significantly improve a speaker’s performance and boost their confidence.

Continuous improvement starts with consistent feedback. Providing feedback, positive or otherwise, is crucial for ongoing growth. Everyone is on a journey of personal and professional development, and asking presentation feedback questions is a key part of that process.

Many people find public speaking and presenting intimidating, but feedback can help them get better. It highlights areas for improvement and reinforces strengths. Without feedback, growth is slow, and bad habits can become ingrained.

Feedback targets key aspects of performance, helping individuals focus on specific skills in an organized manner. It drives personal and professional growth by providing clear guidance and structure. Continuous feedback ensures that improvement is ongoing, making the learning process more effective.

Key Takeaways

• Feedback Drives Improvement: Providing consistent feedback helps speakers refine their skills, boost confidence, and address both strengths and weaknesses.
• Engage Your Audience: Collect feedback through presentation feedback sheets and forms or direct interaction to gauge engagement and improve future presentations.
• Balance Positive and Negative Feedback: Use specific PowerPoint presentation feedback examples to highlight what went well and offer practical advice for areas needing improvement.
• Receive Feedback Openly: Listen carefully, avoid taking feedback personally, and reflect on it to make meaningful changes in your presentation skills.

Importance of Presentation Feedback

Evaluation for a presentation is essential for several reasons. Firstly, it serves as a gauge for audience engagement . While we might think our presentations are perfect, there’s always room for improvement. Feedback, whether positive or negative, helps us grow. If you complete a presentation and receive no feedback, it might not be a sign of perfection but rather an indication that the audience was disengaged. Without their attention, they can’t provide feedback.

To avoid this, make it easier for your audience to engage and provide feedback on a presentation example. Consider using feedback forms to collect responses. These tools allow your audience to share their thoughts conveniently. Additionally, direct interaction can be beneficial. If there’s an opportunity to chat with attendees after the presentation, don’t hesitate to ask for their feedback. Most people are willing to help.

Secondly, feedback directly contributes to improving your public speaking skills. When people provide feedback, they often comment on your delivery or slides. You might hear things like, “You command attention well,” or “Your slides could be more visually appealing.” Candid criticism, such as, “Your facial expressions were distracting,” is also valuable. 

It’s crucial to actively seek, receive, and act on this feedback. By addressing the comments and suggestions, you can enhance both your presentation skills and the quality of your slides. Continuous improvement through feedback leads to better presentations and a more engaged audience.

Presentation Feedback Examples

Positive Feedback

Positive feedback in presentations highlights the strengths of the speaker and their effective delivery. It should:

Acknowledge Strengths: Point out what the speaker did well.

Provide Specific Examples: Mention moments that exceeded expectations.

Having good things to say about a presentation is about recognizing the speaker’s efforts beyond basic expectations. Instead of generic praise like “Good job!” specify how:

– The presentation flowed logically, enhancing audience understanding.

– Detailed research strengthened the presentation’s credibility.

– Inclusion of relevant slides demonstrated audience awareness.

– Engaging icebreakers established authority and captured attention.

– Complex topics were simplified for better audience comprehension.

– Real-life examples made the topic relatable and significant.

– Visual aids effectively supported key points, maintaining audience focus.

– Interactive elements encouraged audience engagement and clarity.

– Professional yet passionate delivery sustained audience interest.

– Conclusion effectively summarized key points while encouraging further exploration.

– Attention to detail in slides and delivery enhanced overall impact.

– Confident body language underscored authority and engagement.

– Additional resources provided enriched learning opportunities for all audience members.

Recognizing these specific strengths helps speakers refine their skills and deliver even stronger presentations in the future.

Constructive Feedback

Constructive feedback focuses on areas that need help while offering guidance on how to address those issues in future presentations. The goal is to build up the speaker, not tear them down, by highlighting specific weaknesses and providing practical advice.

When giving candid feedback, it’s important to focus on the presentation, not the presenter. If you notice a recurring problem, provide a few examples instead of pointing out every instance. Asking the speaker about their thought process before critiquing their slides or speech can help identify knowledge gaps.

Here are some examples of constructive feedback for a presentation:

Engage the Audience: Start with a thought-provoking question or an interesting statistic to grab the audience’s attention right away.

Eye Contact: Making eye contact helps connect with the audience and boosts your confidence.

Clarity and Pace: Speak with clarity and at a slower pace. Recording yourself and listening back can help you improve.

Interactive Elements: Include time for audience questions to make the presentation more engaging.

Audience Knowledge: Tailor your content to the audience’s knowledge level. Remove unnecessary parts and focus on what’s relevant.

Presentation Structure: Organize your presentation from general to specific to make it easier to follow.

Real-World Examples: Use real-world examples to make your points more relatable and understandable.

Visuals: Balance text and visuals on your slides to maintain audience interest.

Humor and Media: Use humor and GIFs sparingly to enhance transitions, not distract from the content.

Confidence and Preparation: Practice regularly and consider a script or outline to keep on track and improve pacing.

Additionally, understand your audience’s body language and social cues to adjust your presentation style and tone. Preparing for tough questions and remaining calm during debates can help maintain a positive discussion. Practicing consistently will build your confidence and improve your overall presentation skills.

Candid feedback on how to perform a presentation is about continuous improvement, helping speakers refine their skills and deliver more impactful presentations in the future.

Things to Look for When Providing Presentation Feedback

Giving feedback on a presentation can seem daunting, but breaking it down into specific areas can make the process easier and more effective. Here are key aspects to consider:

Understanding: Did the speakers know who their audience was?

Context: Was the amount of context provided suitable for the audience’s knowledge level?

Engagement: Did the speaker allow time for audience questions?

Tone: Was the presentation’s tone appropriate for the audience?

Body Language and Presence

Approachability: Did the speaker appear approachable and confident?

Clarity: Was the speaker speaking clearly and at a good pace?

Eye Contact: Did the presenter make eye contact with the audience?

Nonverbal Cues: Were the presenter’s nonverbal cues appropriate and not distracting?

Clarity: Was the information clear, specific, and easy to understand?

Relevance: Was the material relevant to the topic and audience?

Examples: Did the presenter include real-world examples to illustrate points?

Relevance: Were the visuals relevant to the content?

Clarity: Were the visuals easy to see and understand?

Balance: Was there a good balance between text and visuals?

Professionalism: Did the slides look professional and well-designed?

Communication

Key Messages: Were the key messages clear and concise?

Objectives: Did the presenter clearly communicate the objectives of the presentation?

Takeaways: Did the presenter provide clear takeaways for the audience?

Voice: How well did the presenter’s voice carry in the presentation space?

Engagement: Was the presentation engaging and interactive?

Capturing Attention: How well did the presenter capture and maintain audience attention?

Accessibility: Was the presentation accessible to all audience members?

Using a checklist based on these categories can help you provide structured and transparent feedback on the quality of a presentation, highlighting both strengths and areas for improvement.

Tips to Give Effective Presentation Feedback

Giving effective feedback on presentations is a skill that takes practice to master. Here are some tips to help you provide constructive and positive feedback to presenters:

Prepare What You’d Like to Say  

Before giving feedback, think carefully about what you want to communicate. Prepare your thoughts to avoid knee-jerk reactions that can be unhelpful. Practice your feedback with a coach if possible to ensure clarity and effectiveness.

Use the Feedback Sandwich

Start with something positive, then offer candid feedback, and end with another positive comment. This method helps balance your feedback and shows the presenter what they did well.

Be Specific and Concrete  

Use specific examples from the presentation when giving feedback. Avoid vague comments like “ improve your communication skills .” Instead, say, “I suggest adding a slide with key agenda items to help the audience follow along.”

Focus on Behavior, Not Personality  

Address actions and behaviors rather than personal traits. For example, instead of saying, “You seemed nervous,” say, “I noticed that you were fidgeting, which can be distracting.”

Use “I” Statements  

Frame your feedback with “I” statements to make it clear that you’re sharing your perspective. For instance, say, “I felt the presentation could benefit from more examples.”

Give feedback as soon as possible after the presentation. This ensures that the details are fresh in your mind and provides more accurate and helpful feedback.

Offer Solutions or Suggestions

When pointing out areas for improvement, offer actionable advice. For example, “I recommend practicing with a friend to improve your pacing.”

Create Dialogue

Encourage a two-way conversation by asking the presenter for their thoughts on their performance. This helps them reflect on their strengths and areas for improvement.

Lead with Empathy

Be clear and direct, but also kind. Feedback should come from a place of care and support, making the recipient feel valued.

Check in with the presenter after some time to see how they are progressing. Offer continued support and share any positive changes you’ve noticed.

Choose the Right Setting

Provide feedback in a private and comfortable setting where the presenter feels safe to receive and discuss it.

End on a Positive Note  

Finish with a sincere compliment to reinforce positive behaviors and encourage growth. For example, “I was really impressed with your opening—it grabbed everyone’s attention.”

By following these tips, you can give feedback that is constructive, supportive, and effective, helping presenters improve their skills and confidence.

Tips to Constructively Receive Presentation Feedback

Once you’ve learned how to give good feedback, it’s time to focus on receiving it. Here’s how to make the most of feedback after your presentation:

Pay Close Attention

When you ask for feedback, stop talking and listen. Avoid justifying your actions or steering the conversation. Simply listen to what the person has to say.

Don’t Take it Personally

Pay attention to how you respond to feedback, including your body language and facial expressions. Don’t take feedback personally, as this might make the person giving it feel like they’re hurting your feelings. This can lead to less honest feedback, which isn’t helpful. Create an environment that allows honest and constructive dialogue.

Be Open-minded

To grow, be open to all feedback you receive. Closing yourself off from feedback hinders your progress and development. Embrace feedback as a chance to improve.

Understand the Message

Before making any changes based on feedback, ensure you fully understand the message. Avoid changing something that’s working well. Confirm that you’re addressing the right issues before taking action.

Reflect & Process

After receiving feedback, take time to reflect and process it. Compare the feedback with your own self-evaluation. Look for differences between your perspective and the feedback you received. Remember, no presentation is perfect, and it’s challenging to meet everyone’s expectations.

Always follow up after receiving feedback. This shows you value the input and are committed to improvement. It also demonstrates that you’ve taken action based on their advice.

Wrap-up: Presentation Feedback

Presentation feedback is crucial for improvement and confidence building. It involves both positive and constructive elements that help speakers refine their skills. Positive feedback highlights what went well, offering specific praise to reinforce strengths and encourage continued success. Constructive feedback, on the other hand, focuses on areas for growth, providing actionable advice to address weaknesses. This balanced approach ensures ongoing development and enhances presentation quality.

Effective feedback should be specific, timely, and empathetic, aiming to support rather than criticize. By actively seeking and integrating feedback, presenters can enhance their delivery, engage their audience better, and continuously improve their skills. Embracing feedback as a tool for growth helps transform challenges into opportunities for learning and achievement.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Why is feedback important for presentations?  

Feedback helps improve presentation skills by highlighting strengths and areas needing improvement. It boosts confidence and ensures ongoing growth, making presentations more effective and engaging.

2. How can you provide effective feedback to a speaker?  

Focus on specific behaviors and provide actionable advice. Use examples from the presentation, offer solutions, and maintain a supportive tone to help the speaker improve without discouraging them.

3. What is the best way to receive feedback?  

Listen carefully without getting defensive. Be open-minded, understand the feedback fully, and reflect on it before making changes. Following up shows you value the input and are committed to improvement.

4. How can I make feedback easier for my audience to give?  

Use feedback forms or engage directly with your audience after the presentation. This makes it convenient for them to share their thoughts and ensures you get valuable insights for improvement.

Elevate Your Presentation Skills with Expert Feedback

At Prezentium, we understand that effective presentation feedback is essential for growth and improvement. Whether you’re refining your skills or seeking to make a lasting impression, our AI-powered services can make a difference. Our Overnight Presentations service ensures you receive expertly designed, visually compelling presentations. For ongoing improvement, our Accelerators team transforms your ideas and notes into polished presentations and custom templates. And with Zenith Learning , we offer interactive workshops that combine structured problem-solving with visual storytelling to enhance your communication skills.

Don’t let feedback intimidate you—let it be a tool for excellence. Partner with Prezentium to receive the insights and support you need to shine. Contact us today to see how we can help you deliver outstanding presentations and continuously improve your skills.

Why wait? Avail a complimentary 1-on-1 session with our presentation expert. See how other enterprise leaders are creating impactful presentations with us.

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How to Give Feedback on Presentation (Step by Step Guide)

Presentations can be a powerful tool to inform, persuade, or inspire. But let's be honest, they can also be nerve-wracking experiences. You pour your heart and soul into crafting the content, but the real test lies in how it resonates with your audience.

Did your message land? Were you able to communicate key points effectively? The answer often hinges on one crucial element: presentation feedback.

Here's the thing: Feedback isn't just about pointing out flaws. It's a double-edged sword that can elevate your presentation skills and drive you towards becoming a confident and impactful presenter. 

Constructive feedback provides valuable insights that can help you refine your delivery, strengthen your content, and connect with your audience on a deeper level. Presentation feedback acts as a mirror, reflecting our strengths and weaknesses and empowering us to continuously hone our craft.

But how do you ensure you're giving and receiving feedback that's truly helpful? This blog will equip you with the tools to navigate the feedback process effectively. 

Characteristics of Effective Feedback

Not all feedback is created equal. Effective feedback is a carefully crafted message that provides clear direction for improvement while fostering a positive learning environment.

Here are the key characteristics that define effective feedback on presentations:

(1) Specific

Ditch vague comments like "good job" or "it needs work" . Instead, pinpoint specific aspects of the presentation that were strong and areas where improvement is possible.

For example, "Instead of saying 'your slides were a bit crowded,' you could offer: 'The information on slide 5 seems overwhelming. Consider breaking it down into two slides or using bullet points to improve readability.'"

Another example of effective feedback might be: "The data you presented on target audience demographics was clear and well-organized (positive note).

However, consider briefly explaining how this data will be used to tailor the campaign message for different audience segments (actionable suggestion)."

(2) Actionable

Good feedback goes beyond simply identifying issues. It provides concrete suggestions for improvement.

Instead of saying, "Your body language seemed stiff," offer actionable advice like "Focusing on maintaining eye contact with different audience members can help project confidence and connect with the audience on a more personal level."

(3) Respectful

Remember, the goal is to provide constructive criticism, not tear someone down. Maintain a respectful and encouraging tone.

Phrase your feedback in a way that focuses on the presentation itself, not the presenter's personality.

(4) Future-Oriented

Effective feedback should be focused on something other than past mistakes. Frame your suggestions in a way that guides the presenter towards future presentations.

(5) Balanced

While constructive criticism is important, don't neglect to acknowledge the presenter's strengths.

A positive note at the beginning or end of your feedback can create a more receptive environment and reinforce positive behaviors.

Giving Feedback Like a Pro: A Step-By-Step Guide

So, you're ready to provide effective feedback on a presentation, but where do you begin? 

This step-by-step guide will equip you with the tools to deliver clear, actionable feedback that is ultimately well-received.

Step 1: Preparation

Before diving headfirst into feedback, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the context of the presentation. Review the presentation material beforehand, focusing on the topic, objectives, and key messages the presenter aimed to convey.

Understanding the presenter's goals allows you to tailor your feedback for maximum impact.

Step 2: Active Observation

Shift your mindset from passive observer to active listener. Pay close attention to the presenter's delivery, both verbal and nonverbal.

This includes:

• Content:  Is the information clear, concise, and well-organized? Does it effectively support the  key points ?
• Delivery:  Is the pace appropriate? Does the presenter use vocal variety to keep the audience engaged?
• Visual Aids:  Are the slides visually appealing and easy to understand? Do they complement the spoken content or create distractions?
• Body Language:  Does the presenter maintain good posture and eye contact with the audience? Does their body language convey confidence and enthusiasm?

Step 3: The Feedback Framework

Now for the heart of the matter: delivering your feedback!

Here's a framework to ensure your message is clear and constructive:

(1) Set the Stage

Briefly acknowledge the topic and  objectives  of the presentation. This helps the presenter understand the context within which you're providing feedback.

(2) Specificity is Crucial

Avoid vague comments. Instead, highlight specific aspects of the presentation that were effective and areas for improvement.

For example, "The opening story did a great job of grabbing the audience's attention (positive note). However, some of the technical terminology on the following slides might have been confusing for a non-specialist audience (actionable suggestion)."

(3) The Positive Sandwich

Frame your feedback with a positive note. Compliment the presenter on something they did well before offering constructive criticism. This creates a more receptive environment for feedback.

(4) Open-Ended Questions

Don't just tell; prompt discussion. Use open-ended questions to encourage the presenter to reflect on their delivery and explore potential improvements.

For example, "How did you feel the audience responded to that particular statistic?"

(5) Focus on the Future

Instead of dwelling on what went wrong, frame your feedback in a way that guides the presenter towards future presentations.

For example, "Consider adding a real-world example to illustrate that point for your next audience."

(6) Delivery Matters

Remember, even the most valuable feedback can fall flat if delivered poorly. Maintain a respectful and encouraging tone, and avoid accusatory language.

Focus on providing helpful suggestions for improvement.

(7) Consider the Audience

Tailoring your feedback to the audience can also be beneficial. If you're providing feedback to a colleague for a client presentation, your focus might be on the clarity and persuasiveness of the message.

For internal presentations, you might emphasize the organization and flow of the content.

Receiving Feedback Gracefully: A Practical Guide

So you've just delivered a presentation, and now comes the feedback.

While constructive criticism can feel daunting, it's actually a gift – a valuable opportunity to identify areas for improvement and elevate your presentation skills. But how do you ensure you receive feedback with grace and a growth mindset?

Here are some practical tips to help you navigate the process effectively:

(1) Maintain a Positive Attitude

It's natural to feel defensive when receiving feedback, especially if it's critical. However, resist the urge to get discouraged.

Remember, the goal is to learn and grow. Approach the feedback session with an open mind and a willingness to listen. Thank the person for their time and effort, and express your genuine interest in their insights.

(2) Active Listening is Key

Don't just hear the feedback; actively listen. Pay close attention to the specific points being raised. Ask clarifying questions if needed to ensure you fully understand the feedback.

