--- title: How To Give Effective Feedback - PDW Group description: Learn how you can give effective feedback that is beneficial to your employees & your business as a whole. image: https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/hubfs/PDW_Theme_2024/Images/Blog/feedback-1024x762.webp --- [![pdw-logo](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/PDW_Theme_2024/Images/pdw-logo.webp?width=178&height=79&name=pdw-logo.webp "pdw-logo")](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/) - [0115 940 4966](tel:0115%20940%204966) - [hello@pdwgroup.co.uk](mailto:hello@pdwgroup.co.uk) - Training & Coaching - [Leadership Training & Development](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/leadership-development-training) - [Leadership Behaviour](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/business-training-courses/leadership-development-training/leadership-behaviour) - [Strategic Thinking for Leaders](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/business-training-courses/leadership-development-training/strategic-thinking) - [Management Development Training](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/management-training) - [Performance Management](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/business-training-courses/management-training/performance-management) - [Setting Goals](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/business-training-courses/management-training/setting-goals) - [Giving Feedback](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/giving-feedback) - [Sales And Business Development Training](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/sales-training) - [Negotiation Skills Training Courses](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/negotiation-skills-training) - [Customer Relationship Management Training](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/customer-management-training) - [The Science Of Account Management](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/the-science-of-account-management) - [Commercial, financial & business acumen training](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/business-acumen-training-courses) - [Coaching Solutions](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/business-training-courses/business-coaching) - [Other Workshops](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/other-workshops) - People Assessment - [Assessment Centres](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/assessment-centre-for-recruitment) - [Behavioural Profiling](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/behavioural-profiling) - [Flexible 360° Feedback Surveys](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/360-degree-feedback) - Feedback Surveys - [Employee Engagement Survey](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/employee-engagement-surveys) - [Customer Feedback Surveys](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/customer-feedback-surveys) - [Flexible 360° Feedback Surveys](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/360-degree-feedback) - [Assessment Days](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/assessment-days) - Who We Help - [HR Training & Development](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/hr-training-and-development) - [Business Owners, Managing Directors And CEO Training And Development](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/ceo-training-and-development) - [Professional Services Training](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/professional-services-training) - [Training For Learning And Development Professionals](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/learning-development-professionals-training-courses) - [Department And Team Heads](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/department-team-heads) - [Methodology](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/about-us/our-methodology) - Explore Further - [Business Advisory Consultancy](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/business-consultancy-advisory) - [Team Development](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/team-development) - [Meet the Team](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/about-us/meet-the-team) - [Free Guides](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/free-guides) - [Case Studies](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/tag/case-studies) - [Testimonials](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/testimonials) - [Training Room Hire](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/training-room-hire) - [Blog](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog) - [About Us](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/about-us) - [Contact Us](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/contact-us) ![Manager giving feedback ](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/hubfs/PDW_Theme_2024/Images/Blog/feedback-1024x762.webp) # How To Give Effective Feedback 30th October 2019 *"John, I have some feedback for you."* *"I want to have a conversation about your performance."* You can imagine the sense of dread you would feel hearing this. You're immediately thinking of everything you may have done 'wrong' and probably thinking of how you can justify it. The conversation hasn't begun yet, but your defences are up. Giving feedback effectively is probably one of the most important management skills you can master; it's also one that is often done badly. [![PDW-5-Ways-To-Take-Your-Businesses-From-Good-To-Great\_-Text](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/hubfs/PDW_Theme_2024/Images/Blog/PDW-5-Ways-To-Take-Your-Businesses-From-Good-To-Great_-Text-CTA.webp)](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/5-ways-to-take-your-business-to-from-good-to-great-guide) For most of us, if we're giving feedback to someone it’s because there is something about what the person is doing (or not doing) that we find frustrating or is not, in our view, the ‘right way’ to do it. This is why many people view it as criticism and so don’t do it, because we are effectively saying *“you are doing this wrong, or not how I want you to do it”.