The Right (and Wrong) Way to Share Feedback on Files

Giving feedback is an important part of sharing files online, whether you’re in a formal managerial position or not. Feedback helps people understand if the file you shared is good to go or what they can do to improve.

However, giving feedback is not always easy. It can be difficult to find the right words, and you don’t want to come across as critical or judgmental. You also don’t want to sugarcoat things to the point where the feedback is meaningless.

Here are some tips for giving feedback that is both effective and constructive:

The Importance of Feedback

Giving feedback is important for a number of reasons. First, it helps people understand how they’re doing and what they can do to improve. If someone is not aware of a problem, they can’t fix it.

Second, feedback shows that you’re paying attention and that you care about the person’s development. This is especially important for people who report to you, but it’s also important for your peers and for people who are lower in the organization than you are.

Finally, feedback can help build relationships. When you give feedback, you’re opening up a dialogue and inviting the other person to do the same. This can help build trust and mutual respect.

Giving feedback can be difficult, but it’s important to remember that it’s a valuable tool for helping people improve and building relationships. If you take the time to give feedback, you’ll be glad you did.

Here are some tips for giving feedback:

• Be clear and concise
• Be specific
• Be objective
• Focus on the behavior, not the person

The Different Types of Feedback

There are different types of feedback, and each has its own purpose. Here are some of the most common types of feedback:

• Praise: Praise is used to highlight something that someone did well. It’s important to give praise regularly so that people know when they’re doing a good job.
• Criticism: Criticism is used to point out something that someone did wrong. It’s important to be specific when critiquing someone’s work so that they know what needs to be improved.
• Suggestions: Suggestions are used to offer ideas on how someone can improve. These can be specific (e.g., “You should try using a different word here”) or general (e.g., “You might want to consider a different approach”).
• Questions: Questions are used to elicit more information about something. For example, if you’re not sure how someone did on a task, you might ask them to walk you through what they did.
• Approval: If the file looks good, feel free to easily approve it so you and the creator can move forward with your project.

It’s important to remember that feedback should be given in a way that is constructive and helpful. This means that it should be specific, objective, and actionable. Feedback should also be given in a timely manner so that it is most effective.

If you’re not sure how to give feedback, or you’re not sure what type of feedback to give, you can always ask a supervisor or another trusted individual for help.

The Purpose of Feedback

The purpose of feedback is to help people improve. It’s important to remember that feedback is not meant to be a criticism of the person’s character; it’s meant to be a constructive criticism of their work.

When giving feedback, always keep the following in mind:

• Be specific: Feedback should be specific so that the person knows what they need to work on. For example, instead of saying “Your presentation was terrible,” say “I didn’t like the way you organized your presentation.”
• Be objective: Feedback should be objective so that the person can understand why you didn’t like something. For example, instead of saying “I don’t like your writing style,” say “I think your writing style is too informal.”
• Be constructive: Feedback should be constructive so that the person knows what they can do to improve. For example, instead of saying “Your presentation was terrible,” say “Your presentation would be better if you organized it differently.”

When giving feedback, always aim to be clear, concise, and specific. This will help the person receiving the feedback to understand what they need to work on, and how they can improve.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Sharing Feedback

There are some things you should do when giving feedback, and some things you should avoid. Here are some tips:

• Do give feedback regularly: Feedback should be given frequently so that people know where they stand and what they need to work on.
• Don’t wait until there’s a problem: Feedback should be given before there’s a problem so that it can be addressed quickly.
• Do be specific: Feedback should be specific so that the person knows what they need to work on.
• Don’t be general: Feedback should be specific so that the person knows what they need to work on. For example, instead of saying “Your presentation was terrible,” say “I didn’t like the way you organized your presentation.”
• Do be objective: Feedback should be objective so that the person can understand why you didn’t like something. For example, instead of saying “I don’t like your writing style,” say “I think your writing style is too informal.”
• Don’t be subjective: Feedback should be objective so that the person can understand why you didn’t like something. For example, instead of saying “I don’t like your writing style,” say “I think your writing style is too informal.”
• Do be constructive: Feedback should be constructive so that the person knows what they can do to improve. For example, instead of saying “Your presentation was terrible,” say “Your presentation would be better if you organized it differently.”
• Don’t be destructive: Feedback should be constructive so that the person knows what they can do to improve. For example, instead of saying “Your presentation was terrible,” say “Your presentation would be better if you organized it differently.”
• Do focus on the behavior, not the person: Feedback should be focused on the person’s behavior, not on their character. For example, instead of saying “You’re lazy,” say “I noticed that you didn’t take the initiative to work on this project.”
• Don’t focus on the person’s character: Feedback should be focused on the person’s behavior, not on their character. For example, instead of saying “You’re lazy,” say “I noticed that you didn’t take the initiative to work on this project.”

When giving feedback, it’s important to be aware of how you phrase things. You want to be clear, specific, and objective so that the person receiving the feedback can understand and use it to improve. However, you also don’t want to be destructive or focus on the person’s character, as this will only lead to defensiveness and won’t be helpful. Keep these tips in mind the next time you need to give feedback, and it will go more smoothly.

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