Taking notes can also be helpful to remember key points for later reflection. If taking notes manually feels distracting and difficult, consider utilizing AI note-taking assistants like  Wudpecker .

Wudpecker's AI features automatically transcribe meetings and generate summaries, capturing key points and decisions. This will free you from the burden of note-taking, allowing you to fully engage in the discussion. 

(3) Separate Feedback from Emotion

It's easy to take feedback personally. However, try to separate the feedback from your own emotions.

Focus on the content of the message, not the delivery. Remember, the feedback is about the presentation, not you as a person.

(4) Identify Actionable Items

As you listen to the feedback, identify specific, actionable items you can work on to improve your future presentations.

This might involve refining your content structure, incorporating new visual aids, or practicing your delivery techniques.

(5) Don't Try to Defend Yourself

The urge to defend your choices is understandable but resist it. Instead, acknowledge the feedback and take time to process it later.

You can always ask follow-up questions for clarification, but avoid getting into a defensive debate.

(6) Express Gratitude

Thank the person for their feedback, regardless of whether it's positive or critical. Their willingness to share their insights is a valuable asset to your growth as a presenter.

(7) Reflect and Refine

Once you've received the feedback, take some time to reflect on it. Consider which points resonate most and identify areas where you can make improvements.

Develop a plan to incorporate the actionable items into your presentation skills development strategy.

Enhancing Presentation Skills Through Feedback

We've established that presentation feedback is a powerful tool for improvement. But how exactly can you leverage this feedback to enhance your presentation skills and become a more confident and impactful communicator? 

Here are some ways to turn feedback into action:

Self-Evaluation and Targeted Feedback

Seeking feedback doesn't have to be a one-time event. Develop a habit of self-evaluation after each presentation. Consider areas where you felt strong and areas where you could improve.

Based on your self-assessment, identify specific aspects you'd like to get targeted feedback on from colleagues or mentors. This targeted approach allows you to delve deeper into specific skills and receive focused insights.

Embrace Diverse Feedback Sources

Don't limit yourself to feedback from just one or two people. Seek feedback from a diverse audience whenever possible.

This could include colleagues, managers, clients, or even friends and family who witnessed your presentation.

Each person will have a unique perspective, offering valuable insights into how your message resonated with different audience members.

Leverage Technology

Technology can be a powerful tool for gathering feedback. Consider using online feedback forms or survey tools to collect anonymous feedback from a wider audience.

You can also record your presentations and watch them back to identify areas for improvement in areas like pacing, body language, and vocal variety.

Practice Makes Progress

Once you've identified areas for improvement based on feedback, it's time to put that knowledge into action!

Practice your delivery with a focus on the specific skills you're working on.

Role-play with a colleague, record yourself practicing, or join a public speaking group to gain experience and refine your presentation style.

Consistency Is Key

Remember, presentation skills don't develop overnight. The key to becoming a confident and impactful presenter lies in consistent effort and dedication.

Integrate feedback into your ongoing development plan, actively seek opportunities to present, and continuously strive to refine your craft.

Presentations can be powerful tools for informing, persuading, and inspiring, but mastering the art of delivery takes dedication and continuous improvement.

This blog has equipped you with the knowledge to harness the power of presentation feedback. You've learned how to provide clear, actionable feedback that empowers presenters, and you've explored strategies for receiving feedback with grace and a growth mindset.

Remember, the journey to becoming a captivating presenter is an ongoing process. Embrace the power of feedback, actively seek opportunities to practice, and never stop refining your skills.

By consistently seeking improvement, you'll transform those nervous presentation jitters into the confidence and clarity needed to deliver truly impactful presentations that resonate with any audience.

What Is an Example of Feedback on a Presentation?

Scenario:  You listened to a presentation on the benefits of switching to a new project management software. 

Here's how you could provide constructive feedback:

Positive Aspects:

• Clear Introduction:  "The introduction did a great job of grabbing the audience's attention by highlighting the common pain points associated with traditional project management methods. It effectively set the stage for the presentation."

Areas for Improvement:

• Visual Aids:  "The slides felt a bit text-heavy at times. Consider incorporating more visuals like charts, graphs, or even screenshots to illustrate the features and benefits of the new software."
• Content Depth:  "While you covered the key features of the software, it might be beneficial to delve deeper into how it addresses specific challenges faced by different user groups within the company (e.g., project managers vs. team members)."

Actionable Suggestions:

• "For your next presentation, you could try including a short demo of the software in action to showcase its user-friendliness."
• "Consider adding a slide that compares the new software to existing options, highlighting its unique advantages."

How Do You Comment on a Good Presentation?

Here are some ways to comment on a good presentation:

Highlight Specific Strengths:

• Content:  "The information you presented was clear, concise, and well-organized. It was easy to follow and understand." (focuses on clarity and structure)
• Oral Presentation:  "You delivered the presentation with great enthusiasm and confidence. Your use of vocal variety kept the audience engaged." (highlights delivery skills)
• Visual Aids:  "The slides were visually appealing and effectively complemented your spoken points. They were easy to read and understand." (focuses on visuals)
• Structure:  "The flow of the presentation was logical and well-paced. You transitioned smoothly between topics and kept the audience engaged throughout." (highlights structure and audience engagement)

Focus on Impact:

• "Your presentation was very informative and insightful. I learned a lot about [topic]."
• "You did a great job capturing the audience's attention and keeping them engaged throughout the presentation."
• "Your presentation was well-organized and easy to follow. I felt like I had a clear understanding of the key points."
• "I particularly enjoyed [specific aspect of the presentation, e.g., the real-world example you used, the humor you incorporated]."

Positive and Encouraging Tone:

• "Overall, it was a very impressive presentation. Well done!"
• "I can tell you put a lot of effort into this presentation, and it showed. Great job!"
• "Thank you for sharing your insights with us. It was a very informative presentation."
• "I look forward to seeing more presentations from you in the future."
• Be genuine and specific in your compliments. Make sure you are giving constructive feedback.
• Tailor your comments to the presenter and the presentation content.
• Focus on both the delivery and the content itself.
• End with a positive feedback and encouraging note.

How Do You Give Peer Feedback to a Presentation?

Here are some things to keep in mind when giving peer feedback on presentation:

Before the Feedback:

• Preparation:  Review the presentation topic and objectives beforehand (if available) to understand the presenter's goals.
• Mindset: Approach the feedback with a positive and helpful attitude.

Delivering the Feedback:

• Start Positive:  Start by acknowledging the presenter's effort and highlighting your observed strength.
• Specificity is Key:  Focus on specific aspects of the presentation, both positive and areas for improvement. Avoid vague comments.
• Actionable Suggestions:  Don't just point out problems; offer suggestions for improvement. Use "I" statements to frame your feedback (e.g., "I found the opening story engaging. Perhaps adding a visual element could enhance it further").
• Respectful Tone:  Maintain a respectful and encouraging tone throughout the feedback session.
• Focus on the Future:  Frame your suggestions in a way that guides the presenter towards future presentations.
• Open-Ended Questions:  Consider asking open-ended questions to encourage discussion and reflection (e.g., "How did you feel the audience responded to that statistic?").

Here’s an Example of How You Might Structure Your Feedback:

"Thanks for the presentation, [presenter's name]. I really enjoyed the way you [positive aspect, e.g., explained the technical details clearly and concisely]. I noticed that [area for improvement, e.g., some of the slides seemed text-heavy]. Perhaps you could consider [actionable suggestion, e.g., using bullet points or visuals to break up the text]."

Additional Tips for Constructive Feedback:

• Tailor Your Feedback:  Consider the audience and purpose of the presentation when providing feedback.
• Be Mindful of Time:  Keep your feedback concise and focused on the most important points.
• Offer to Help:  If you have specific skills or resources that could benefit the presenter, offer your help.
• Welcome Questions:  Encourage the presenter to ask clarifying questions or seek further feedback.

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How to Give Feedback on a Presentation Professionally

Master the art of professional communication in business settings with expert guidance. Learn how to give feedback on a presentation professionally.

As professionals, we frequently find ourselves in situations where we need to provide feedback on presentations. Whether it's in a corporate setting, educational institution, or any other professional environment, the ability to offer constructive criticism is a valuable skill. This guide aims to provide comprehensive insights and practical strategies for effectively giving feedback on presentations, ensuring a positive and growth-oriented approach.

Understanding the importance of giving professional presentation feedback

Enhancing the Learning Experience for the Presenter

Providing feedback on a presentation plays a vital role in enhancing the learning experience for the presenter. It offers them an opportunity to gain valuable insights into their strengths and areas for improvement. By providing constructive feedback, presenters can refine their skills, leading to continuous growth and development. When feedback is given professionally, presenters feel encouraged and supported in their efforts to improve, fostering a positive learning environment.

Fostering a Culture of Improvement and Growth

Understanding the art of giving professional presentation feedback helps in fostering a culture of improvement and growth within a team or organization. When feedback is delivered effectively, it promotes a mindset of openness and continuous learning. This, in turn, creates an environment where individuals are motivated to strive for excellence, leading to overall progress and success.

Building Constructive Relationships Through Honest Feedback

Professional presentation feedback allows for the building of constructive relationships between the presenter and the audience. It demonstrates a commitment to the presenter's success and professional development, fostering trust and transparency. By offering feedback in a professional manner, relationships are strengthened, leading to enhanced collaboration and communication.

Use Lark Messenger to elevate your team communication.

Practical examples of dealing with proper presentation feedback

Example 1: handling a presentation feedback dilemma in a team setting.

Scenario : In a team meeting, a colleague presents a project but lacks clarity and coherence.

Common Mistakes :

Providing vague or unclear feedback that doesn't address the specific issues in the presentation.

Using a confrontational tone that may demoralize the presenter.

Best Expression : "I appreciate the effort you put into the presentation. It would be helpful to streamline the content for better clarity and precision. Let's work together to ensure the next presentation is impactful and well-structured."

Example 2: navigating delicate situations when providing presentation feedback

Scenario : A team member exhibits nervousness and lacks confidence during a presentation.

Overlooking the emotional aspect and focusing solely on technical errors.

Criticizing without acknowledging any positive aspects of the presentation.

Best Expression : "Your dedication and effort are evident. Let's focus on building confidence through practice and incorporating storytelling techniques. Your passion for the topic will undoubtedly resonate with the audience when presented more confidently."

Example 3: tackling sensitive feedback scenarios in presentation evaluation

Scenario : Providing feedback to a team leader on their presentation.

Feeling intimidated and hesitant to provide honest feedback.

Overemphasizing minor issues, which may dilute the impact of the feedback.

Best Expression : "Your insights were valuable. Let's further emphasize the key points to provide a more impactful message. With enhanced clarity, the presentation will effectively drive our team's objectives."

Consequences of inadequate presentation feedback

Impeding the Presenter's Growth and Development

Inadequate feedback can hinder the presenter's growth and development. Without constructive criticism, the presenter may continue to exhibit the same shortcomings, impeding their professional advancement.

Hindering Team Progress Within Professional Settings

Insufficient feedback can hinder team progress within professional settings. When presentations lack constructive input, it may lead to a stagnation of ideas and innovation within the team, impacting overall productivity.

Creating an Environment of Ineffectual Communication and Ambiguity

Failure to provide professional feedback on presentations can create an environment of ineffectual communication and ambiguity. It may lead to misunderstandings and a lack of clarity in conveying ideas and information, affecting the organization's effectiveness.

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Step-by-step instructions on providing professional presentation feedback

Understanding the context and objectives of the presentation.

To provide effective feedback, it's essential to gain a thorough understanding of the context and objectives of the presentation. Consider the audience, the purpose of the presentation, and the key messages that need to be conveyed.

Utilizing a structured approach to formulating and delivering feedback

Structure the feedback by addressing specific areas such as content, delivery, and overall impact. This provides a clear framework for the presenter to assess their performance and work on areas that need refinement.

Incorporating empathy and constructive criticism in the feedback process

Approach the feedback process with empathy, recognizing the effort and dedication of the presenter. Combine this with constructive criticism to guide them towards improvement while maintaining a positive and supportive tone.

Providing actionable recommendations for improvement

Offer actionable recommendations by suggesting specific strategies for improvement. This empowers the presenter to implement practical changes, thereby fostering continuous growth and development.

Articulating professional presentation feedback

When articulating professional presentation feedback, it's essential to focus on building rapport and trust while employing encouraging language that emphasizes growth and improvement. Emphasizing the importance of clarity and specificity in feedback further ensures the effectiveness of the communication process.

Professional feedback: do's and dont's

In conclusion, understanding how to give feedback on a presentation professionally is an invaluable skill that contributes to personal and professional growth. By recognizing its importance, incorporating best practices, and leveraging practical examples, individuals can navigate the feedback process with confidence and proficiency, ultimately fostering an environment of continuous improvement and excellence.

How can i offer criticism without demoralizing the presenter?

Offering criticism without demoralizing the presenter involves framing feedback constructively, focusing on the potential for improvement, and recognizing the efforts made by the presenter.

What if the presenter disagrees with the feedback provided?

In the event of disagreement, it's important to engage in open dialogue, understanding the presenter's perspective, and collectively working towards finding common ground for constructive feedback.

How do i deliver feedback to a superior or manager professionally?

When providing feedback to a superior or manager, it's essential to approach the conversation with respect, clarity, and a solutions-oriented mindset, ensuring that the feedback is aligned with the professional context and objectives.

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Blog > Effective Feedback for Presentations - digital with PowerPoint or with printable sheets

Effective Feedback for Presentations - digital with PowerPoint or with printable sheets

10.26.20   •  #powerpoint #feedback #presentation.

Do you know whether you are a good presenter or not? If you do, chances are it's because people have told you so - they've given you feedback. Getting other's opinions about your performance is something that's important for most aspects in life, especially professionally. However, today we're focusing on a specific aspect, which is (as you may have guessed from the title): presentations.

The importance of feedback

Take a minute to think about the first presentation you've given: what was it like? Was it perfect? Probably not. Practise makes perfect, and nobody does everything right in the beginning. Even if you're a natural at speaking and presenting, there is usually something to improve and to work on. And this is where feedback comes in - because how are you going to know what it is that you should improve? You can and should of course assess yourself after each and every presentation you give, as that is an important part of learning and improvement. The problem is that you yourself are not aware of all the things that you do well (or wrong) during your presentation. But your audience is! And that's why you should get audience feedback.

Qualities of good Feedback

Before we get into the different ways of how you can get feedback from your audience, let's briefly discuss what makes good feedback. P.S.: These do not just apply for presentations, but for any kind of feedback.

• Good feedback is constructive, not destructive. The person receiving feedback should feel empowered and inspired to work on their skills, not discouraged. You can of course criticize on an objective level, but mean and insulting comments have to be kept to yourself.
• Good feedback involves saying bot what has to be improved (if there is anything) and what is already good (there is almost always something!)
• After receiving good feedback, the recipient is aware of the steps he can and should take in order to improve.

Ways of receiving / giving Feedback after a Presentation

1. print a feedback form.

Let's start with a classic: the feedback / evaluation sheet. It contains several questions, these can be either open (aka "What did you like about the presentation?") or answered on a scale (e.g. from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree"). The second question format makes a lot of sense if you have a large audience, and it also makes it easy to get an overview of the results. That's why in our feedback forms (which you can download at the end of this post), you'll find mainly statements with scales. This has been a proven way for getting and giving valuable feedback efficiently for years. We do like the feedback form a lot, though you have to be aware that you'll need to invest some time to prepare, count up and analyse.

• ask specifically what you want to ask
• good overview of the results
• anonymous (people are likely to be more honest)
• easy to access: you can just download a feedback sheet online (ours, for example, which you'll find at the end of this blog post!)
• analysing the results can be time-consuming
• you have to print out the sheets, it takes preparation

2. Online: Get digital Feedback

In the year 2020, there's got to be a better way of giving feedback, right? There is, and you should definitely try it out! SlideLizard is a free PowerPoint extension that allows you to get your audience's feedback in the quickest and easiest way possible. You can of course customize the feedback question form to your specific needs and make sure you get exactly the kind of feedback you need. Click here to download SlideLizard right now, or scroll down to read some more about the tool.

• quick and easy to access
• easy and fast export, analysis and overview of feedback
• save feedback directly on your computer
• Participants need a working Internet connection (but that usually isn't a problem nowadays)

3. Verbal Feedback

"So, how did you like the presentation?", asks the lecturer. A few people in the audience nod friendly, one or two might even say something about how the slides were nice and the content interesting. Getting verbal feedback is hard, especially in big groups. If you really want to analyse and improve your presentation habits and skills, we recommend using one of the other methods. However, if you have no internet connection and forgot to bring your feedback sheets, asking for verbal feedback is still better than nothing.

• no prerequisites
• open format
• okay for small audiences
• not anonymous (people might not be honest)
• time consuming
• no detailed evaluation
• no way to save the feedback (except for your memory)
• not suitable for big audiences

Feedback to yourself - Self Assessment

I've mentioned before that it is incredibly important to not only let others tell you what went well and what didn't in your presentation. Your own impressions are of huge value, too. After each presentation you give, ask yourself the following questions (or better yet, write your answers down!):

• What went wrong (in my opinion)? What can I do in order to avoid this from happening next time?
• What went well? What was well received by the audience? What should I do more of?
• How was I feeling during this presentation? (Nervous? Confident? ...)

Tip: If you really want to actively work on your presentation skills, filming yourself while presenting and analysing the video after is a great way to go. You'll get a different view on the way you talk, move, and come across.

Digital Feedback with SlideLizard

Were you intrigued by the idea of easy Online-feedback? With SlideLizard your attendees can easily give you feedback directly with their Smartphone. After the presentation you can analyze the result in detail.

• type in your own feedback questions
• choose your rating scale: 1-5 points, 1-6 points, 1-5 stars or 1-6 stars;
• show your attendees an open text field and let them enter any text they want

Note: SlideLizard is amazing for giving and receiving feedback, but it's definitely not the only thing it's great for. Once you download the extension, you get access to the most amazing tools - most importantly, live polls and quizzes, live Q&A sessions, attendee note taking, content and slide sharing, and presentation analytics. And the best thing about all this? You can get it for free, and it is really easy to use, as it is directly integrated in PowerPoint! Click here to discover more about SlideLizard.