* This also reinforces the idea that all feedback is negative when, if done correctly, all feedback should, in fact, be seen as a positive as its an opportunity for you to help people achieve their goals and develop Imagine you're trying to deliver a message to John. If you adjust your mindset to be 100% about helping John get a better outcome or result, and you firmly believe what you are about to say is in his best interest, then everything about your body language, voice and wording becomes about the benefit to him, and not about you. ## Preparation is key It can be just as damaging to give feedback that's ill-thought-out and unplanned as it is to not give feedback at all. For this reason, it's beneficial to write some notes to ensure clarity in your own mind as to exactly what your message to John is. A useful structure to help you prepare is: - **Actions:** What are the actions/behaviours (or lack of) that you are observing which make up the feedback message? - Use specific examples rather than generalised observations. - Avoid judgemental adjectives that may instigate a defensive response (e.g. aggressive, lazy, etc.) - **Impacts:** What is the impact on them as a result of these actions or behaviours. The most powerful are those that affect them directly. - You can also consider other impacts on you, other colleagues, customers, the business, etc. - **Desired Outcome:** What are the actions or behaviours that are you suggesting that you would like to see them demonstrate instead of what they are currently doing. - Be clear and specific about what you are suggesting they do differently - Remember there may be blockers preventing this outcome such as confidence, capability, resources, etc. The key point is to ensure clarity for you in terms of what they are doing, why it’s important, and what they could be doing differently. If you're not clear on these messages, it will be impossible to ensure that they are clear on them. The likelihood of them changing anything in this situation, therefore, becomes ever more remote. It's also likely to increase frustration for both parties and likely damage the relationship going forward. ### You can't change what you don't acknowledge It’s important to get the recipient of feedback to understand and acknowledge all your messages. If they don’t, it's almost certain that they won't change anything unless they are ‘forced’ which isn’t a sustainable strategy. Firstly, consider how to get John to acknowledge that he needs to listen to your feedback. This requires you to consider things from his perspective and what he values most. If you know what's important to him, you can focus the conversation on helping to achieve that. Some examples of what people typically value are: - **Money:** Earning more of it, or saving it. - **Time:** Saving it, getting some of it back. - **Stress:** Reducing it and getting peace of mind. - **Reputation & Status:** Improving it. If your feedback is linked to one of their values, you've given them a good reason to listen and take that on board. ## Delivering Your Feedback Before you give your feedback, it's important to remember some basic principles in conducting the conversation: 1. Always have the conversation in private. Giving unsolicited advice in front of someone's colleagues can embarrass them and cause them to shut off from listening to what you have to say. 2. Decide whether to arrange a meeting specifically for the feedback or add it to the agenda of another meeting. 3. Be prepared for a response, and possibly to hear some feedback about yourself in return. It may be that you are responsible for blockers preventing your feedback from being actioned. Framing the conversation properly gets the person to be as open-minded as possible and can re-enforce your willingness to help. Without proper framing, the conversation risks being seen as negative criticism. Good framing has two essential components: - What specifically is the conversation about? - What is the *benefit* to the recipient to hear it and act on it? This, combined with your preparation, for example, gives you: *"Hi John, I want to talk to you about the client presentation you gave this morning because I really want to help you to get greater impact with the audience, and improve your sales conversion rate."* The difference between this and the fear-inducing framing we started with is staggering. As a recipient, John is much more likely to be receptive to what you have to say and to take your feedback on board. By following these steps, you're now in a better position to give your feedback and have increased the likelihood of your feedback being taken on board. [![take your businesses from good to great](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/hubfs/PDW_Theme_2024/Images/Blog/PDW-5-Ways-To-Take-Your-Businesses-From-Good-To-Great_-Long-CTA.webp)](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/5-ways-to-take-your-business-to-from-good-to-great-guide) [facebook-f icon](https://www.facebook.com/pages/PDW-Group/215022238528197) [twitter icon](https://twitter.com/PDWGroup) [linkedin-in icon](http://www.linkedin.com/company/pdw-group-uk-ltd) [youtube icon](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUJAUtQW4AbYWEtJc2B5WFQ) ### Posts By Topics - [Blogs (115)](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/tag/blogs) - [leadership training (32)](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/tag/leadership-training) - [leadership development training (27)](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/tag/leadership-development-training) - [managers (19)](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/tag/managers) - [communication (15)](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/tag/communication) - [team