4. Comment On Actionable Things - Deepstash
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4. Comment On Actionable Things

To help people improve talk about things they can do something about, rather than those out of their control. Critiquing the former makes your criticism constructive; critiquing the latter makes the person feel bad as they canā€™t do anything about it, even if they want to.

Understand the personā€™s situation and his/her objectives, then provide your critique based on that. And if you need to talk about something out of their control, balance it out by talking about things they can control.

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6. Donā€™t Make Assumptions

6. Donā€™t Make Assumptions

Provide criticism within what you know as fact about the person and the subject. Avoid assumptions as they make you and the person look bad ā€” especially when your assumption is wrong.

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1. Use The Feedback Sandwich

1. Use The Feedback Sandwich

Also known as PIP (Positive-Improvement-Positive), it consists of ā€œsandwichingā€ a critic between two positive comments in the following manner:

  1. Start by focusing on the strengths ā€” what you like about the item in question.
  2. Then, provide the criticism ā€” things you donā€™t l...

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On Giving Constructive Criticism

On Giving Constructive Criticism

Sharing and receiving feedback is necessary for improvement. If you have ideas on how someone can improve, donā€™t hold your ideas back, share your criticism constructively.

Of course, be sensitive to othersā€™ feelings and offer feedback when you feel the other person is ready to take it.

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5. Give Improvement Recommendations

5. Give Improvement Recommendations

Give recommendations on what the person can do to improve so they have a clear idea of what you have in mind and get a strong call-to-action.

With your recommendations, (a) be specific with your suggestions and (b) briefly explain the rationale behind the recommendation. Also, try to...

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Making Your Feedback Specific

Making Your Feedback Specific

  • Focus more on objective points than subjective opinions. Saying ā€œI donā€™t like itā€ is less helpful than stating the specific things you donā€™t like.
  • Break your feedback into key points instead of giving it as one big lump.
  • Give 1-2 specific examples of each poi...

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Why The Feedback Sandwich Works

The feedback sandwich lets the receiver know that you recognize what they did right and that you are on their side, thus not attacking them. The receiver then becomes more receptive to your critique.

The feedback sandwich method is most appropriate when you are giving criticism to pe...

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ā€œPeople seldom refuse help, if one offers it in the right way.ā€

A. C. Benson.

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3. Be Specific With Your Feedback

3. Be Specific With Your Feedback

The more specific your feedback, the more actionable it is for the one receiving it. Example: Asking for an article on communication is vague while asking for one on public speaking is specific.

An specific feedback that doesnā€™t target the person is easier to understand and act upon....

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2. Focus On The Situation, Not The Person

2. Focus On The Situation, Not The Person

  • Comment on the issue, not the person. Example, ā€œThe clothes are dirtyā€ and not ā€œYou are dirty.ā€
  • Donā€™t make personal attacks. Comments like ā€œIā€™m so tired ofā€¦ā€ or ā€œYouā€™re so... ā€ come across as accusatory.
  • Use passive voice instead of active to shift the at...

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CURATED BY

alanaff

Travel aficionado Writer. Passionate social media geek. Reader.

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