Free Download: Printable Feedback Sheets for Business or School Presentations

If you'd rather stick with the good old paper-and-pen method, that's okay, too. You can choose between one of our two feedback sheet templates: there is one tailored to business presentations and seminars, and one that is created specifically for teachers assessing their students. Both forms can be downloaded as a Word, Excel, or pdf file. A lot of thought has gone into both of the forms, so you can benefit as much as possible; however, if you feel like you need to change some questions in order to better suit your needs, feel free to do so!

Feedback form for business

Template as PDF, Word & Excel - perfect for seminars, trainings,...

Feedback form for teachers (school or university)

Template as PDF, Word & Excel - perfect for school or university,...

Where can I find a free feedback form for presentations?

There are many templates available online. We designed two exclusive, free-to-download feedback sheets, which you can get in our blog article

What's the best way to get feedback for presentations?

You can get feedback on your presentations by using feedback sheets, asking for feedback verbally, or, the easiest and fastest option: get digital feedback with an online tool

Related articles

About the author.

Pia Lehner-Mittermaier

Pia works in Marketing as a graphic designer and writer at SlideLizard. She uses her vivid imagination and creativity to produce good content.

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The big SlideLizard presentation glossary

Co-located audience.

Co-located Audience means that the speaker talks to the audience in person. It is used verbal and non-verbal methods to communicate a message. The speaker makes gestures with their hands, changes their face expression and shows images.

Keynote is a programme which, like PowerPoint, is used to create digital screen presentations. It is mainly used by Apple users.

External Communication

External communication is the exchange of information between two organisations. For example, it can be an exchange with customers, clients or traders. Feedback from a customer also counts as external communication.

PowerPoint Online

PowerPoint Online is the web version of PowerPoint. You can present and edit your PowerPoint presentation with it, without having PowerPoint installed on your computer. It's only necessary to have a Microsoft - or a Microsoft 365 account.

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How to give feedback on a presentation

Knowing how to give feedback on a presentation helps people become better presenters, sharpens their message, and gauges audience engagement ahead of time.

December 7, 2022

How many times have you been asked to give feedback on a presentation, and, while trying to organize your thoughts after hearing the presentation in real-time, found it hard to muster anything more than, "It's good"?

Or, you've taken the time to give thoughtful, nuanced advice on how a colleague can improve their presentation, only to find that you don't know exactly how to communicate it, or they don't know exactly how to implement it?

Any kind of creative feedback is difficult to conceptualize without the proper context, and that's doubly true for presentations, where you're often asked to listen to the presentation, absorb the information it's conveying, process your thoughts, and deliver a critique — all in real time. No one can give good feedback that way, but it's not the presenter's fault (or yours!). You just need a better feedback process.

Giving better presentation feedback requires examining two things:

• The feedback itself
• How it's being given (and received)

Ready to learn how to improve them both? Let's get started.

Why it's important to give feedback on a presentation

Giving feedback on a presentation comes with several key benefits.

It promotes growth and builds better presentation skills

No one is born an effective presenter. It takes time, skill, and practice to build public speaking and communication skills to where you can knock a presentation out of the park — every time.

As the old adage goes, practice makes perfect. Giving practice presentations for feedback from trusted peers and colleagues gives you an opportunity to get more presenting time under your belt — with lower stakes.

And by giving effective, actionable feedback (more on that below) to a colleague, you help ensure their next presentation is even better, which can benefit your company or organization.

It helps sharpen the message

When it comes to getting the message exactly right in a presentation, self evaluation can really only go so far. Sometimes it takes another point of view (or several of them, from all across your organization) to collaborate and craft exactly what key points you want attendees to take away from a presentation. Giving feedback allows you to help refine and sharpen the message — and to work with others who are also giving feedback — until it's perfect.

It gauges audience engagement

One of the hardest things about giving a presentation is holding audience attention from the first slide until the last.

This is especially true for an oral presentation that doesn't have any audiovisual components. In this case, it's crucial to know if there are any points where audience members might be more prone to losing focus — like if your presentation gets a little too in the weeds.

Giving feedback allows you to put yourself in the audience's shoes. Try to see and hear the presentation from their perspective, and if there's any point where you feel your mind start to wander, make a note of it — that's a point where audience engagement may be at risk during the real thing.

All feedback is not created equal

It's important to note that not all feedback is good feedback.

Not all feedback provides a benefit to the person giving the presentation. It isn't all actionable. It isn't all relevant. It isn't all useful.

When feedback is bad, it's usually for one of two reasons.

The feedback itself is of poor quality

Even when you have the best of intentions, you might still give bad feedback.

Some examples of poor quality feedback include:

• Feedback that's vague or unclear
• Feedback that's overly personal or meant as an attack
• Feedback that's dishonest, even if intended to spare the presenter's feelings

The feedback isn't communicated effectively

It's also possible to have useful feedback to give to a presenter, but to lack an effective system for communicating it. This can be especially challenging when there are multiple people trying to give feedback on one presentation at the same time. 

That's why bubbles is the best way to give feedback on a presentation. 

The presenter can record their speech, including a video of their screen to capture a Powerpoint presentation or any other visual aid they plan to use. Then, colleagues who are giving feedback can do so by leaving their comments at the exact, time-stamped moment where their feedback applies — and they can give their critique in text, audio, or video. Anyone can respond to a comment within a thread that captures (and preserves) all the context of the conversation so far. This makes it easier for a group to give feedback collaboratively, and makes it possible for the presenter to refer back to feedback at any time.

6 ways to give effective feedback on a presentation

Ready to give feedback that will turn a good presentation into a great one? The six tips below will help you give feedback that's effective and useful to the presenter, leaving them with clear takeaways they can use to level up their presentation. Let's get started.

Be specific

When giving feedback, try to be as specific as possible. Rather than saying something like, "I thought the presentation was effective," tell the presenter exactly what was effective. For example, a better piece of feedback is: "The key takeaway from the fifth slide was clear and really resonated with me." It tells the presenter exactly what you thought worked, rather than a vague, catch-all compliment.

If you're having trouble being more specific with your feedback (like if you aren't sure how to articulate your advice), sometimes an example can help! In your bubble comment, use a snippet of your own presentation (or even a Ted Talk or other professional speaking event) to more clearly illustrate what you're asking the presenter to do or change.

When you leave comments on the presenter's bubble, be sure to time-stamp them to the exact part of the presentation where the feedback applies. This can help ensure that the presenter gets the most value from your feedback, and can see what you mean in the proper context.

Be actionable

Even if your feedback is as specific as possible, it won't help the presenter if there's nothing they can do about it. That's why the next tip is to give feedback that's actionable — that is, don't just tell the presenter what they should change, but tell them what steps they can take to improve.

For example, don't just say someone needs to work on their body language while presenting. Tell them, as specifically as possible, how their body language could be improved; for example, if they should make more eye contact with audience members or gesture more with their hands while speaking.

You can even take this a step further and explain why you made this suggestion. For example, this feedback might be something like, "I would suggest making an effort to make eye contact with more members of the audience. This will engage more people and hold their attention, while helping your speech sound more natural."

Be constructive

In the same vein as giving actionable feedback is making sure you're giving constructive feedback — that is, that your feedback is about things the presenter can control and change.

Constructive criticism can be difficult to do well. It requires pointing out ways a presenter can improve — sometimes ways that can feel personal to them as they're on the receiving end of the feedback. But if the feedback is truly constructive, it's better to give it than to sugarcoat your critique to spare a presenter's feelings. And if hurting the presenter's feelings is the goal for the feedback, it's definitely not constructive.

Call out positives along with points of improvement

When giving feedback on a presentation, it can be easy to only focus on things you feel the presenter needs to improve. But it's just as important to give positive feedback that lets them know what they're doing well.

In fact, you might want to work even harder to find the positives than to point out places where the presenter can improve. In one study, conducted by academic Emily Heaphy and consultant Marcial Losada, team effectiveness was measured and compared with the ratio of positive and negative comments that team members made to one another. Heaphy and Losada found that in the most effective teams, the ratio was 5.6 — meaning those team members gave each other nearly six positive comments for every single negative one.

Medium performing teams averaged 1.9 positive comments for each negative one. And low performing teams were more negative than positive, with a 0.36 ratio (nearly three negative comments for every positive one).

The research shows that, as tempting as it may be to only point out ways a presenter can improve, it may help them even more to find as many positives as possible to go along with your constructive criticism.

This is another tip where you have a balance to strike. You should give feedback to the presenter quickly, but not so quickly that you don't have time to absorb their presentation and process your thoughts, first.

Giving feedback in real-time (for example, in a review meeting) can seem effective, since it gives the presenter a way of receiving feedback instantly. However, giving instant feedback isn't always ideal for the colleagues who are critiquing the presentation, who might give more helpful feedback if they have more time to gather their thoughts.

When you use bubbles to give feedback on a presentation, it allows everyone on the team to give feedback at their own pace. It also allows people to watch the presentation more than once, or go back through certain sections they'd like to revisit before giving feedback.

It also eliminates the need to schedule a meeting to deliver presentation feedback. Even if the presenter and people giving feedback are separated by time zones , they can watch the presentation and deliver feedback at times that are convenient for them — and the presenter can access (and action) that feedback whenever they're back online.

Do a few rounds of feedback

As everyone gives their feedback, they can collaborate in comment threads in the bubble. This allows everyone to see what's been said already, including all the context and nuance of the discussion, keeping everyone on the same page. The presenter can follow up with comments, and those giving feedback can watch the presentation more than once to give a few rounds of feedback.

This helps ensure that feedback is as comprehensive as possible, and that the presenter and everyone critiquing their presentation is able to focus on any key messages that come out of the feedback rounds — what changes are most impactful? What will really take this presentation to the next level?

Make feedback more comprehensive and collaborative

Giving feedback on a presentation will be most effective when your entire team can work together, seamlessly, to give comprehensive feedback to the presenter. With bubbles, you can have that conversation together, with all the context necessary to craft the perfect presentation.

Get started today with bubbles' free Chrome extension and start working together, in context.

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Improving Presentations through Feedback: How to Receive Helpful Responses!

After the presentation comes before the presentation – the key to improvement lies in feedback. After a presentation, every speaker tends to review the performance and evaluate it. Did it go as planned? Was I confident enough? Was I able to convince the audience?

These questions can only be inadequately answered by ourselves, as we don’t truly know how we are perceived by others – unless we simply ask them…

Why a presentation needs detailed feedback

The presentation is over. Technically, how it went doesn’t matter anymore because nothing can be changed. This perspective can be fatal. There are good reasons why professional football coaches analyze games with their teams and why teachers encourage their students to correct their mistakes in exams.

It’s about learning and training . It’s about knowing our strengths and weaknesses and working on them . Only a few people are naturally good speakers. Everyone else also benefits from practice and working on their strengths and weaknesses. To identify them and improve, feedback is the best tool.

Why self-perception isn’t enough: the Johari Window

Sure, to some extent, we can assess ourselves, and we should. Recording our own speech with a camera and tripod and watching it afterwards can be very revealing.

But self-assessment can also mislead us as it solely relies on our self-perception . And that perception can be both significantly more positive and significantly more critical than the image others have of us. Hence, for a realistic evaluation, we always need external perception.

The so-called Johari Window sheds light on this dynamic. The model by Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham illustrates the dynamics of self- and external perception and is based on the idea that communication can be improved by bringing these two spheres closer together.

The model is divided into four areas :

• Public Self: This is the area that both we and others can see. It includes aspects of our personality that are known to us and are also perceived by others.
• Blind Spot: This represents aspects of our personality or behavior that are not consciously known to us but can be recognized by others (e.g., facial expressions or body language). It’s the blind spot in our self-perception.
• Hidden Self: This involves aspects of our personality that we know but are not recognized by others. These are things we consciously hide from others.
• Unknown Self: This is the area that is unknown to both us and others. It contains potential abilities, emotions, or behaviors that haven’t been discovered yet.

In the context of self-reflection after presentations, the Johari Window can be a valuable aid. After a presentation, we have a subjective perception of how we presented ourselves, but this can differ from the actual perception of the audience. This is where the concept of the blind spot comes into play.

At this point, it’s crucial to ask for feedback from your listeners. Through their insights, you can learn how you were perceived and reduce your blind spot. Moreover, you’ll find out if your messages were conveyed as planned . With the information from the feedback, you can adjust future presentations and speeches.

Overall, the Johari Window enables deeper self-reflection after presentations because it encourages actively seeking feedback to gain a more realistic and comprehensive view of presentation skills.

Why Feedback is Important in All Industries

Feedback is important regardless of your industry affiliation. It plays a crucial role in skill development, performance enhancement, and fostering personal and professional growth . We’ve compiled an overview of why feedback is important in various industries:

• Academic Environment : In the education sector, feedback is a central tool to promote learning. Teachers provide students with feedback on their performance to identify strengths and weaknesses. In higher education, feedback is crucial to deepen students’ understanding and support their academic development.
• Business World : In the business world, feedback plays a vital role in employee development and increasing efficiency. Regular feedback allows employees to review their performance, adjust goals, and enhance skills. Managers can use feedback to motivate teams and improve company performance. This category also includes presentations and feedback for speakers. Feedback from listeners in the business world can help adjust customer interests and further develop products.
• Healthcare : Not to be underestimated – in healthcare, feedback is essential to improve clinical practice and optimize patient care. Medical professionals use feedback to refine diagnoses, adjust treatments, and increase patient satisfaction.
• Technology and Engineering : In technical and engineering professions, feedback is indispensable to drive innovation and optimize products. Design and performance issues can be identified, and technical solutions can be improved. Here too, feedback through PowerPoint presentations can be important for advancing innovations.
• Customer Service : In the customer service industry, feedback from customers is a key indicator of the quality of services offered. Companies use customer feedback to identify problems, make improvements, and increase customer satisfaction.
• Journalism and Media : In the media industry, feedback from readers, viewers, and listeners is a significant factor. Journalists and media professionals use feedback to evaluate the relevance of content, maintain journalistic standards, and engage the audience.

Relevant Criteria for Constructive Feedback

It makes sense not to give or seek feedback in a general manner, but rather to think in specific categories. For presentation feedback, the following areas are particularly relevant:

• Content and Structure : Was the topic covered comprehensively and clearly? Was there a logical and coherent structure?

• Visualization : Was the presentation well-organized and visually appealing? Were visual aids used effectively?

• Language : Was the speaker easy to understand? How was the tone? Was the choice of words and expression appropriate?

• Body Language : How was the facial expression and gestures? Were there eye contacts? What impression did the body language convey?

How to Gather Feedback after a Presentation

Feedback generally doesn’t come on its own . If you want to receive feedback after a presentation, you need to actively seek it.

The choice of the right method to gather feedback depends on your target audience, presentation goals, and available resources . Integrating feedback tools and technologies allows presenters to collect feedback in diverse ways and continuously improve the quality of their presentations. In today’s digital era, besides seeking feedback in person, there are numerous tools and technologies that can be used to efficiently and effectively gather feedback after presentations. These tools provide innovative ways to collect, analyze, and respond to feedback. Here are some examples:

• Question and Answer Session after the Presentation

The most immediate way to use feedback is through the question and answer session following the presentation. This is where both direct and indirect indications of the presentation’s success can be gathered. Indirectly, much can be inferred from the audience reactions .

Polite applause and an audience that seems eager to leave the room may not be a great sign. If there are many comprehension questions and doubtful looks, the presentation might not have been as clear and coherent as hoped.

For those seeking more detailed information, it’s possible to directly ask the audience for feedback. If it involves people you interact with frequently (such as colleagues), you can also inquire later on. However, immediate feedback isn’t always very fruitful and insightful , as many people are hesitant to openly express criticism – even if it’s constructive.

How to manage questions and answer sessions and Powerpoint can be found in our article “ PowerPoint Q&A “.

• Feedback Form with Standardized Questions

A feedback form that covers all relevant criteria can be very useful. It can be distributed or made available after a talk, either in person or via email to the participants . Since a feedback form can be filled out anonymously and at one’s own pace, it’s usually more productive than directly requested feedback.

Classic email surveys are still effective for collecting detailed feedback. Tools like Mailchimp or Sendinblue can help you create and send appealing survey emails. You can easily find templates for evaluation forms on the internet. Good and clear formats can be found, for example, here: link1 and link2 .

They are practical and provide good ideas. Of course, a feedback form can also be created from scratch . You can be more creative and open in your wording (e.g., “In your opinion, what are three things that could have been done better in the presentation?”).

• Send Online Surveys to Participants

A third option for requesting feedback is through online surveys . They are created using appropriate tools and made accessible to participants via a link. The structure typically resembles that of a traditional feedback form. The biggest disadvantage here is that the feedback opportunity is often only accessed by a few people.

Possible survey tools are SurveyMonkey, Google Forms, and Typeform. These tools allow you to create and send tailored surveys. With pre-made templates or individually designed questions, you can specifically ask for opinions, ratings, and suggestions.

Another example of an online feedback platform is Provenexpert. Through this platform, you can easily send a survey to your participants, asking them to rate you with stars and provide a personal experience report. Of course, the more personal and closer your contact is with your audience, the more likely you are to receive a rating.

Here is my Provenexpert profile with numerous reviews I’ve collected over the years for my presentations and seminars: My proven expert profile .

• Video Feedback Platforms

Platforms like VidGrid or Vosaic allow you to record your presentations and request targeted video feedback from the audience . This method offers not only verbal comments but also captures the body language and emotions of the feedback providers.

Similar to online surveys, one disadvantage is that this option is little used to provide feedback.

• Feedback Apps

Feedback apps like Feedbackly, Emplify, or 15Five offer comprehensive options for gathering feedback. They enable continuous feedback, mood analysis, and team communication. For instance, you can include a QR code link within your presentation to directly reference the feedback opportunity.

• Social Media Surveys

Social media provides a straightforward way to gather feedback from a broader audience . Platforms like Twitter or Instagram allow for surveys or polls to quickly gather feedback (see the next subchapter).

• Real-time Audience Interaction

Platforms like Mentimeter and Slido allow you to engage the audience in real time during the presentation. Participants can answer questions, express opinions, and conduct polls . This fosters engagement while providing valuable insights.

Using Social Media for Feedback

These days, reaching people through social media is effortless. Skillfully leverage social media platforms to gather feedback. They offer an effective way to collect feedback from a wider audience and gain valuable insights into how your presentations are perceived.