engagement (14)](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/tag/team-engagement) - [employee engagement (12)](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/tag/employee-engagement) - [Negotiation (11)](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/tag/negotiation) - [Case Studies (10)](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/tag/case-studies) - [employee morale (9)](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/tag/employee-morale) - [feedback (9)](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/tag/feedback) - [commercial awareness training (5)](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/tag/commercial-awareness-training) - [360 Degree Feedback (4)](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/tag/360-degree-feedback) - [Coaching (4)](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/tag/coaching) - [disengaged employees (4)](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/tag/disengaged-employees) - [Remote Coaching (3)](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/tag/remote-coaching) - [Employee Performance (2)](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/tag/employee-performance) - [Experiential Training (2)](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/tag/experiential-training) - [resilience (2)](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/tag/resilience) - [Strategic Thinking (1)](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/tag/strategic-thinking) - [Working remotely (1)](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/tag/working-remotely) see all ### Recent Articles [How Self Aware Are You Really?](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/how-self-aware-are-you-really) [Stop Focusing on Client Satisfaction](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/stop-focusing-on-client-satisfaction) [Stop Hiding Behind Psychological Safety](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/stop-hiding-behind-psychological-safety) [Accountability Isn’t Missing. It’s Avoided.](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/accountability-isnt-missing.-its-avoided) [People Know What To Do. So Why Aren’t They Doing It?](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/why-you-should-be-using-the-f-word-at-work) ### Subscribe to our blog [![pdw-logo](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/PDW_Theme_2024/Images/pdw-logo.webp?width=178&height=79&name=pdw-logo.webp "pdw-logo")](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/) #### Training & Coaching - [All Services](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/services-overview) - [Leadership Training & Development](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/leadership-development-training) - [Customer Relationship Management Training](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/customer-management-training) - [Management Development Training](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/management-training) - [The Science Of Account Management](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/management-training) - [Sales And Business Development Training](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/sales-training) - [Commercial Awareness Training](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/business-acumen-training-courses) - [Negotiation Courses](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/negotiation-skills-training) - [Coaching Solutions](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/business-training-courses/business-coaching) - [Other Workshops](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/other-workshops) - [Why Most Training Doesn't Work](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/why-most-training-doesnt-work) #### People Assessment - [Assessment Centres](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/assessment-centre-for-recruitment) - [360° Feedback](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/360-degree-feedback) - [Behavioural Profiling](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/behavioural-profiling) #### Feedback Surveys - [Employee Engagement Surveys](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/employee-engagement-surveys) - [360° Feedback Surveys](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/360-degree-feedback) - [Customer Feedback Surveys](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/customer-feedback-surveys) - [Assessment Days](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/assessment-days) Call [0115 940 4966](tel:0115%20940%204966) Email [hello@pdwgroup.co.uk](mailto:hello@pdwgroup.co.uk) Address Units 9a to 9c, Colwick Quays Business Park, Nottingham, NG4 2JY, United Kingdom VAT Number 852243146 Company Number 5294805   © 2026 PDW Group Ltd. All rights reserved. - [Contact Us](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/contact-us) - [Privacy & Cookies](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/privacy-and-cookies) - [Terms & Conditions](https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/pdw-group-website-terms-service) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "pdw2017", "url" : "https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/author/liammpdwgroup-co-uk" }, "dateModified" : "2024-03-05T15:07:32.898Z", "datePublished" : "2019-10-30T14:36:09.000Z", "headline" : "How To Give Effective Feedback - PDW Group", "image" : [ "https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/hubfs/PDW_Theme_2024/Images/Blog/feedback-1024x762.webp" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/blog/effective-feedback", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/hubfs/PDW%20logo.png" }, "name" : "PDW Group (UK) Ltd." } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "WebSite", "alternateName" : "PDW Group", "name" : "Leadership Training | Management Training | Sales Training", "url" : "https://www.pdwgroup.co.uk/ " } ```