How to give good advice
Parent Post
No matter who you
No matter who you are, the people you work with will make mistakes at some point—and you’ll have to address them.
Give constructive suggestions to co-workers and even superiors in a helpful, insightful way using this five-step model.
Explain the impactPoint out
Explain the impact
Point out the direct impact that resulted from this behavior, and again be as specific as possible.
Saying, “I noticed that the clients were upset” is more effective than “When you don’t leave time for a discussion, you look like a control freak.”
Pause and suggest concrete
Pause and suggest concrete next steps
When you’ve said your piece, stop. And then ask for the other person’s reaction.
Also, give a small number of suggestions that the other person can take in the future, to change their behavior.
Ask for permissionLittle things
Ask for permission
Little things matter.
A simple “Hey, do you have a minute for some quick feedback?” can help the receiver be mentally ready for it, be it positive or negative.
What does good feedback
What does good feedback look like?
- Choose one issue at a time.
- Don’t be too critical or focus too heavily on the negative.
- But don’t avoid real problems, either.
- Avoid vagueness and use specific examples.
- Leave plenty of time for the recipient to respond.
State what you observedWhere
State what you observed
Where possible, use specific examples and avoid being judgmental.
“You don’t give off a lot of energy in meetings” is not as helpful as, “In the meeting yesterday, I noticed your body language was passive.”