Moreover, using social media has the advantage of allowing you to gather opinions from individuals across different regions and backgrounds . This way, you receive feedback from a diverse audience.

Through various forms of interaction, you can gather opinions, ratings, and suggestions from a diverse group of people. Here are some ways you can use social media platforms for feedback:

• Polls and Voting : Social media platforms enable you to create polls and voting options to gather targeted feedback on specific aspects of your presentation. You can ask questions related to content, structure, or presentation style. Involving your followers allows for quick and easily understandable feedback.
• Comments and Discussions : After sharing your presentation on social media platforms, you can encourage comments and discussions about your content. Readers can share their thoughts, opinions, and suggestions, fostering open feedback interaction. Collecting different perspectives can help you understand various viewpoints and identify areas for improvement.
• Direct Messages : Some platforms allow users to send you direct messages. Here, you have the opportunity to receive personal feedback that might not be shared publicly. These direct conversations can offer detailed insights and encourage open exchanges.
• Story Features : Platforms like Instagram and Facebook offer story features where you can post short surveys or questions. This allows you to receive real-time feedback while enhancing the interactivity of your followers.

Handling Feedback in Presentations

Dealing with presentation feedback is typically similar to handling product reviews on major online stores. There are some overly enthusiastic 5-star reviews that make you doubt their authenticity, and there are some 1-star reviews that suggest the buyer might have been simply incompetent for the product.

In between, there usually exists a larger pool of mixed reviews that mention pros and cons, which often prove to be the most helpful. Such a distribution also often emerges in feedback for presentations, and in principle, it can be dealt with in the same way. What matters are the overall impression and the relevant pointers.

When it comes to handling feedback, the following tips should also be considered:

• Welcome All Feedback : Every listener is entitled to their opinion. Regardless of the content or the person delivering it, feedback should be accepted with gratitude. It’s worth noting that the source of the feedback, whether it’s from a superior or an apprentice, shouldn’t matter.

• No Feedback on Feedback : Especially with direct critical feedback, there’s often an inclination to debate, defend, or justify. However, it’s often better to simply accept what’s said with a thank you, regardless of whether it’s perceived as justified or not.

• Feedback isn’t Binding : Speakers also have the right to their opinion. Not everything mentioned in feedback needs to be implemented. What to change or implement is ultimately a personal decision.

Feedback is Not a One-Way Street

For those who appreciate valuable feedback, they should also be able to respond appropriately when asked for their own evaluation. To make feedback truly useful and helpful, it should fulfill the following criteria:

• Be Specific : When requesting feedback, it’s not just about receiving praise or criticism; it’s about getting specific pointers. For example, rather than saying “The presentation was engaging,” it’s better to say “The use of examples to illustrate individual factors made the presentation engaging.”

• Use “I” Statements : When giving feedback, you can only speak for yourself. Therefore, use first-person statements and not terms like “one.”

• Offer Improvement Suggestions : Constructive feedback ideally should be positively formulated and include improvement ideas. For instance, instead of saying “You spoke too quickly,” you could say “I would have found it easier to follow the presentation if you had spoken slower and incorporated more pauses.”

• Include Positive Criticism : It’s often forgotten that criticism doesn’t necessarily have to be negative. Learning what aspects of a presentation were well received can be just as important for presenters.

• Describe Instead of Judge : Feedback should describe the personal perception. Judgments or accusations are inappropriate. For instance, rather than saying “Your presentation was bad because you just read from the slides,” you could say “Since you read a lot from the slides, I felt the audience interaction was lacking.”

No Feedback Without Respect

Valuable feedback is closely tied to mutual respect. This should always be kept in mind by both those providing and receiving feedback. Feedback should be seen as a means of guidance and assistance , not a tool for evaluation. When given and received correctly, feedback can be extraordinarily useful.

Moreover, constructive feedback and even criticism can mean more recognition and respect than insincere praise. This sentiment was likely acknowledged by philosopher and mathematician Bertrand Russell when he stated:

Find more pleasure in intelligent dissent than in passive agreement, for, if you value intelligence as you should, the former implies a deeper agreement. Bertrand Russell

Conclusion: Skillfully Gathering and Implementing Feedback

In conclusion, adeptly seeking and implementing feedback can help you keep your presentations more professional and tailor your content to your target audience. Consider which feedback-receiving method works best for you and give it a try!

If you have questions about the article, feel free to email us at [email protected] . We’re here to help!

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• Preparing Presentations: 11 Tips
• Target Group Analysis
• Mastering Question and Answer Sessions

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Giving and Receiving Feedback: It is Harder Than You Think

• Your colleague asks you to listen to them practice their speech practice and give them feedback.
• Your teacher asks you to give feedback to another classmate about their speech.
• Your boss asks, “What did you think about my speech?”

In each case, the person is looking to you to provide feedback. In this chapter, you will learn about how to assess the feedback situation, how to offer constructive criticism, and how to graciously receive criticism. Let’s start with how to ask for feedback and listen graciously.

Receiving Feedback

When you ask for feedback from others, receive their feedback as a gift. Someone is taking their time and giving it to you; someone is putting themselves out there and saying things that might cause discomfort, but they are doing it for you.  Individuals vary on how they receive feedback and how comfortable they are with being evaluated.

When receiving feedback, try doing the following:

• Sit in a non-defensive posture. It is tempting to cross your arms and to tense up all your muscles when receiving oral feedback. Keep your body open and loose. Staying open helps them to feel like you really want their suggestions and closed arms can equal a closed mind — keep an open body.
• Do not take feedback as a personal insult.
• If the feedback is verbal, write down the suggestions, even if you disagree with the suggestions. Respect the other person’s opinions by writing them down. It makes them feel like they have been heard and you appreciate the feedback they are giving. Writing the feedback down also helps you to not cross your arms defensively–see suggestion one– and it helps you remember the suggestions.
• Do not take it as a personal insult. Seriously!
• Avoid the temptation to defend yourself. “I did it this way because…” or, “I thought it would be best to…”  You already know why you did things the way you did. Interrupting them to tell them the reasons you did what you did comes off as defensive and reduces the likelihood they will give you all the feedback they have to offer. You already know what you were thinking and by telling them you haven’t advanced your situation. Use this time to learn what they are thinking.
• Do not take it as a personal insult. Really, this is so important.
• Breathe. Most people feel stress when someone is giving them constructive criticism, breathe and relax so you can really listen.
•  Do not take it personally. Do not take it personally. Do not take it personally. This cannot be emphasized enough! Since it is about your performance or your speech writing, it is hard not to feel criticism of your speech as a criticism of your person. Try to take criticism instead as someone caring enough about you to push you to grow.

After Every Speech, Do a Self-Evaluation

Allison Shapira of Global Speaking suggests you do a self-evaluation after each speech:

• What did I do well?
• What didn’t I do so well?
• What am I going to do differently next time?

Write these down and keep this on file for the next time you give a speech.

Constructive Criticism

There will be times when others look to you to read over their speech or listen to them practice and then give them constructive criticism. Constructive criticism is made up of two words: constructive–the building of something, and criticism–the giving of a critique. So constructive criticism is critiquing with the intention of building something. When we give others constructive criticism, our goal should be to help build them to be better speakers.

Give Them Help

Reagel and Reagle came up with a creative way to remember the goal of feedback, it should HELP : Help the speaker improve Encourage another speech Lift self-esteem Provide useful recommendations

Give Them a Sandwich

One way to give constructive criticism is to use the sandwich method. Say something positive, give feedback about something they can work on to improve, and then say something positive. This way, the first and last words out of your mouth are positive.

Ask Questions

Ask honest questions that can help lead them to solutions or ask questions to soften the sound of negative feedback: “What did you mean by…” “Have you considered? ” “Have you thought about…?” “When you said… did you really mean?”

For example: “Have you considered the impact of showing such a gruesome photo on your slide?” “Have you considered starting with a quote? ” “Have you thought about whether the people in the back will be able to see your poster?” “Have you thought about using a microphone so everyone can hear you?”

Beyond the Sandwich: Data Points and Impact Statements

In her video, called “The Secret to giving Great Feedback”, LeeAnn Renninger refers to a 4 Step “Feedback Formula”.

Watch The secret to giving great feedback | The Way We Work, a TED series on YouTube (0 mins)

Video source: TED. (2020, Feb 10). The secret to giving great feedback – The Way We Work, a TED series. Leanne Renninger. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/wtl5UrrgU8c

In our college class, we will focus on steps 2 & 3.

Data points (or clear examples)

• Name specifically what you saw or heard, and leave out any words that aren’t objective. Avoid “blur words”, which are not specific and could mean different things to different people.
• Convert any blur words into actual data points or observations.  For example, instead of saying, “You didn’t engage your audience”, be specific and say “Your introduction didn’t mention what the benefits are to the audience”
• Being specific is also important with positive feedback. Saying “I really liked your presentation” doesn’t offer the other person any clear ideas of what they should keep doing. Instead, try to name specifics: “You made it very easy to understand the process when you described [give the example],” or “The visuals you included showed that [give the example]”.
• Be as clear as you can, so the presenter knows to continue doing these things!

The Impact statement

• Don’t stop at just giving the “evidence” or describing your observations. Keep going – explain how what you saw and heard impacted you.
• You might say “I really liked how you added those stories, because it helped me grasp the concepts faster,” or “the way you opened your presentation surprised me and got my attention.

By providing data points as well as impact statements, your peer critiques will be clear, specific, and provide your classmate with something they can actually use to work on to improve!

Source: Except where otherwise noted, “Beyond the Sandwich: Data Points and Impact Statements” by Amanda Quibell is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.

Different People, Different Types of Feedback

It is no surprise that people give and receive feedback differently. One person might take a feedback statement and be grateful for the corrections while the next person might take it as a complete insult.  Below, you’ll learn about some of the most common differences.

High and Low Self Monitors

Psychology researcher Mark Snyder identified people as being either high self-monitors or low self-monitors. High self-monitors typically try to fit in and play the role according to the context. They are about image, and they are motivated to fit in with their peers. They like to know what is expected, so they can adapt to the situation. Giving them useful feedback may mean pointing out how they can make changes in their message to meet the audience’s expectations. When giving feedback to high self-monitors, focus the feedback on how they can elevate their credibility in the eyes of the audience.

On the other hand, low self-monitors tend to be motivated to act based on their inner beliefs and values. They are motivated to be true to their sense of self and to above all– be genuine. When giving low self-monitors feedback, encourage them to be the best speaker they can be while being true to themselves. Focus on giving them feedback in a way that encourages them to harness their unique talents.

While you may not know exactly whether they are high or low self-monitor, you likely have some idea of what motivates them. The more you can tailor your feedback to them, the more likely it is they will hear what you are saying. If you are curious about your type, you can take the quiz. You can have the person giving you feedback take the quiz as well. This can be a helpful exercise to think about how you give and receive feedback.

Take the high and low self-monitor quiz to find out your type

Cultural Differences

When you know your sickness You’re halfway cured. French saying

In the book, The Culture Map, a Dutch businessman is quoted as saying. “It is all a lot of hogwash. All that positive feedback just strikes us in the face and not in the least bit motivating.” People from different cultural groups have different feedback norms.  As our society grows increasingly diverse, it is important to learn not just how to give good feedback, but to give feedback that demonstrates an awareness of how different cultures give and receive feedback.

Erin Meyer does international training to help business professionals understand differences and similarities and how to bridge the gap:

Managers in different parts of the world are conditioned to give feedback in drastically different ways. The Chinese manager learns never to criticize a colleague openly or in front of others, while the Dutch managers learns always to be honest and to give the message straight. Americans are trained to wrap positive messages around negative ones, while the French are trained to criticize passionately and provide positive feedback sparingly. Having a clear understanding of these differences and strategies for navigating them is crucial for leaders of cross-cultural teams. Erin Meyer, The Culture Map

Upgraders and Downgraders

Meyers identifies cultures as Upgraders and Downgraders. Upgraders use words or phrases to make negative feedback feel stronger. An upgrader might say, “this is absolutely inappropriate.” As you read this, see if you identify more as an upgrader or downgrader.

Upgraders say:

• Absolutely–“That was absolutely shameless.”
• Totally–“You totally missed the point.”
• Strongly–” I strongly suggest that you…”

By contrast, downgraders use words to soften the criticism. A downgrader might say, “We are not quite there yet” or “This is just my opinion, but…”

Downgraders say:

• “Kind of”
• “Sort of”
• “A little”
• “Maybe”
• “Slightly”
• “This is just my opinion.”

When giving and receiving feedback across cultures, it is helpful to be aware of these differences so you can “hear” what they are really saying. Take for example this statement as a Dutch person complains about how Americans give feedback.

The problem is that we cant’ tell when the feedback is supposed to register to us as excellent, ok, or really poor. For a Dutchman, the word “excellent” is saved for a rare occasion and “okay” is…well, neutral. But with the Americans, the grid is different. “Excellent” is used all the time, “Okay” seems to mean, “not okay.” “Good” is only a mild complement. And when the message was intended to be bad, you can pretty much assume that, if an American is speaking and the listner is Dutch, the real meaning of the message will be lost all together. Erin Meyer, The Culture Map.

Nannette Ripmeester, Director of Expertise in Labour Mobility, illustrates these differences to her clients with a chart. This chart shows the differences between what the British say, what they mean, and what the Dutch understand. This is a condensed version of her list.

Chances are as you read this list, you identified yourself in some of the statements and identified someone you know who is in the other list. Hopefully, this made you think about how personal style can be as different as cultural style. The big idea here is when you are giving and receiving feedback, it can be helpful to try to identify their communication style and adjust accordingly.

Politeness Strategies

As you already know, whenever you critique someone’s work, there is a potential to hurt their feelings. There are many factors that influence whether the feedback is helpful or hurtful. In communication, we use the term “face” to mean the sense of self a person projects. People can “take face” by creating a situation where someone looks bad to others or people can “lose face” by doing something that diminishes them in the eyes of others. Optimally, we want people to feel like they “gain-face” and feel encouraged. The way that you give feedback as well as the person’s natural tendencies will influence how “face” is affected.

When giving feedback, you should think about how your feedback takes or gives face. You also need to consider what is at stake for the other person. Is this a small speech assignment or is it a career-defining presentation? In addition, critiquing someone privately vs critiquing someone in front of their boss will have different “face” outcomes.

How much you are willing to “take face” from someone may depend on the importance of the feedback. You will likely want to provide more suggestions for someone who is doing a career speech to get their dream job vs that same person doing a college speech worth minimal points. You will likely be more invested in helping a friend polish a speech to make it just right as opposed to someone you barely know.

Finally, the other thing influencing feedback is the power difference between people. You will likely give feedback differently to your little sister than you would to your boss. The status of the individuals and how important power is to them will impact how “face” is taken and given. For example, a high-power country like China would consider an open critique of a teacher, boss, or elder a huge insult, whereas someone from a low-power country, would be less offended.  In any situation, you will be negotiating power, context, and the need to save face.

Taking all these factors into account, Brown and Levinson created Politeness Theory as a way to explain the different ways we give feedback to save face.

Bald on Record: This type of feedback is very direct without concern for the person’s esteem face. This type of feedback is usually given if there is a small fix the speaker would feel strongly about.

Examples of bald on record feedback:

• “Be sure you bold the headings.”
• “Alphabetize the references.”

Positive Politeness: In this type of feedback, you would build up the face or esteem of the other person. You would make them feel good before you make any suggestions. (It looks a lot like the sandwich method, hunh?)

Examples of positive politeness feedback:

• “You are so organized; this one little fix and it will be perfect.”
• “I love the story you told, a few more details would really help me see the character.”

Negative Politeness:  The name of this type of feedback is a little misleading. It doesn’t mean you are negative. It means you acknowledge that getting feedback may make them feel negative.  You would say things that acknowledge their discomfort. You might minimize the criticism so it doesn’t make them feel bad or find other ways to soften the blow of criticism.

Examples of negative politeness feedback: 

• “I know this critique might sound rough and I hope it helps, but I think you really need to work on the middle section.”
• “This is just me making suggestions, but I would be able to understand more if your slide has a heading.”
• I’m not an expert on this, but I think you might need to have a stronger thesis.”
• “I see what you are trying to do here, but I think some of your audience members might not get it.”

Off Record: When you give feedback that is off the record, you are hinting vaguely that they should make a change.

Examples of off the record feedback. 

• “How many sources are we supposed to have?” (Instead of saying, “You need to have more research”)
• “I thought we were supposed to have slides with our speech, maybe I heard that wrong.”
• “Are other people in the class dressing up?”

Avoidance: Some people are afraid of giving feedback so they will avoid the situation altogether.

Avoid the three C’s

Perform the three r’s.

From Westside Toastmasters

Giving Feedback During a Speech

When you are listening to someone speak, you are giving constant nonverbal feedback. Are you leaning forward listening intently or are you leaned back picking at your fingernails? The way you listen lets the speaker know that you value them and what they are saying. It can be reassuring to the speaker to have people who are in the audience smiling and nodding.

Try this little experiment: If you have a speaker who is average or boring, lean in and listen intently. Don’t be insincere and cheesy, but rather try to be an earnest listener. You will find that when the speaker notices you paying attention, they will usually become less monotone and more engaging. The speaker affects the audience, and the audience affects the speaker.

Asking for Feedback During Your Speech

Appoint someone to be your speech buddy who will give you signals and alert you during your speech, for example: to speak louder or to check your microphone. If you know that you tend to pace, lean on the podium, or say um’s, have them give you the signal.

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. Winston Churchill Former Prime Ministre of the United Kingdom

Key Takeaways

Remember This! 

• Be open to the feedback of others, it can help you improve as a speaker.
• When giving feedback to others consider the context, their needs, the impact on their esteem, and their culture.
• Use the feedback sandwich as a model for giving constructive criticism.

Attribution & References

Except where otherwise noted, this chapter is adapted from “Giving and Receiving Feedback: It is Harder Than You Think ” In Advanced Public Speaking by Lynn Meade, licensed under CC BY 4.0 .

Brown, P., & Levinson, S. (1978). Universals in Language Usage: Politeness Phenomena. In E. Goody (Ed.), Questions and Politeness: Strategies in Social Interaction (pp. 56-310). Cambridge University Press.

