How to give positive feedback
A 3-part formula, 6 rules and before-and-after rewrites. It takes about a minute.
The 3-part formula: situation, behaviour, impact
Situation
Say when and where. "In Tuesday's client call..." This helps the person recall the moment.
Behaviour
Describe what the person did, in words anyone could have seen. "...you answered the pricing question without checking your notes..."
Impact
Say what changed because of it. "...and the client agreed to move to the next step."
The formula in use
In Tuesday's client call, you answered the pricing question without checking your notes. The client agreed to the next step in that meeting.
On Friday, when the order system went down, you phoned the 3 customers affected before they called us. They said they appreciated it.
In last week's team meeting, you suggested we change the order of the checklist. Since then, the checks take 5 minutes less.
6 rules
Be specific
"Great work" is nice. "The way you set out the table made the numbers easy to compare" tells the person what to repeat.
Give it soon
Within a few days, while the person remembers the situation.
Mean it
People notice when praise is automatic. Give it only when there is something real to say.
Say it in the right place
Some people like a public mention. Others prefer a private word. If you are unsure, ask.
Keep it separate
Do not add "but" and a criticism. Give the praise on its own.
Give it to everyone
Check whether the same few people receive most of the feedback. Quiet contributors need it too.
Before and after
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Good job on the project. | The project came in on time, and the client said the final report was the clearest they had seen. |
| You are a great team player. | When [name] was behind on the figures, you stayed an hour to help. They finished on time. |
| Thanks for your hard work. | Thank you for finishing the audit by Thursday. It meant we could send it to the client before the deadline. |
| Nice presentation. | Your presentation had 3 slides, and the group made a decision before the end of the meeting. |
| Keep it up. | Please keep using the weekly summary. It saves the whole team time. |
Mistakes to avoid
- Praise that sounds like a preface. If the person hears "Great work, but...", they only remember what follows.
- Feedback only about results. Noticing effort, care and improvement matters too.
- Overdoing it. Praise for every small thing loses its weight.
- Comparing people. "You are better than [name]" puts the other person down and puts pressure on the recipient.
- Waiting for the annual review. By then, the details are gone.
Questions
What is the best way to give positive feedback?
Say the situation, what the person did, and what it changed. Do it soon and in a place that suits them.
How often should you give positive feedback?
Whenever there is something specific to say. For managers, that is often at least once a week for each person.
Can too much positive feedback be a problem?
It can, if it is vague or automatic. People stop noticing it. Specific feedback given when it is deserved keeps its weight.