Churchhill Central: Life and words of Sir Winston Churchill. https://www.churchillcentral.com/

Gonzales, M. (2017). How to get feedback on speeches. Global Public Speaking. https://www.globalpublicspeaking.com/get-feedback-speeches/

King, P. E., & Young, M. J. (2002). An information processing perspective on the efficacy of instructional feedback. American Communication Journal, 5 http://ac-journal.org/journal/vol5/iss2/articles/feedback.htm

King, P. E., Young, M. J., & Behnke, R. R. (2000). Public speaking performance improvement as a function of information processing in immediate and delayed feedback interventions. Communication Education, 49, 365–374. https://doi.org/10.1080/03634520009379224

Mehra, A., Kilduff, M. & Brass, D.J. (2001). The social networks of high and low self-monitors Implications for workplace performance.  Administrative Science Quarterly, 46 (1), 121-146. https://doi.org/10.2307/2667127

Meyer, E. (2014). The culture map: Breaking through the invisible boundaries of global business. Public Affairs.  https://erinmeyer.com/books/the-culture-map/

Meyer, E. (2014). How to say “This is Crap” in different cultures. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2014/02/how-to-say-this-is-crap-in-different-cultures

Reagle, J.M. & Reagle, J.M. (2015). Reading the comments: Likers, haters, and manipulators at the bottom of the web . MIT Press. https://readingthecomments.mitpress.mit.edu/

Ripmeester, N. Rottier, B., & Bush, A. (2010). Separated by a common translation? How the Brits and the Dutch communicate. Pediatric Pulmonology. 46( 4). 409-411. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppul.21380

Ripmeester, N. (2015). We all speak English, don’t we? https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/we-all-speak-english-dont-nannette-ripmeester/

Smith, C.D. & King, P.E. (2007). Student feedback sensitivity and the efficacy of feedback interventions in public speaking performance improvement. Communication Education 53 (3). https://doi.org/10.1080/0363452042000265152

Snyder, M. (1974). Self-monitoring of expressive behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 30 (4), 526-537. http://www.communicationcache.com/uploads/1/0/8/8/10887248/self-monitoring_of_expressive_behavior.pdf

Toastmasters International. (2017). Giving effective feedback. https://www.toastmasters.org/resources/giving-effective-feedback

Dynamic Presentations Copyright © 2022 by Amanda Quibell is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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14 effective feedback techniques and methods for giving better feedback

Effective feedback is a gift. When we use feedback techniques to share how we feel, what changes we'd like to see and give appreciation or constructive criticism, we create opportunities for growth and change. But for too many teams, feedback is a loaded word that can create a fear of judgement and negativity.

Use proven techniques for giving and receiving feedback to help your team feel heard, show appreciation and be honest about what needs to change. These methods below are great for holding a productive feedback session while also building the skills necessary for a continuous feedback culture. Let's dive in!

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Techniques for group feedback

Finding space to give constructive feedback on a specific project or general group performance is an effective way to explore opportunities for improvement and make changes as a team.

While these techniques can also be used when giving personal feedback, they are most effective when looking at both individual and team performance in a group context. That is, having more public discussions that might come as part of a general reflection or retrospective. Bring them to your workshop or meetings to help small groups give each other feedback or reflect on a project.

It’s worth noting that some these feedback methods may not be suitable for delivering feedback that is sensitive in nature. If you’re looking for more formal feedback techniques you might use in a 1-1 employee feedback scenario, take a look at personal feedback techniques in the next section.

Start, Stop, Continue

Giving feedback can be daunting if teams haven’t yet developed the vocabulary or skillset. Frameworks that make it easy to give both constructive feedback are great ways to start encouraging regular feedback and build those muscles.

In Start, Stop, Continue, participants are given a short statement they must complete for each other member of their group or team. “Something I would like you to START doing is… Something I would like you to STOP doing is… Something I would like you to CONTINUE doing is… Signed _____.”

By using this three-step structure, everyone can give feedback to everyone else in a direct and simple manner. Think of it as a feedback sandwich that is loaded with opportunities for action and which doesn’t compromise the idea that feedback is a gift!

Feedback: Start, Stop, Continue   #hyperisland   #skills   #feedback   #remote-friendly   Regular, effective feedback is one of the most important ingredients in building constructive relationships and thriving teams. Openness creates trust and trust creates more openness. Feedback exercises aim to support groups to build trust and openness and for individuals to gain self-awareness and insight. Feedback exercises should always be conducted with thoughtfulness and high awareness of group dynamics. This is an exercise for groups or teams that have worked together for some time and are familiar with giving and receiving feedback. It uses the words “stop”, “start” and “continue” to guide the feedback messages.

Encouraging everyone to give informal feedback when closing a project is a great way to create closure and positivity. Bus Trip is an activity that can help you end a session on a positive note and create space for appreciation and positive feedback within a group.

Start by setting out chairs into rows like the seating on a bus. Inform participants that they’ll be powering the bus with positive energy and then get everyone seated. Ask people on one row of the bus to give as much positive feedback to the person in the other row as they can in 45 seconds. Swap roles and then mix up seating so that everyone gets to give feedback to everyone in the group.

This feedback method is wonderful to end a session in a positive manner. By using peer-to-peer employee feedback, it can also help build feedback skills and connections that will continue after the activity is complete.

Bus Trip   #feedback   #communication   #appreciation   #closing   #thiagi   #team   This is one of my favourite feedback games. I use Bus Trip at the end of a training session or a meeting, and I use it all the time. The game creates a massive amount of energy with lots of smiles, laughs, and sometimes even a teardrop or two.

Providing feedback should be a gift, though teams often get caught up in ideas of their being scary negative feedback that is meant to punish, and positive feedback, which is lovely, but potentially less useful. Starfish is an effective feedback method that is great for reframing a feedback session not solely as punishment or praise, but as an opportunity for growth.

With a five point star, participants are encouraged to write what they want the subject of feedback to keep doing, do more of, do less of, start doing, stop doing. It’s particularly effective when giving feedback on an event or situation, but it can equally be used when discussing team performance. It’s great for generating actions as a result of feedback, rather than just saying, this was good, or this was bad.

The visual element of the star is helpful for both creating a sense of equivalence between feedback items, but also for generating scattergrams that help capture group sentiment.

Starfish   #retrospective   #feedback   #visual methods   #review   The Starfish can be used wherever you want to get an overview over how people perceive the status quo. It can be used as a gather data exercise in retrospectives or as feedback tool after events.

Thirty five for debriefing

Getting feedback from a large number of people at once can be an effective way to gain insights quickly, but without the right framework, it can easily become choatic or unproductive.

In this feedback method, group members are encouraged to reflect on past events or give feedback on a chosen topic and write down a lesson they learned on a flash card.

After writing their feedback, participants are then invited to wander the room and exchange cards multiple times before then getting into pairs. Pairs then distribute 7 points between the two cards they have based on the merit of the ideas or lesson. Repeat a few rounds before then finding out which cards got the most points and share them with the group.

Debrief by discussing the feedback process and top comments with the group. You’ll find that this method is not only effective for getting lots of feedback quickly, but also for building the essential skill of interpreting and reacting to feedback in a positive manner.

Thirty-five for Debriefing   #debriefing   #closing   #thiagi   #action   #skills   You might be familiar with Thirty-Five as a structured-sharing activity. Thirty-Five can also be used as an effective debriefing game. In this version, participants reflect on an earlier experience and identify important lessons they learned. They write one of these lessons as a brief item. The winner in this activity is not the best player, but the best lesson learned.

One Breath Feedback

One common pitfall of interpersonal feedback is lack of focus and clarity. One person may give carefully delivered feedback in a direct and clear way, while another may feel quite hurt and bring up instances of past behaviour, be defensive or otherwise go off on a tangent. Creating space for these feelings is important, but it’s often not the focus of a feedback session, especially in group settings.

One breath feedback is an effective technique for giving effective feedback very quickly and giving everyone in the group an opportunity to suggest ideas and share their opinion. The idea is simple: everyone has the space of one full breath in which to give their feedback on a particular topic or theme. It’s great for encouraging succinct feedback, especially as people only have time and space to mention the most important things on their mind.

One breath feedback   #closing   #feedback   #action   This is a feedback round in just one breath that excels in maintaining attention: each participants is able to speak during just one breath … for most people that’s around 20 to 25 seconds … unless of course you’ve been a deep sea diver in which case you’ll be able to do it for longer.

AIR Feedback model

Pretty much all of the feedback methods above can be used in a personal setting, though these techniques also shine when using them in small groups where you might be trying to encourage our team to get into a habit of giving more feedback.

The AIR feedback model (action, impact, request) is a simple framework for constructive criticism and feedback. The emphasis is on making a SMART request so that the person receiving feedback can meaningfully act on what is a reasonable and well considered request. Because groups are also instructed to uphold principles such as being non-judgemental and asking people if they would like to receive feedback, AIR is an especially effective tool for teaching feedback skills.

AIR Feedback Model   #hyperisland   #feedback   #team   Constructive feedback is feedback regarding an individual’s performance that can be used to build (construct) connection, successful habits and behaviors. The constructive (building) component is key because with this mindset and approach, seemingly negative feedback doesn’t become discouraging. Rather, a launch pad for creating opportunities for learning and development.

Techniques for personal feedback

In most cases, personal feedback will be given in a 1-1 scenario between two people. This might be formal or informal, but the key is that both the person giving and receiving feedback feel best positioned to have that conversation without feeling judged or shamed.

Giving negative feedback in front of an entire team is likely to do more harm than good, and some issues are more sensitive in nature. Use these feedback techniques to host an effective conversation that will help both parties engage with feedback in a more closed setting.

As with any of these techniques, developing strong facilitation skills can help you run these methods more effectively. The other big ingredient for successful feedback is practice, so try giving and receiving with your team at the next opportunity.

Feedback Wrap

One common feedback technique that’s come under some scrutiny of late is the feedback sandwich. With that technique, the idea was to sandwich one piece of constructive or negative feedback between two pieces of positive feedback. One problem with this method is how it frames feedback under these two binaries and how it conflicts with the idea that feedback is a gift and an opportunity.

A feedback wrap is a more advanced method of providing feedback that provides enough context to move things forward without things turning into a blame game. Here’s how it works.

1. Start by providing some context of the situation to help the other person understand where you’re coming from. 2. List specific observations and further information about the situation. 3. Let the other person know how this makes you feel. 4. Explain what your needs are and why they are important to you. 5. Give space for the other person to figure out a solution but also feel free to make suggestions if you have them.

Team of Two

Our interpersonal relationships are important in every aspect of our lives. In the workplace, it’s not uncommon for issues or grievances to go unchecked and unresolved. But there’s a better way!

Team of Two is one of my favorite employee feedback techniques because it encourages both people in a working relationship to think about how they could help and be helped by the other.

Start by having two people who work together a lot write down they ways they might help the other person and the ways in which the other person might help them. Next, both people share and respond to the requests one by one, taking the opportunity to provide more detail or further context. The end result is a series of agreements for how both people will work together in the future.

Team of Two   #communication   #active listening   #issue analysis   #conflict resolution   #issue resolution   #remote-friendly   #team   Much of the business of an organisation takes place between pairs of people. These interactions can be positive and developing or frustrating and destructive. You can improve them using simple methods, providing people are willing to listen to each other. “Team of two” will work between secretaries and managers, managers and directors, consultants and clients or engineers working on a job together. It will even work between life partners.

Feed forward

In some scenarios, it can be more impactful to look to the future rather than looking to the past. If you’ve ever felt the struggle between wanting to draw a line under something but still have needs which are being unmet, feed forward can be an effective feedback technique to try.

The idea of the feed forward method is to focus only on ideas for the future and get agreement and alignment on what you might do to make those things happen. The ideas suggested during a feed forward are based on areas for improvement, just the same as when giving feedback, but by focusing on what could go right, rather than what went wrong, it can sometimes be easier to see positive behaviour change.

Feed forward   #feedback   #remote-friendly   #team   #leadership   #skills   An engaging variation on a feedback activity that focuses on future changes and positive action, rather than dwelling on what went wrong.

GROW coaching model

At its best, a feedback culture facilitates personal reflection and development. This coaching method isn’t a direct method for soliciting feedback like the above, but it does create space for feedback and reflection to happen.

In essence, this method asks coachees to give themselves feedback on their progress and then work with their mentor to figure out next steps. It’s a different approach, but a skilled leader or coach can use this framework to bring up feedback as and when it’s asked for and is appropriate. As part of an ongoing personal development process, it’s incredibly effective and organic.

The GROW Coaching Model   #hyperisland   #coaching   #growth   #goal setting   The GROW Model is a coaching framework used in conversations, meetings, and everyday leadership to unlock potential and possibilities. It’s a simple & effective framework for structuring your coaching & mentoring sessions and great coaching conversations. Easy to use for both face-to-face and online meetings. GROW is an acronym that stands for Goal, Reality, Obstacles/Options, and Will.

Feedback techniques for improving feedback culture

A culture of consistent feedback is a habit of a high performing team. When individuals are given the skills and opportunities to give and receive feedback that can help them grow, the results can be transformative. But without the right framework or setting, it’s possible for negative feedback or unhelpful criticism to become order of the day.

These feedback methods are designed to help give teams the skillset and context for delivering feedback more regularly and effectively. If you want to improve employee feedback and create a culture that cherishes and provides consistent feedback, these methods are for you!

Principles of Effective Feedback

Creating a shared understanding of how and when your team wants to give, receive and explore feedback is vital for creating a healthy feedback culture. This method creates a space for groups to discuss, define, and agree on what good feedback looks like to them and how they would like to receive it.

Start by asking participants to share examples of when they’ve received helpful feedback and then extrapolate some underlying principles they’ll use as the basis for a feedback agreement on the team. End by asking for how the group will make this happen and ensure they use these principles. Not only will you have clear guidelines for how to give and receive feedback in your organization, but you’ll have people eager to start the process too!

Principles of Effective Feedback   #hyperisland   #skills   #feedback   The purpose of this exercise is for a group to discuss, define, and come to agreement around key principles of effective feedback. Participants discuss examples of effective and ineffective feedback in pairs, then work together to define “effective feedback.” Then, as a group, they create a list of principles that they will aim to work by.

Quick reviews in 1 minute

Not all feedback sessions need to take a lot of time. When trying to encourage employee feedback, it can be helpful to start small and give very easy opportunities for everyone to share what they think.

In this method, you’ll find various strategies for enabling a group to give feedback in just 1 minute. Whether it’s encouraging everyone to share three words for how they’re feeling, give a temperature level for how they’re feeling or share positive suggestions, bringing these ideas into your regular sessions can have a cumulative effect on your feedback culture.

Quick Reviews in 1 minute   #reflection   #closing   #remote-friendly   #online   Easy and fun way to review content or atmosphere at the end of a group activity (or in between) in 1 minute.

Meeting closing round

Continuous improvement is the ultimate goal of a productive feedback culture. But does your team use every possible opportunity to review team performance and how they employees work together? Meeting closing round is a wonderfully simply and effective feedback technique you can use at the end of every meeting, workshop or other collaborative session.

At the end of your meeting, ask three simple questions: what went well, what could have gone differently and any other ideas? You’ll often find suggestions for improvement you can action immediately, alongside things you might try in order to improve performance moving forward. Use this method consistently and your employees will start building these feedback skills and considering other places where things could be better too!

Meeting closing round (+ – !)   #feedback   #closing activity   #remote-friendly   #hybrid-friendly   #meeting facilitation   Continuously improve your organization’s meetings with this simple round of closing feedback: what did you enjoy most? What could have been better? Any other ideas on our meetings?

Feedback Map

In especially large teams, it can be hard for people to understand who, when and how they should provide feedback. Aligning on these items is an essential part of creating a culture of feedback, and this method helps you do just that.

Begin by scattering the names of everyone in a group or project on a whiteboard. Next, agree on a timeframe and then invite participants to draw lines connecting one another based on how they’ve worked with. Have employees circle three interactions they’d like to address with feedback and then choose an appropriate feedback method (Start, Stop, Continue or AIR are two great options.) for people to give feedback to those people.

Feedback Map   #hyperisland   #skills   #feedback   This is a feedback exercise to support participants to deliver feedback that is clear and specific, especially after working in multiple project teams over a longer period of time. The team maps the connections between individuals, then uses specific points of interaction to prompt feedback.

In conclusion

Giving and receiving feedback is hard. You can’t expect people to navigate potentially sensitive or emotionally activating situations without a little help. We hope that these feedback techniques gives you and your team some meaningful ways to give and receive feedback and also improve your feedback culture in general.

Want to run a feedback workshop with your team to build those constructive feedback skills? Check out out effective feedback workshop template for an example session you can run when seeking to build a culture of consistent feedback.

James Smart is Head of Content at SessionLab. He’s also a creative facilitator who has run workshops and designed courses for establishments like the National Centre for Writing, UK. He especially enjoys working with young people and empowering others in their creative practice.

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

• Carmine Gallo is a Harvard University instructor, keynote speaker, and author of 10 books translated into 40 languages. Gallo is the author of The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman  (St. Martin’s Press).

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6 Ways You Can Evaluate Your Own Presentation

Hrideep barot.

• Body Language & Delivery , Presentation , Public Speaking

Naturally, giving a presentation is a skill that falls on the professional side of the spectrum. It involves a lot of formality along with practice to get good at it. 

But how do you decide what exactly it is that you need to work on? Read on to find out about six ways to evaluate your presentation skills.

Evaluating your presentation requires the ability to analyze your performance based on some very specific criteria related to delivery and content. More importantly, you must do it in an objective sense, without letting your self-bias come in the way.

Importance and benefits of evaluating your presentations yourself

Public speaking requires skills that are developed over time. Whether you’re a pro at it or a beginner, there is always room to grow because people have a varying set of abilities. 

Presentations are all about influence. You aim to create a dynamic with your audience so they buy into whatever it is that you’re trying to convey. 

And if you keep innovating your techniques and find your strength (which all comes with self-evaluating), you’ll essentially be enhancing your power to influence. 

In addition to that, it makes you a better presenter. The lack of being told what to do by someone else gives you a sense of self-confidence and patience. 

Additionally, you being a good presenter would mean more successful meetings, which in turn means you’d profit your business.

Basically, the better your presentation, the more likely are your chances to successfully fulfill your agenda. So grab a paper and a pen and embark upon your journey of getting better!

What criteria do I need to follow for evaluation?

Let’s address the skills we need for pulling off a good presentation.

Quality of content

• Engagement with audience
• Visual aids
• Focusing on strengths. 

Based on these categories, you need to form criteria to test yourself. Think of it like setting a frame of reference for yourself, placing yourself on a scale ranging between good and bad would help you track your progress. 

Following are the pointers you need to keep in mind while evaluating your presentation skills-

The two most things to keep in mind about structure is that you need to have a very intriguing start to your presentation, something that hooks the audience. (an anecdote, perhaps)

Secondly, make sure your ending is clear and in alignment with the purpose of the presentation. And include a call to action. For example, if your presentation is about mental health awareness, make sure one of your end slides has a comprehensive contact list of psychologists/therapists. 

Apart from that, the transitions between your pointers have to be smooth. Try adding segues (which is basically building context for your next point) In the previous example, a personal anecdote involving someone with depression can be a good segue to talk about the importance of mental health. 

If you’re new to structuring content or making presentations, here’s an article of ours that might help- The Ultimate Guide to Structuring a Speech

Delivery is everything. From gestures to hand movements, your body language must emphasize CONVEYING something. 

When you say something especially important, there must be some emphasis on part of your delivery. Like slowing your speech, or knocking the table, or repetition of the point, etc. 

There should be some sort of continuity to your narrative, the ‘flow’ must come naturally. This can be done using the smooth transition technique mentioned above. 

Adding a story-like quality to your speech might help. (having proper segregation between the beginning, middle, and end)

You cannot be providing generic content. Always remember, in presentations, quality surpasses quantity. 

Rambling about your topic on and on would not only bore your audience but also hinder the aforementioned flow and transitions that are so important. 

You need to make sure you’re adding something of value that is unique to you, and not general. You may refer to our article that might help further with this- Should a Presentation Have an Agenda?

Engagement with the audience

Your content must always be altered according to your audience. Knowing your audience is a very crucial step. You cannot say the same things in front of an MNC board meeting members as you would in front of a bunch of college students.

Knowing your audience helps you decide your content, flow, transition, practically everything. 

Also, engagement with the audience means the interaction that takes place between you and them. You need to appear approachable for them to talk to you. 

But at the same time, you need to prepare yourself in advance to be able to answer the questions that might come your way. A little prediction here and there can save you a lot of anxiety. 

Visual Aids

Visual aids during a presentation include everything from the design and arrangement of content in your presentation to your appearance. (But mostly the former)

Now when it comes to visual aids in a PPT, there is no better advice than the 5 by 5 rule.

The Powerpoint 5×5 slide rule states that-

a. Each of your slides should have no more than 5 lines.

b. Each of those lines should have no more than 5 words.

It ensures keeping your content crisp and to the point. A tip to apply this rule would be to not focus on including the main content in the ppt. Instead, write only pointers and elaborate on them yourself.

This way, you prevent your audience from getting too caught up in reading the slides hence getting distracted from you. 

How exactly do I evaluate my presentation?

Here are the six-pointers that will guide you through it step-by-step.

Identify patterns

Keeping in mind the above-mentioned pointers, start looking for what you’re doing wrong.

Is there something that you repetitively keep doing wrong? Maybe the topics you choose aren’t relevant, maybe you use too much text in slides, maybe you don’t captivate your audience by raising vocals, maybe you don’t move enough. 

There are always patterns. You need to develop attention to detail. 

Focus on the audience

Your audience engagement can make or break the deal. While you’re presenting, make sure you make eye contact with as many people as you can. And keep an eye out for people’s reactions. It helps you get real-time feedback. 

Now there’s a chance this might not work and you get distracted or disheartened. In which case, drop this tactic. Nothing is worth blowing your confidence down during the presentation. 

Take feedback

Part of the reward for good audience engagement is honest feedback. If people like your content but find your delivery a little off, if you engage well with them, they will be a little more open to bringing it to your attention.

Maybe to make it a little more certain, announce at the end that you’re open to constructive criticism. It also adds to the impression you make. People find people who are willing to admit their flaws, admirable. 

Make sure you maintain a record of your progress, right from making those criteria scales to your speeches through successive presentations. You could do it on paper or a device, whatever is more comfortable. 

Make notes about what you need to work on right after presentations, and tick them off when you do in the next ones. It brings along a sense of accomplishment. 

In reference to keeping track of practicing, you may check out our 13 Tips For Rehearsing A Presentation

Objective set of eyes

Ask a friend or a colleague to give you honest advice. Truth is, no matter what, your clients would always be skeptical of telling you what’s wrong. And there’s only so much you would criticize about yourself.

Asking someone you trust can help you get a fresh perspective on your progress since we get a little over in our heads sometimes. 

Use your strengths and weaknesses

After having acquainted yourself with this whole system of evaluation, it is no doubt you’d be very aware of your strong and weak points. It is a good thing. 

Honestly, there could always be some little things here and there that we cannot wrap our heads around, and that’s okay. Because we also have our strengths to cover up for them.

For example, you could be a little off with a smooth transition between subpoints, but if you drop a super-strong call to action, in the end, it gets compensated. 

And the best part is, only you can use them to your benefit since you’re the only one who knows about them!

Additionally, watching content related to your topic can be of massive help too. For example, if your speech is on mental health , then maybe watching a TEDTalk by a mental health professional can add on to the authenticity of your content.

To go that extra mile, you could also record yourself while giving the speech in front of a camera and review the recording to see where exactly you went wrong. Sometimes, watching your presentation from the audience’s perspective gives you a peak into what they see, and consequently, allows you to have a bigger impact on them.

Here’s a checklist to keep in mind while self-evaluating:

Print the checklist out for easy accessibility, mark yes or no after every presentation to keep track of your progress.

Practical Tools to use for self-evaluation

Feedback forms.

Feedback from your audience is important, as stated before. However, you can’t store all of the verbal feedback in your brain, let alone use it for self-evaluation later. Moreover, sometimes the audience might be vague with how they respond and that is unhelpful.

What you can do, instead, is devise a feedback form enlisting specific questions, the answers to which would be relevant for your purpose. This not only lifts the burden of remembering all you heard after presenting, but also eliminates unnecessary jargon from the audience.

Self-reflection

Self-reflection is the most important part of this process. Now, this does not only involve you going to the feedback forms but also reviewing specific areas that you need extra work on. You can make a categorized list or a scale of easily ‘fixable issues’ to issues that need relatively more practice and work.

If there is an issue that you don’t seem to be able to work around, another form of self-reflection you can do is record yourself. As mentioned before, use the camera and present as you would in the conference room. Looking at a tape of yourself after presenting(as opposed to while presenting in front of the mirror), can help you detect what’s wrong in a better way. Plus, it helps you check body language.

Presentation rubrics are one of the handiest tools you can use for evaluation. It is a specific set of criteria that sets qualitative standards for the things/skills you need to have in your presentation to qualify as a good one.

For example, For a college research paper, the categories of criteria would be creativity, research element, use of sources and references, innovative aspects, etc. These categories would then be assessed on a scale of good to excellent or 1 to 5 and be marked accordingly.

It provides a quantified version of assessment which helps tremendously to analyze where specifically, and how much do you need to work on.

Apart from this, if you’re a techno-savvy person who is not inclined to write with a journal to keep track or implicate any of the other tools, worry not! We happen to have just the thing to help you! In today’s technology and smart phone driven world where most things are online, we can do self-evaluation up there too!

Here is a detailed and comprehensive article about 34 Best Smartphone Apps for Presenters and Professional Speakers that will guide you through that process.

Well, with all these tools and techniques, you’re all set to begin your self-evaluation! Remember, different techniques work for different people. It’s all a matter of trial and error. Some patience and practice can take you a long way to become the presenter you aspire to be.

Enroll in our transformative 1:1 Coaching Program

Schedule a call with our expert communication coach to know if this program would be the right fit for you

How to Brag Like a Pro as a Speaker

Less is More! Tips to Avoid Overwhelming Your Audience 

What does it mean to Resonate with the Audience- Agreement, Acceptance, Approval

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5 types of feedback that make a difference (and how to use them)

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What is feedback?

5 types of feedback

5 tips for giving any type of feedback

Start giving feedback today

Feedback is a must-have ingredient for any person’s growth journey. 

As humans, we all need feedback to continue to better ourselves and those around us. Without feedback, your employees and leaders are missing out on reaching their full potential . Feedback helps us build our mental fitness . It helps us learn, grow, and try new things.

Employees want feedback. In fact, 65% of employees want more feedback . 

They want the type of feedback that can drive personal growth and professional development . Feedback that supports skill-building. According to the Deloitte Global Millennial Survey, an employer’s failure to offer leadership and skills development ranks among the top considerations for leaving a company. 

Yet, many people, many managers, are uncomfortable giving feedback. Many avoid it. They don’t want to be negative or judgmental of others. In fact, over a third of managers feel uncomfortable giving feedback to employees. 

While many people may think feedback is always critical, that’s not the case. There are plenty of types of feedback. And different types of feedback serve different purposes. But in the end, feedback — when expressed correctly — is hugely valuable. 

Good feedback provides the information you didn’t have. It lets you see yourself or the situation differently.  Feedback that helps you be more effective is a gift. Remote work makes feedback even more valuable and important.

“Arrogance leaves us blind to our weaknesses. Humility is a reflective lens: it helps us see them clearly. Confident humility is a corrective lens: it enables us to overcome those weaknesses.” Adam Grant, organizational psychologist, author, Think Again 

In this article, learn about the different types of feedback. Find out how you can use different types of feedback in your organization — and why feedback is so beneficial. 

Feedback probably shows up in your organization more than you think. 

For example, your team member might recommend a new process that would help save your team more time. Or, your leadership team might congratulate your hard work after a successful quarter. 

Or perhaps you’ve had to have a difficult conversation with an employee. You notice this employee isn’t meeting your expectations. So, you decide to have a conversation to reinforce roles and responsibilities . 

All of these scenarios encompass a type of feedback. A common misconception is that feedback is negative or bad. 

At BetterUp, we think of feedback as coming from a place of care. Feedback can be a sign that someone is personally invested in your growth and development. And with support systems like coaching , feedback can be the key to unlocking human potential . 

Much like there are different types of feedback to give and receive, anyone can give feedback . Let’s learn more about who can provide feedback. 

Who can provide feedback? 

When you hear the word feedback, who is the first person that comes to mind? Chances are, we’ve all thought of someone in our personal and professional journeys. 

Feedback can be given by anyone — a friend, colleague, partner, family member, boss, teacher, and so on. We are all receiving feedback all the time from the people around us — if we’re paying attention. But feedback is most useful when it is normalized, high-quality, well-intentioned, and close to the moment or event. 

In the workplace, we tend to see feedback come from these folks: 

• Team member. Peers can provide feedback regularly in the workplace. For example, I work alongside a teammate who regularly reviews my writing. She provides recommendations, feedback, and ideas on how to improve. Peer-to-peer feedback is critical for any healthy working relationship. When done right, it can help create and build trust . It can also increase innovation, collaboration , and creativity . 
• Manager. When I think of the word feedback, a manager is the first type of person that comes to my mind. In my career, I’ve never had a manager that didn’t express feedback — and that’s a good thing. Feedback can be common for the manager and employee relationship . But it can also be tricky. You might receive constructive feedback privately in a one-on-one meeting. But you might receive positive feedback and recognition in a public team meeting . There’s a lot of variety in the manager-employee feedback relationship. Because of the nuances, employees and leaders alike can find this challenging to navigate. 
• Customer. Customer feedback is essential for any organization. According to Forbes, 77% of consumers view brands more favorably if they seek out and respond to customer feedback. Without customer feedback, products and services are likely to remain stagnant. How do you know if you’re meeting your customers’ needs? How satisfied are your customers? Do you have opportunities to improve your business from customer feedback? 
• Leadership team. Your leadership team plays a key role in the feedback process. Oftentimes, their feedback will be much more high level. For example, your CHRO might notice in recent candidate interviews that there’s miscommunication. She may identify an opportunity for better communication. Or you might hear positive feedback from recent executive roundtable discussions. 
• Coach. Your coach is your compass, your North Star, your cheerleader. But a coach wouldn’t be a good coach without feedback. Coaches often provide feedback that supports reflection — they reflect your words and behaviors back to you in ways that help you see where you are inconsistent or ineffective. My coach has been so helpful in providing valuable feedback, especially when it comes to the workplace. She helps reframe perspectives, pushes me outside of my comfort zone , and helps me navigate different situations. But at the heart of all this is feedback. 

What are the 5 types of feedback? 

Different types of feedback serve unique purposes. Let’s start by looking at what types of feedback you can use in your organization. 

5 types of feedback 

Constructive feedback , upward feedback , appreciation and recognition .

• Coaching feedback

Real-time feedback 

Now, let’s talk through some examples of feedback — and how they can be formative to your company culture. 

Studies show that while constructive feedback is perceived as negative, it’s what people want. In fact, 92% of employees believe constructive feedback can improve performance.

Let’s say your employee John has missed a few details on some recent projects. At first, you let it go. You know John is juggling a lot of projects right now. But as some projects taper off, you still notice these same mistakes . 

In your next one-on-one meeting, you decide to raise these mistakes. You start with what you’ve noticed he’s doing really well. But then, you provide some constructive feedback about the trend of mistakes . Then, you close with positive feedback. This method of constructive feedback is referred to as a feedback sandwich . 

You ask John how you can support him and guide his development in this particular area. He expresses gratitude for the feedback — and decides that he needs some professional development. 

If an employee asks for feedback, they typically mean constructive feedback. Listen closely and try to discern what specifically they want feedback on and to what depth. Clarify if possible. You don’t want to waste hours preparing an in-depth critique of a new product when your colleague merely wanted your input on the marketing plan.

Upward feedback is when managers solicit feedback from their direct reports. It’s an important aspect of feedback that isn’t always encouraged in some organizations. 

But if we know anything about the employee experience , it’s that employee voices need to be heard. By encouraging managers to ask for feedback from their employees, you’re helping to enable a culture of feedback. It can create trust, psychological safety , and real change. It also gives employees some agency in their work, work environment, and relationships. 

For example, let’s say Julia manages a team of four people. Julia’s fairly new at managing a team — and this particular team was recently developed. In Julia’s one-on-one meetings with each of her direct reports, she decides to ask how she’s doing.

Two of her direct reports give her some feedback. They think Julia could do a better job of communicating the purpose of their projects so they can better understand the objectives.

Another direct report recommends a new project management software to help make their jobs easier. And lastly, another direct report expresses that they’re overworked and stressed out . They have a new baby at home and are juggling caregiving responsibilities with an increased workload. 

Without this feedback, Julia would never have known how to meet her employees’ needs . She’s glad that she asked for feedback. But she’s also grateful her team members felt psychologically safe to share their honest feelings. 

Feedback isn’t always negative, contrary to popular belief. Employee recognition and appreciation are key factors in engaging your employees. Organizations that regularly recognize and appreciate their employees show better performance , better relationships, and higher job satisfaction. 

For example, we recently wrapped up our fiscal year at BetterUp. In a meeting, our CEO recognized all employees for their outstanding contributions to BetterUp. He personally called out team members by name, celebrated successes, and thanked everyone for their work. 

Coaching feedback 

Working with a coach is one way to help unlock potential through feedback. Coaching feedback is a unique, collaborative approach. With a coaching mindset, employees are paired one-on-one with a coach. The coach serves as a guide for the employee, not a threat. 

It can feel threatening to any individual to receive feedback. The imposter syndrome can creep in. Insecurities can feel overwhelming. You might spiral into automatic, negative thoughts like: “Will I lose my job?” or “I’m never getting promoted now that I’ve received this feedback.” 

But with a coach, you’re helping to create a safe place for your employees to solicit feedback and ask for help. The coach is immediately a teammate. In fact, we’ve found quantifiable improvement across a variety of areas from folks who receive coaching. Our Members report improvements in these areas: 

• 90% reduction in stress
• 149% increase in resilience
• 181% improvement in focus
• 130% increase in job performance

As an example, let’s say your employee Sally has been having some difficulty working with another colleague. Sally is generally averse to conflict and would regularly see if she could work around this person. But in this situation, it’s simply not possible. She’s looking for some guidance and feedback on how to approach conflict resolution . 

This is where BetterUp can help. With coaching support, Sally is able to have an open, transparent conversation with her colleague. She realizes her colleague wasn’t trying to make things more difficult.

Her colleague simply didn’t understand the goals of the project and her role in this workstream. But with coaching, Sally was able to find a resolution and ultimately finish the project successfully with her colleague. 

Real-time feedback is another type of feedback that can be useful for in-the-moment scenarios. With new performance management tools at our disposal, it’s becoming easier and easier to provide feedback — good and bad — in real-time. 

For example, let’s say Hal recently completed a website redesign. He’s worked on it for months and finally was able to launch the new site. Upon launching the new site, various colleagues start pinging Hal on Slack. “The site looks so good!” and “Great work on the redesign, everything looks fantastic!” 

However, there’s one small bug that another colleague catches. A button isn’t working properly to download a demo of the product. Hal is grateful for this real-time feedback to fix the bug.

After all, could you imagine if no one shared that feedback? Or if this feedback wasn’t shared until Hal’s next one-on-one with his manager? 

Get comfortable. It’s time to start giving (and receiving) feedback . Here are five tips to get started.

Pause and reflect on the goal of your feedback. Do you want to see a behavior change ? Do you need a quick fix on something? Are you looking to improve a relationship? These questions can help guide you to the right type of feedback you’d like to provide. 

• Lead with empathy and kindness. No matter what type of feedback you’re giving, you need to lead with empathy and kindness. Feedback is a sign of care. You care deeply about the success of the person to whom you’re giving feedback. You care deeply about seeing them reach their full potential. That person should know and feel that care and compassion . 
• Be clear and direct. Have you ever been in a situation where you’re receiving feedback but you’re not quite sure on what? Same. Clear, direct, and concise communication is key. It’s important to get to the heart of the matter quickly and directly. But make sure you offer the time and space for the person to absorb. 
• Listen carefully. It’s probable that the person you’re giving feedback to might have questions. Make sure you listen more than you speak. You might learn something new about the way this person approaches a project. Or you might have a miscommunication or misunderstanding of expectations. But you won’t get to the bottom of anything without listening . Practice active listening and make sure your employees know that you care about their perspectives. 
• Offer support. Depending on the feedback you give, you will want to offer some sort of support. This could be professional development in the form of virtual coaching. Or it could be a learning opportunity , like an online course or workshop. Or it could simply be another follow-up meeting to help clarify expectations and answer questions. Whatever the case, offer your support and reinforce your desire for their success. By doing so, your employees will feel valued and cared for. 

Start giving any type of feedback today 

Effective feedback doesn’t have to be negative feedback. Feedback also shouldn’t be reserved for just performance reviews . And feedback for coworkers can be the difference between thriving and surviving. 

In the absence of feedback, people will tend to fill in the gaps themselves — often in ways that are not helpful. Don’t create a vacuum for your employees’ worst interpretations and anxieties . Let them know what you think, especially when working remotely .

There are plenty of forms of feedback to choose from, each with its own purpose. Whether you’re struggling with employee performance or conflict resolution, feedback is important. 

Good feedback is a learning process, one that takes practice. Providing feedback isn’t easy. But with the right support — like coaching — your organization can model evaluative feedback well. 

Practice goal-setting around how you’re providing feedback to your teams. It can be informal feedback or more formal feedback. But remember, we’re all learners in this process. Keep your growth mindset open and aperture wide. 

Any kind of feedback can help you and your organization grow. And with BetterUp, you can unlock human potential and help your employees live with more purpose, clarity, and passion .

Understand Yourself Better:

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Madeline Miles

Madeline is a writer, communicator, and storyteller who is passionate about using words to help drive positive change. She holds a bachelor's in English Creative Writing and Communication Studies and lives in Denver, Colorado. In her spare time, she's usually somewhere outside (preferably in the mountains) — and enjoys poetry and fiction.

Why coworker feedback is so important and 5 ways to give it

How to give positive comments to your boss, become a pro at asking for feedback (and receiving it), are you receptive to feedback follow this step-by-step guide, how to give feedback to your boss: tips for getting started, 16 constructive feedback examples — and tips for how to use them, handle feedback like a boss and make it work for you, how to give and take constructive criticism, how to give constructive feedback as a manager, 6 examples of interview feedback to start using today, 5 benefits of feedback — and why it matters, should you use the feedback sandwich 7 pros and cons, 30 customer service review examples to develop your team, 25 performance review questions (and how to use them), stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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Constructive feedback

Discover 30 constructive feedback examples. Learn 10 actionable tips on giving constructive feedback and creating an atmosphere that nurtures support and growth.

Ivan Andreev

Demand Generation & Capture Strategist, Valamis

December 19, 2021 · updated July 10, 2024

14 minute read

December 19, 2021

The aim of this article is to provide you with a clear idea of what constructive feedback is and how it fits into the workplace.

Constructive feedback is a useful tool that managers and employees can engage in to improve the standard of work. There is a right way to give good constructive feedback which you will learn by the end of this page.

What is constructive feedback?

30 constructive feedback examples, how to give constructive feedback, 10 tips to help your feedback make a positive impact.

By engaging your employees with constructive feedback you create an atmosphere that nurtures support and growth.

Proper feedback has a knock-on effect on loyalty, work ethic , performance, and growth for individuals and teams.

Feedback can be given in multiple ways so take a look at our guide “ types of feedback .” You can learn how to take negative feedback and turn it into engaging positive feedforward.

Employees respond better to constructive and positive feedback rather than negative feedback which can make them feel unappreciated and under-supported.

Constructive feedback is the type of feedback aimed at achieving a positive outcome by providing someone with comments, advice, or suggestions that are useful for their work or their future.

The outcome can be faster processes, improving behaviors, identifying weaknesses, or providing new perspectives.

The feedback can be given in different forms; both praise and criticism can play a role in constructive feedback.

Criticism can also be delivered constructively – constructive criticism . Check out our article to learn more about it.

Good constructive feedback should focus on the work rather than being a personal negative attack against an individual.

Let’s take a look at how praise and criticism work:

Praise is where you show appreciation to your employees for the work they have done.

If an employee has done exemplary work or gone above and beyond to help someone, a thank you and congratulations can go a long way.

By acknowledging their work and showing your appreciation you can help to reinforce these positive behaviors.

Additionally, you can use praise as part of a larger feedback session. By highlighting the things an employee does well your message carries extra weight.

Your employees feel appreciated and any advice shared as part of the feedback will feel positive.

Criticism is harder to navigate as if it is handled poorly it can lead to an uncomfortable working environment .

When critiquing an employee’s work it is imperative to try and make it not personal.

Criticism plays an important role in helping people avoid negative behaviors and grow from their mistakes.

Proper criticism should be sincere and caring whilst also containing a level of importance.

Do not let your emotions get the better of you as criticism levied while you are angry, disappointed, or frustrated may lose its message.

The outcome of criticism should still be positive and contribute to an employee’s growth.

Career development plan template

This template helps employees and leaders plan together for career growth: set goals, assess skills, and make a plan.

Let’s take a look at some good constructive feedback examples.

Each topic is divided into three sections, one which displays appropriate positive feedback (praise), appropriate negative feedback (criticism) and inappropriate negative feedback.

Appropriate types are designed to encourage a positive outcome in the future.

1. Feedback about communication skills

Appropriate positive example.

“Thank you for keeping me informed of the progress on the project for XYZ. It’s allowed me to keep my superiors up-to-date with our department. Everyone is excited to see the project enter the final phase. I’m impressed by your dedication to the team and I look forward to seeing more from you!”

Appropriate negative example

“You haven’t been keeping me well-informed about your project. I don’t know what’s going on and I’d like to see more communication from you. Can we arrange to have a 10-minute call every Friday with progress updates please?”

Inappropriate negative example

“Did no one teach you how to communicate? The team needs to know what’s going on. This is completely unprofessional.”

2. Feedback about work ethic

“I am so impressed with the effort you gave this project. Your commitment to the client and our department is admirable. We were able to sign off on the project ahead of schedule all thanks to you!”

“Thank you for all the hard work you put into this project. Unfortunately, the deadline was missed but I can see the solid effort you gave us. In the future please come to me earlier if you feel a deadline is going to be missed, we can pull in support to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

“You missed this deadline which has affected our relationship with the client. This reflects poorly on you and the company.”

3. Feedback about leadership

“Seeing you step up and take control of a team has demonstrated your brilliant talent and people skills. Keep it up and you’ll be making a name for yourself here.”

“I’ve noticed that you’re not forthcoming when there are opportunities to lead a project. I appreciate all the work you do and I’d love to see you take on a challenge please let me know if there is anything I can to get you there.”

“If you’re not going to take these opportunities then why are you even here?”

4. Feedback about flexibility

“Thank you for staying late recently, the work has really piled up and we’re really lucky to have a dedicated person like you on the team to help us reach the deadlines.”

“The deadlines are fast approaching and I’ve noticed you haven’t picked up any extra hours to help out. I would like to see a little more flexibility from you to help us get the project done before the deadlines.”

“You can’t just leave when there is work to be done. Your colleagues are staying behind to help so why aren’t you? You need to be doing your bit.”

5. Feedback about creativity

“You are very innovative with the way you work. The creative solutions you have shared with the team are invaluable and will save the company time and money in the future.”

“I’ve noticed that you’ve been getting stuck on tasks recently. Don’t be afraid to get creative with ideas to help you get the world done.”

“There are rules set out for a reason and you should be following them. You aren’t paid to think, you’re paid to work so keep your ideas to yourself.”

6. Feedback about attention to details

“You have such a keen eye for detail. Thanks to your ability to spot errors and resolve them quickly I have been able to free up another member of the team for a new project.”

“I’ve noticed a pattern starting to emerge with your work recently, small errors are slipping through. I know that sometimes this happens so I just wanted to bring it to your attention so we can avoid them in the future. I’ve created a short checklist to go over before you submit your next few projects.”

“You need to start paying more attention to your work. You can’t keep submitting work that falls below the standards we expect of you.”

7. Feedback about punctuality

“I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for always being here on time. It’s really beneficial to have you hear for these early meetings.”

“I’ve noticed that you’ve been coming into the office late this week. The morning meetings are vitally important and I’d like to see you at more of them. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to support you and get you through the doors a little earlier.”

“Your tardiness is unacceptable and it makes everyone look bad. Show up on time or we will have to take disciplinary action.”

8. Feedback about productivity

“I just wanted to let you know that your hard work has not gone unnoticed. Thank you for the extra effort you have been putting in recently. You are a testament to the department and this company.”

“It’s been noted that your productivity has suffered in recent weeks. I’d like to see you back up to your previous levels and if there is anything the company can do to help please let me know. We’ll schedule a meeting a week from now to check on your progress.”

“You’re not working hard enough anymore. You need to get back up to speed with everyone else as soon as possible.”

9. Feedback about attitude and rudeness

“Thank you for being such a positive spirit around the office. Your ability to lighten the mood and keep things upbeat even against tight deadlines has such a positive effect on your colleagues. The environment would not be the same without you!”

“We’ve noticed that your attitude in the office has turned quite negative recently. This sort of thing multiples quite quickly in an office and starts to affect everyone. If there is something that I can do to help please let me know. It’s a shame to see you like this and I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say we’re here to help”

“Your poor attitude is making everyone feel uncomfortable. You are toxic, unmotivated, and you act like you don’t want to be here.”

10. Feedback on problem-solving

“Excellent work on the project. That was a really tricky one but you were able to dig deep and figure it out. I appreciate that you were able to figure out the problems on your own without pulling other team members in to help. We’re so busy at the moment it’s hard to spare the manpower. Thank you!’

“You’re an incredibly resourceful and intuitive person so next time I’d like to see you work on the issues a little longer before asking for help. Tony has fallen behind in his work now. I’m confident if you’d thought about it a little longer you would have cracked. Do you think you would have got there?”

“Stop giving up on tasks and making someone else do it. Other people are busy and can’t just stop what they are doing to do your tasks for you. If you’re stuck on something – figure it out!”

When you decide it’s time to arrange a feedback session, or you have a performance appraisal , with an employee there are a few things to consider to really get this right.

A well-thought-out feedback session can have everyone walking away feeling positive and like they have achieved something.

1. Choose the right time and place for feedback

The first thing you want to consider is the location. Small bits of praise and appreciation can be shared among the wider team. On the other hand, criticism that is shared in front of your employee’s peers will be shameful and embarrassing.

Criticism is much better delivered in a one-to-one meeting.

You should consider the timing of the meeting. It is best to give feedback as soon as possible while the reference points are still clear.

Feedback is less constructive the longer you wait to arrange the meeting. As long as you feel like you can provide constructive feedback, then the sooner the better.

2. Set the right tone for the meeting

The next thing to consider is the manner in which you give the feedback.

If you want to arrange a meeting to provide negative feedback try not to do this while tensions are running high. If you feel yourself being too angry and unable to censor yourself properly it may be best to wait until you can have the conversation in a more neutral tone.

At the same time the tone should be professional and you should sound confident.

For positive constructive feedback try to use an inspiring and friendly tone rather than casual and funny as it might decrease the effectiveness of your message.

3. Emotional intelligence is key

Further to the previous point emotions can run high during feedback sessions, particularly where criticism is concerned. Anger can cause you to attack the recipient unfairly and this could have consequences. It won’t make you or the recipient feel better and could bleed into the work environment.

Consider the other person as well, how is the feedback going to affect them? How can you present the information in a way that’s helpful to them?

4. Define what is the purpose of the feedback

When you arrange a meeting with your employee the purpose of that meeting should be clearly defined. You should also share why you feel this is an important meeting to have.

As an example if the purpose of the feedback is to improve employee behaviour or performance, then you should have a clear understanding of what you need to discuss and what solutions you can offer.

If you are unclear of the specifics it will be harder to provide constructive feedback.

5. Content of the feedback

You should be able to clearly identify the areas of discussion. Whether it is praising something positive or criticism about areas of improvement. The content should be focused on the work rather than the individual.

If there is a specific action or situation that needs to be addressed then you can share how exactly it is making you and their colleagues feel.

6. Don’t skirt around the issue

It may not be appropriate to slide your feedback in between more positive conversations. It could lead to your message being diluted or misunderstood. Sometimes will be advantageous for a boss to get straight to the point.

7. Encourage a dialogue

Employees should be given the opportunity to add to the dialogue, this should not be a one-way conversation. Once you have given the purpose, observations, details of situations, and reactions then offer the employee a chance to speak.

This is so important as it allows you to hear about the event in question from a new perspective.

8. Be respectful and stay on point

Since you’re dealing with another person you’ve got to remain respectful during the meeting. Keep on point and avoid using language that would cause the recipient to go defensive.

It would be better to lead with phrases like ‘I’m worried about,’ ‘I’ve observed behaviors’ and ‘I’ve become aware of’ rather than phrases that start with ‘you such as ‘you’re doing things wrong.’

Keep to the point and don’t make the meeting too personal.

9. Give suggestions for improvements

The most important part of the feedback should be working with the employee about improvements. You can share what you would like to see in the future such as improvements to working speed, accuracy, relationships with colleagues, or whatever the situation is.

It may be worth creating an action plan and arranging more meetings in the future to check on performance.

This part of the feedback should be to support the employee in the areas they aren’t performing in and focus on reaching a positive outcome.

10. Recap the most important points

Before you end the meeting it is a good idea to just recap everything you have spoken about. This is a good way to avoid there being any misunderstandings and it provides you with an opportunity to check that the constructive feedback was received and understood.

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33 Positive Feedback Examples for Employees

by Emre Ok July 12, 2024, 8:13 pm updated August 23, 2024, 1:26 am 33.7k Views

Welcome to our freshly updated list of positive feedback examples for colleagues, peers, and direct reports ! 

While the misconception that one should only concern themselves with the negative or constructive feedback they received is still going strong, we are here to assure you that consistent, continuous, and positive feedback for employees is just as important to employee engagement and performance.

In this blog post we will answer the question of “How to give positive feedback to peers?” while giving you multiple different positive feedback examples on various categories.

While the positive feedback examples on this list can just as easily be used as they are, we strongly recommend you customize them to reflect your relationship with your coworker, your company culture, and most importantly the specific instances the feedback is about!

Table of Contents

Can I write employee feedback with AI?

Yes, you can! While we don’t advocate you leave all your communications with your team to AI, using an AI writing assistant to enhance the quality of your feedback and the speed at which you deliver it is a great idea!

Teamflect’s digitized employee feedback templates have an AI writing assistant built into them that will help you deliver your feedback as effectively and efficiently as possible! When giving your feedback, you can:

• Lengthen 
• Shorten 
• Formalize 
• Spell Check 
• Regenerate 

Your employee feedback as well as check for biased language! You can try Teamflect’s 360 feedback software and AI feedback assistant right inside Microsoft Teams and Outlook, today, for absolutely free!

1. Positive Feedback Examples on Exceptional Work

One of the simplest positive feedback examples you can come across is the case of offering feedback to colleagues on the quality of their work.

Quality of work is an area in which you should always have some positive feedback for your colleagues in your back pocket. At the end of the day, we all fall in love with our own work and ideas from time to time.

Having a colleague appreciate that work and recognize its quality is a great morale boost. So here are some professional positive feedback examples for colleagues on exceptional work:

“I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation for the exceptional work you delivered on the recent [project name]. Your dedication, attention to detail, and innovative approach were truly remarkable and did not go unnoticed.”

“I wanted to express my appreciation for the exceptional work you delivered on [specific task/project]. Your expertise and dedication were evident, and your efforts played a crucial role in our success. Thank you for consistently going above and beyond.”

2. Positive Presentation Feedback Examples

Presentation feedback is perhaps the most common area where people need to offer feedback to their colleagues. It can also be one of the areas where your peers and colleagues might be the most insecure at. That is why giving positive feedback on presentations is incredibly important.

In order to help you do just that we put together some positive presentation feedback examples right here. These presentation feedback examples, while being relatively general, should definitely be customized in order to give specific examples from the presentation you are giving feedback about.

“ I was thoroughly impressed with your presentation at the [specific meeting/event]. Your confident delivery and well-structured content made it highly effective and engaging. Thank you for your hard work and skillful execution. “

“ Your presentation during the [specific meeting/event] was outstanding. Your ability to clearly convey complex information and engage the audience was impressive. Thank you for your excellent work. “

“ I wanted to commend you on your exceptional presentation skills during the [specific meeting/event]. Your clear communication, engaging delivery, and thorough preparation made a significant impact. Thank you for setting such a high standard. “

3. Positive Feedback Example on Professionalism in Difficult Situations

While many discuss how to give positive feedback, the question of when to give positive feedback hardly ever comes up. One of the most underrated instances where a colleague definitely deserves positive feedback is when someone keeps their cool and maintains professionalism in difficult situations.  So here are some professional positive feedback examples for those who never lose their professionalism:

“ Your ability to remain professional and composed during the recent [specific situation/event] was outstanding. Your calm approach and quick thinking were key in resolving the issue effectively. Great job! “

“ In the face of the [specific situation/event], your professionalism truly shone. Your level-headedness and strategic thinking turned a challenging situation into a manageable one. Thank you for your exemplary behavior. “

4. Positive Feedback Example on Teamwork and Collaboration

We can’t possibly make a list of positive feedback examples without listing some positive peer feedback on collaboration and teamwork.

Feedback for colleagues have multiple different purposes. One of those purposes is to reinforce some of the behavious you want to keep seing in them.

Excelling at working as a team and collaborating with others successfully is definitely worthy of recognition. So if here is a positive feedback example about teamwork and collaboration.

“ Your exceptional teamwork on the [specific project/task] has truly stood out. By effectively communicating and cooperating with your colleagues, you ensured that the project ran smoothly and efficiently. Your ability to bring the team together and foster a collaborative atmosphere is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your invaluable contributions. “

5. Positive Feedback for Coworkers on Leadership Skills

Another area where giving positive feedback to peers can really make a difference is leadership skills. Positive feedback on leadership can really help an individual grow into a leadership role that they perhaps weren’t considering before. Stepping up and taking the lead on anything is intimidating for anyone. So here is a positive feedback example on leadership skills.

“ Your leadership during the [specific project/task] has been exemplary. You consistently demonstrated a clear vision, guided the team with confidence, and ensured everyone felt valued and motivated. The way you manage and inspire others has not only driven our success but also fostered a positive team dynamic. Well done and thank you for your exceptional leadership. “

6. Sample Positive Feedback on Creativity and Innovation

When it comes to skills and competencies in today’s rapidly evolving world of work, the one employee competency that has consistently risen to prominence is creativity and innovation. A key part of any employee competency framework, creativity deserves some positive feedback from colleagues. So here is an example of positive feedback about creativity and innovation.

“I just wanted to say how much I admire your creativity and innovative ideas. The new approach you suggested for our project was brilliant and really pushed us forward. Your fresh perspective is a huge asset to our team.”

7. Positive Feedback about Customer Service

In an era where good customer service can make or break an organization, regardless of the field, an individual that displays great customer service, deserves a pat on the back. That is why this list of positive feedback examples for peers wouldn’t be complete without some feedback about customer service skills.

“ I wanted to express my appreciation for the outstanding customer service you provided during the [specific incident]. Your way of handling the situation with empathy and professionalism made a significant difference to the customer experience. Thank you for your exceptional service. “

8. Example of Positive Feedback about Problem-Solving Skills

Speaking of employee competencies that never go out of style… Regardless of which new trend comes around, an individual with exceptional problem-solving skills will always be a valuable member of any team they join. So here is an example of positive feedback about problem-solving skills. When using this peer feedback example, make sure you dive further into the specifics of the problem they solved!

“ Your quick thinking and innovative approach to solving the issue during [specific project/task] were impressive. The way you find effective solutions under pressure is a true asset to our team. Great job! “

9. Feedback Example for Colleagues on Meeting Deadlines

While regularly meeting deadlines may seem like an ordinary feat and simply a part of everyone’s job description, it is easier said than done. With how demanding the modern workplace is and how many projects everyone is juggling at once, an individual who constantly meets their deadlines deserves positive feedback. So here is a positive feedback example for just topic!

“ I want to commend you for consistently meeting deadlines, especially on the [specific project/task]. Your time management and commitment ensured we stayed on track and delivered high-quality results. Thank you for your dedication. “

10. Professional Feedback Example about Attention to Detail

Regardless of your field, we all know that a small mistake can make or break an entire project. Whether it is catching that one typo in a newsletter or reporting a pesky bug in your software, employees with great attention to detail save the day! So here is how to give positive feedback to your peers on their attention to detail!

“ Your meticulous attention to detail on the [specific project/task] was remarkable. You caught errors that others missed and ensured everything was perfect. Your keen eye for detail makes a significant impact. Thank you! “

11. Positive Feedback for Colleagues on Their Technical Expertise

One of the most common areas where a colleague might receive positive feedback is their technical expertise. When an individual makes a difference in a specific task, project, or process using their background and technical skills, recognizing and appreciating them will make them feel like the heroes that they are. So here is a sample positive feedback comment on technical expertise

“Your technical expertise on the [specific project/task] has been invaluable. Your deep knowledge and ability to apply it effectively have greatly contributed to our success. Thank you for sharing your skills with the team. “

12. Example of Positive Feedback for Colleagues on Their Communication Skills

Great communicators are an asset to any workplace they are a part of. Communication and interpersonal skills are more often than not a tender subject for most people. So offering individuals some good feedback on their communication skills can boost their confidence greatly! 

“ I want to highlight your exceptional communication skills displayed during the [specific meeting/event]. Your consistent knack for conveying complex ideas clearly and engaging the audience is outstanding. Thank you for your effective communication. “

13. Positive Attitude Warrants Positive Feedback

Do you know who the unsung heroes of a workplace are? Those people who show up with a smile on their gace regardless of the occasion and boost everyone’s spirits. They do more for team morale and employee engagement than a million workshops and activities. So here is a positive feedback example for those with the most positive attitudes!

“ Your positive attitude is infectious and greatly appreciated by everyone on the team. During [specific project/task], your enthusiasm and can-do spirit kept us all motivated. Thank you for your unwavering positivity. “

14. Positive Peer Feedback Example on Work Ethic

A coworker with an unwavering work ethic sets a high standard for everyone around them, boosting their coworkers’ performances alongside their own. When giving positive feedback to a coworker or direct report on their work ethic, you can use the feedback example below. As always, customizing it with specific examples can be make your feedback even more effective.

“ Your strong work ethic, especially evident in the [specific project/task], has not gone unnoticed. You consistently go above and beyond to ensure the job is done right. Thank you for your dedication and hard work. “

15. Positive Feedback Example on Adaptability

Many of the entries on this list have something in them about how the world of work is constantly evolving and changing. Perhaps one of the most important skill an individual can have in such a landscape is the ability to adapt to those changes. So here is a professional positive feedback example on a teammates adaptability.

“Your adaptability during the [specific change/event] was impressive. You handled the transition smoothly and helped the team adjust quickly. Your flexibility and willingness to embrace change are truly commendable. “

16. Good Feedback Example on Mentoring and Coaching

Having employees with great mentorship skills ensures that you have a workplace that is welcoming to new hires. Having great mentors as a part of your team can also help with talent development, and employee retention in the long-run. A colleagues ability to mentor others shouldn’t go unnoticed. That is why we included a good feedback example for mentors in the workplace.

“ Your mentoring and coaching skills have made a significant difference in the team’s development. Your guidance and support during [specific project/task] have helped many colleagues grow. Thank you for being an excellent mentor. “

17. Good Feedback on Time Management

Who isn’t juggling multiple tasks at work these days? Those who can manage all their tasks and time effectively are modern, everyday heroes. The concept of giving positive feedback to colleagues shouldn’t just be reserved for special occasions and big achievements but also those everyday acts that ensure operational excellence.

“ Your excellent time management skills were evident in the way you handled the [specific project/task]. You balanced multiple priorities effectively and ensured everything was completed on time. Thank you for your efficiency “

18. Good Feedback Example on Taking Initiative

The next positive feedback example on our list is for those who take charge and show initiative. Heading beyond their usual allotment of responsibilities and going that extra mile to ensure the success of a particular project, task, or process can result in some amazing success stories in the workplace. 

“I want to recognize your initiative in taking on the [specific project/task]. Your proactive approach and willingness to go the extra mile have been instrumental in our success. Thank you for stepping up and making a difference. “

19. Example of Positive Feedback on Reliability and Dependability

Again we go with the “Rapidly changing times…” narrative. This time however, the positive feedback goes out to ones who don’t change with the tides but remain reliable and dependable. While a workplace needs people who can change and stay flexible, it also needs some sturdy, reliable individuals to be the rocks! 

“Your reliability and dependability, especially during [specific project/task], have been crucial to our team. Knowing we can count on you to deliver high-quality work consistently is invaluable. Thank you for being so dependable. “

20. Example of Good Feedback to Colleagues on Conflict Resolution

Conflicts are a natural part of any workplace. Whenever there is a conflict, there are always those special individuals who are there to resolve it. Conflict resolution is another one of those key competencies that will never not be relevant. That is why we wanted to include an example of positive feedback for colleagues on their conflict resolution skills.

“ Your skill in resolving conflicts during the [specific situation] was exceptional. You handled the situation with diplomacy and ensured a positive outcome for everyone involved. Thank you for your effective conflict resolution. “

21. Example of Positive Feedback to Colleagues on Project Management

When you are offering good feedback to colleagues on their project management skills, you are in fact complimenting them on not one specific aspect of their job but a complex set of skills that has assured success of a particular project.  Here is a sample feedback on project management that can be taken in any direction.

“ Your project management skills on the [specific project] were outstanding. Your ability to plan, coordinate, and execute the project efficiently ensured its success.  “

22. Feedback Example on Commitment to Quality

The term perfectionist has been memed to death on social media and sketch comedy when discussing employee strengths and weaknesses. That being said having those individuals who are committed to excellence is an asset to every single team. 

“Your commitment to quality was evident in the [specific project/task]. Your dedication to ensuring the highest standards of work has greatly contributed to our success. Thank you for your unwavering commitment. “

23. Example of Positive Feedback for a Colleague on Empathy and Support

Individuals that show empathy and support to their teammates are valuable members to any team they are a part of. So when you are looking for examples of areas where you can offer positive feedback to employees, those who show empathy and support towards others shouldn’t be excluded from that list!

“ Time and time again, you’ve shown great empathy and support towards your colleagues, building bridges. Your understanding and kindness helped the team navigate through challenging times. Thank you for being so supportive. “

24. Positive Employee Feedback Example on Strategic Thinking

Every team needs those individuals who are playing 4D chess while everyone is playing checkers! Another area leaders should offer positive feedback to employees is strategic thinking. So below you will find an example of positive feedback for employees on strategic thinking.

“ Your strategic thinking during the [specific project/task] was instrumental in our success. Your ability to see the big picture and plan accordingly helped us achieve our goals. Thank you for your insightful contributions. “

25. Example of Positive Feedback on Organizational Skills

As companies grow the ammount of responsibility everyone takes on increases. Those with great organizational skills are the ones that keep the ship running during growing pains. We’ve included a positive employee feedback example on organizational skills below for you.

“ Your organizational skills during the [specific project/task] were outstanding. You kept everything on track and ensured that all details were accounted for. You have, time and time again, kept our team focused on what really matters! Great work! “

26. Positive Employee Feedback on Decision-Making

When you want your positive feedback on leadership, taking initiative, or project management to be more specific, you need to look at some of the core building blocks of those concepts. If you do so, you will find that decision-making is a core competency for all of them. So in order to make your feedback more specific, here is a feedback example on decision making.

“ Your decision-making skills during the [specific situation/event] were impressive. You made well-informed decisions quickly and effectively, leading to a successful outcome. Thank you for your sound judgment. “

27. Positive Employee Feedback Example on Continuous Improvement

Employees who constantly grow and develop their skills are an asset to their organization and the people around them. They inspire growth and development in their teammates and show that they are committed to their careers. For that reason, we added a positive feedback example on continuous improvement to the list!

“ Your commitment to continuous improvement is evident in your work on the [specific project/task]. Your efforts to find better ways of doing things have made a significant impact. Thank you for always striving for excellence. “

28. Positive Feedback Example on Resourcefulness

In a workplace filled with unexpected challenges and limited resources, the ability to be resourceful is a highly valued trait. Resourcefulness is not just about finding quick fixes; it’s about using creativity and ingenuity to solve problems and make the best use of what’s available.

Acknowledging someone’s resourcefulness can inspire continued innovation and problem-solving. Here’s an example of positive feedback on resourcefulness:

“ Your resourcefulness during the [specific project/task] was remarkable. You found creative solutions to problems and used available resources effectively. Thank you for your ingenuity and problem-solving skills. “

29. Example of Positive Feedback on Flexibility

Flexibility is an essential competency in today’s fast-paced and ever-changing work environment. Being adaptable to shifting priorities and new situations is crucial for both personal and team success. Praising someone for their flexibility not only boosts their morale but also encourages a culture of resilience and adaptability within the team. Here’s an example of positive feedback on flexibility:

“ Your flexibility in adapting to the changes during the [specific project/task] was highly appreciated. You handled the shifting priorities with ease and maintained high standards throughout. Thank you for being so adaptable. “

30. Positive Feedback about Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal skills are fundamental in creating a collaborative and positive work environment. The ability to communicate effectively, build relationships, and foster teamwork is invaluable. Recognizing and appreciating these skills can strengthen team dynamics and enhance overall productivity. Right here you will find an example of positive feedback about interpersonal skills:

“ Your interpersonal skills have greatly contributed to the positive work environment in our team. You have your very own way to connect with colleagues and foster collaboration and it  was evident during the [specific project/task]. Thank you for your excellent people skills. “

Tips for Giving Positive Feedback

When it comes to giving positive feedback for colleagues, there are some general tips we can give to help you provide effective and meaningful recognition. Our tips will ensure that your feedback is well-received and encourages further growth and development.

A. Be specific and detailed in your feedback

When offering positive feedback, it’s important to be specific about what the person did well. Instead of simply saying, “Good job,” provide detailed examples and describe the specific actions or behaviors that impressed you. Giving specificity to your feedback helps your colleague understand exactly what they did right and encourages them to continue those positive actions.

B. Provide feedback in a timely manner

Timeliness is key when giving positive feedback. Aim to recognize and acknowledge the person’s accomplishments as soon as possible after they occur. Giving immediate feedback reinforces the positive behavior or achievement and shows that you value their efforts. Delayed feedback may lose its impact and fail to motivate the individual effectively.

C. Use positive language and tone

The language and tone you use while giving positive feedback greatly influence how it is received. Ensure that your words convey genuine appreciation and positivity. Choose uplifting and encouraging phrases that make the person feel valued and respected. Avoid mixing positive feedback with negative criticism, as it can dilute the impact of your appreciation.

D. Tailor your feedback to the individual’s strengths and accomplishments

Recognize and highlight the specific strengths and accomplishments of the individual. Everyone has different talents and areas of expertise, so tailor your feedback to align with their unique qualities. Acknowledging their strengths helps boost their confidence and encourages them to further excel in those areas.

What are the benefits of giving positive feedback at work?

Giving positive feedback can be a real game-changer in the workplace! Not only can it boost morale and motivation, but it can also help to create a supportive and positive work environment.

When someone receives positive feedback, they feel valued and appreciated, which can increase their engagement and commitment to their job. Plus, it’s always nice to know that your hard work is being recognized by your peers. Remember, peer recognition is magic!

Positive feedback doesn’t just boost morale and motivation! It also reinforces the positive behavior you praise. It is quite simply common sense, really. When you praise someone for a job well done, they’re more likely to continue doing the same things in the future. This leads to a more productive and efficient workplace, as well as happier and more fulfilled employees.

When to give positive feedback?

Positive feedback can be given at any time, but it’s most effective when it’s given as close to the event as possible. To make sure you give positive feedback at the best possible time, here is a small list of situations you should give positive feedback for:

When a colleague has completed a challenging project or task When a team member has gone above and beyond to help the team meet a deadline After a coworker has demonstrated exceptional teamwork or collaboration skills When an employee has achieved a significant milestone or accomplished a major goal When a team member has consistently shown improvement in their work or has overcome a personal or professional challenge.

How to give positive feedback examples?

Giving positive feedback is an important skill in both personal and professional settings. It helps motivate and encourage others, builds strong relationships, and fosters a positive environment.

Express appreciation: Let the person know that you value their contribution and effort.

Example: “I want to express my appreciation for your hard work on the project. Your dedication, attention to detail, and creativity really made a difference. The project turned out to be a great success, and you played a significant role in that.”

Focus on strengths: Highlight the person’s strengths and how they have positively impacted the situation or task.

Example: “Your problem-solving skills have been outstanding. Every time we face a challenge, you come up with innovative solutions that not only solve the problem but also improve our overall processes. Your ability to think outside the box is truly impressive.”

Connect to impact: Explain the positive impact of the person’s actions on the team, organization, or project.

Example: “Your leadership during the team project was invaluable. Your ability to delegate tasks effectively and provide guidance and support to team members greatly contributed to our success. Your leadership style fostered a collaborative environment where everyone felt motivated and empowered to do their best.”

Encourage personal growth: Highlight growth or improvement in someone’s skills or abilities.

Example: “I’ve noticed a significant improvement in your presentation skills over the past few months. Your confidence, delivery, and ability to engage the audience have all improved tremendously. Keep up the great work!”

Be genuine and sincere: Make sure your feedback comes from a place of authenticity and sincerity.

Example: “I genuinely appreciate your positive attitude and enthusiasm. Your energy is contagious, and it really boosts the team’s morale. Your positive outlook has created a supportive and enjoyable work environment.”

What to avoid when giving positive feedback to your colleagues?

While it may seem counterintuitive to consider potential issues when giving positive feedback, there are still important nuances to consider. While it may seem like positive feedback can’t do any harm, you just might be surprised at some of the nuances that go into good feedback comments. Here are some positive feedback issues you have to avoid!

Issue 1: Generic Praise One common mistake when giving positive feedback is being too vague or generic. Generic compliments like “Great job!” or “You’re awesome!” lack specificity and may not carry the weight of genuine appreciation. Be specific in your praise. Highlight the particular actions, behaviors, or achievements that impressed you. For example, instead of saying “Great presentation,” you could say, “I was impressed by how well you articulated the key points during the presentation, and your use of visuals made it engaging and informative.”

Issue 2: Overdoing It While frequent positive feedback is encouraged, overdoing it can dilute its impact. If you praise every little thing, it may come across as insincere. Reserve your positive feedback for truly outstanding or noteworthy accomplishments. This way, when you do offer praise, it will be seen as genuine and meaningful.

Issue 3: Public vs. Private Feedback Publicly acknowledging your colleagues’ achievements can boost their morale, but not everyone is comfortable with public recognition. Gauge your colleague’s preferences and comfort level with public praise. Some may appreciate it, while others may prefer private acknowledgment. Respect their preferences to ensure your feedback is well-received.

Issue 4: Exaggeration Exaggerating your praise can make it seem insincere and overblown. Colleagues may question the authenticity of your compliments if they feel inflated. Stick to genuine, honest, and good feedback. Express your admiration without resorting to hyperbole. If you genuinely believe your colleague did an exceptional job, your sincerity will shine through.

In Conclusion

We want to end this post with a bit of a disclaimer. There isn’t a single example of positive feedback that has to be followed to a tee. While we wanted to provide you with as many professional positive feedback examples as we could, at the end of the day, the way you give positive feedback should change depending on who you are talking to, your organization’s culture, and a billion other things.

If you’ve come to this blog post with the question “What are some examples of positive feedback for colleagues?”, we do hope that you’re leaving satisfied and that we’ve also provided you with more than just good feedback examples but also some insight on how to give feedback as well!

Whether you are coming up with ideas for creative feedback for colleagues or simply looking to whip up some positive feedback for your coworkers, we hope you have the best of times!

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Written by emre ok.

Emre is a content writer at Teamflect who aims to share fun and unique insight into the world of performance management.

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